New England City Ranked No. 1 Most Underrated in US for Music in 2025

When you think of great music cities, your mind immediately names places like Nashville, Austin, or Los Angeles, right?

But in 2025, an extremely unlikely New England city has apparently been moving its way up the music chain.

Providence, Rhode Island, just claimed the title of the most underrated music hub in the country.

According to ripbs.org, Rhode Island’s music scene is a widely diverse hub of performers and musicians showcasing their talents. For music fanatics, exploring the local music scene is a must-do.

Yes, you read that right.

Providence has become a hotspot for emerging and established musical talent. This is kind of wild as a few of my best friends went to college at URI which is located in Providence and when I'd visit them, you wouldn't see more happening downtown than just a bar scene.

After talking to one of my close friends Kristen who still lives in Rhode Island, she said, "the city has become a place where basement shows and fancy grand concert halls coexist surprisingly well together and it shows. A close friend of mine who DJs most events around town deemed the city the most underrated in the country based off of all of his experience behind the scenes."

Is the cost of living in Rhode Island high?

As a resident for over 10 years, Kristen also says "the city’s affordable still (by New England standards) with living costs, so I think that has a lot to do with it. That, and how close we are to major cities you'd already expect talent to land in like Boston or New York."

So, if you’re looking for your next musical adventure, skip the usual suspects and head to Providence.

It sounds like it's an unsuspecting city where creativity is flourishing in the music scene and hidden gem music venues and talents are starting to show up and out!