Raleigh-Durham rates high on author Richard Florida’s list of regions in the Creative Economy — sixth, right behind Seattle and well ahead of New York.

We’re No. 1 in Florida’s Talent Index, though talent is simply defined as having a bachelor’s degree. It’s one of three things, along with technology and tolerance, that make a creative center thrive, in Florida’s estimation. About 12 percent of people here are part of the “highly creative core” of artists, engineers, and researchers, he says. Florida used Census data, patents per capita, economic city models, and extensive interviews to come up with the rankings.

The following lists are from The Rise of the Creative Class, © 2002 by Richard Florida. See www.creativeclass.org for more.

Ranking Regions in the Creative Economy:

The Creativity Index (for regions over 1 million people)

1. San Francisco

2. Austin

3. Boston*

3. San Diego*

5. Seattle

6. Raleigh-Durham

7. Houston

8. Washington-Baltimore

9. New York

10. Minneapolis-St.Paul*

10. Dallas*

(*tied)

Talent Index (for regions over 1 million people)

1. Raleigh-Durham

2. Washington-Baltimore

3. Boston

4. Austin

5. San Francisco

6. Hartford

7. Atlanta

8. Denver

9. Minneapolis-St.Paul

10. Dallas