The United States is home to some of the world’s most influential interior design hubs, where creativity, innovation, and industry recognition converge to shape global trends - including the latest color palettes, decor, and custom framing inspiration.
But which regions of the country are at the forefront of interior design?
We’ve analyzed a number of factors, including the prevalence of interior designers and their average earnings, to find out.
San Francisco is the interior design capital of the US
1) San Francisco, California
San Francisco comes out on top with a score of 8.54 out of 10. The city stands out with the highest average interior designer wage among the top three, at $89,760, making it an attractive location for professionals in the field. It also has an employment rate of 0.77 per 1,000 jobs in the interior design industry, offering plenty of opportunities.
With three award winners and four honorees from Interior Design’s 2024 Best of the Year Awards, San Francisco continues to establish itself as a top leader in the world of interior design. The notable winners include the Obata Noblin Office's work on the Crane Cove Warehouse, which blends industrial aesthetics with beautiful natural materials.
2) Seattle, Washington
Seattle ranks second among the top interior design cities in the US, earning an impressive score of 8.4 out of 10. The city offers a competitive average wage of $80,950 for professionals in this field, as well as boasting a strong interest in interior design among the general population.
There are a staggering 77,500 Instagram posts from the city, showcasing its thriving design culture. Residents also made close to 4,000 Google searches related to interior design over the past year, showing a widespread interest in leveling up home decor.
With one winner and four honorees at the 2024 Interior Design Best of the Year Awards, the city further cements itself among the best in the country. The firm LMN Architects won the Environmental Impact award for its work on the Seattle Aquarium Ocean Pavilion and for its sustainable practices, such as using recycled fishing nets for carpets and recycled paper panelling.
3) New York City, New York
New York City takes third place with a score of 8.37 out of 10. As a global design capital, NYC is home to top-tier interior designers, prestigious firms, and a thriving creative scene. The city has the highest number of award-winning designers, with 10 winners and 38 honorees from Interior Design’s 2024 Best of the Year Awards. Among those to receive acknowledgement at the awards was Brent Buck Architects for the minimalist Williamsburg Townhouse.
With around 100,000 Instagram posts celebrating decor, New York City interiors include iconic industrial loft aesthetics marked by exposed brick, steel-framed windows, and reclaimed wood.
There is also the rustic, nature-inspired approach, with warm wood tones and cozy textures typical of upstate New York. Luxury and maximalism also have a strong presence, with high-end Manhattan apartments featuring bold statement pieces, intricate millwork, and art-driven interiors.
Here is the full scorecard with the rest of the Top 10 cities:
NY and DC lead the states as top interior design hubs
1) New York
New York takes the top spot as the ultimate interior design hub in the US, scoring 9.2 out of 10. As a global center for art, culture, and fashion, New York's interior design scene thrives on creativity and innovation. The state boasts the highest number of award-winning designers, with 10 winners and 41 honorees from Interior Design’s 2024 Best of the Year Awards. This includes Architecture Plus Information winning the Medium Commercial Lobby and Amenity Space award for its work on 360 Park Avenue South - a 20-story workplace located in Midtown Manhattan.
Additionally, interior designers in New York earn an average salary of $75,310, and the state also sees significant social media engagement, with over 63,200 Instagram posts related to decor. The sheer density of top-tier talent and industry recognition solidifies New York as a global trend-setter in interior design.
2) California
California ranks second, with a strong interior design hub score of 8.65 out of 10. The state offers the highest average wage for interior designers at $81,570, offering strong financial opportunities for designers. Among the top states for Instagram posts related to interior design with 42,200, it solidifies itself as a hub for decor inspiration, particularly in cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco, where modern and sustainable design trends thrive.
California’s interior design scene is shaped by its thriving luxury real estate market and cutting-edge creativity. With high-end homes in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and coastal hotspots like Malibu and Napa Valley, there is a strong demand for bespoke interiors that exude both opulence and comfort. Modern minimalism, influenced by California’s tech-driven culture, is a dominant trend, characterized by sleek lines, open spaces, and smart home technology.
The state’s indoor-outdoor lifestyle also fuels the popularity of biophilic design, with natural materials, large glass windows, and organic textures seamlessly blending interior and exterior spaces.
3) Florida
Florida secures third place with a score of 8.06 out of 10, demonstrating its growing influence in interior design. The state saw an impressive 296 Google searches per 100,000 residents for interior design inspiration over the past year, indicating strong public interest. Additionally, Florida leads in Instagram engagement, with 65,100 posts showcasing its vibrant interior design community.
While it has fewer award winners (1) and honorees (3) than New York and California, Florida’s unique blend of coastal luxury, art deco influences, and modern tropical aesthetics makes it a standout destination for designers. One example is the Cult Gaia Miami flagship store, which was designed by Sugarhouse and won the award for Fashion Retail at the 2024 Interior Design Awards.
Here is the full scorecard with the rest of the Top 10 states:
Summing it up
Major design cities like San Francisco and New York are constantly evolving and pushing boundaries in interior aesthetics. These hubs serve as incubators for innovation, where top designers experiment with materials, color palettes, and spatial concepts - driving new national decor trends.
To find interior design inspiration, you can explore these design hotspots, visiting boutique hotels and concept stores to see the latest trends in action. You can also follow interior designers on social media – Instagram and Pinterest offer endless inspiration from industry leaders.
And for your own projects, you can try testing trends in small ways – if you're drawn to a bold trend, start with accent pieces like pillows, framed art, or a statement chair before committing to a complete redesign.
At the end of the day, great home decor isn’t about following trends - it’s about creating a space that reflects your personal taste. Incorporate personal touches like custom framed photos, vintage finds, or unique artwork to make a space feel curated and individual.
Methodology
We sourced the 50 most populous US cities using the United States Census Bureau.
Using May 2023 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, we took the average wage and employment rate per 1,000 jobs of interior designers (under code 27-1025) for each city. The following cities are incorporated in the same metropolitan area in this dataset:
- Mesa & Phoenix, Arizona
- Denver & Aurora, Colorado
- Dallas, Fort Worth & Arlington, Texas
- Los Angeles & Long Beach, California
This was also repeated for each US state, using the May 2023 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates. Wyoming and Alaska were removed due to a lack of data availability.
We used Google Keyword Planner to source the number of Google searches in each city and state between February 2024 and January 2025 for the following terms:
- "become an interior designer”
- "interior design inspiration"
- "interior designer jobs"
- "interior designers near me"
Using US Census Bureau data, we then normalized the total number of searches by 100,000 of the population of each city and state.
Using Instagram, we recorded the total number of posts for “#[CITY]interiordesign.” This data was collected and is accurate as of 02/10/2025. We then repeated this for each US state, using the hashtag “#[STATE]interiordesign,” collected on 02/19/2025.
We recorded the winners and honorees of Interior Design’s 2024 Best of the Year Awards, recording the firm and project name. We then researched each project's location, totaling the winners and honorees for each city and state.
We then combined these factors to give each state and city a normalized score out of 10, using Google’s percentrank function with each factor given equal weighting, ranking states and cities separately.
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