San Antonio has just snapped up new recognition as the No. 14 best place to live and work as a filmmaker in North America, according to MovieMaker Magazine's annual report, "The Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker in 2026."

The Alamo City has made improvements after ranking 20th in the magazine's 2025 list.

The annual list ranks the best cities in the U.S. and Canada for individuals to live while working in the film industry, based on production spending, tax incentives, cost of living, the prevalence of "local film scenes," and additional factors. The list is divided into two categories: 25 big cities and 10 smaller cities or towns.

The spotlighted cities are the places where the publication believes filmmakers "have the best chance of both succeeding in the famously difficult entertainment industry, and making [their] own art."

San Antonio filmmakers primarily benefit from the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program, which increased its production grant rebate from 22.5 percent to up to 31 percent for qualified in-state spending. Locals can also take advantage of the recently increased San Antonio Film Incentive program (SAFI) that offers rebates of up to 14 percent based on eligible costs. The report says San Antonio has some of the best film incentives in North America.

"With expanded eligibility and new workforce development opportunities, we’re empowering local artists, crew members, and emerging talent — including students — to take part in and benefit from the remarkable growth of our film industry right here in San Antonio," said San Antonio’s Department of Arts & Culture executive director Krystal Jones in an earlier press release.

MovieMaker also highlighted San Antonio's diversity, its low cost of living compared to the national average, its "photogenic landscapes," and its proximity to Austin.

"The number of crew and vendor listings is up dramatically this decade, and it has some locations that can stand in for a wide range of other times and places, and others, like the River Walk and the Alamo, that are wholly unique," the report said.

Elsewhere in Texas, Austin ranked as the No. 5 best place to live and work as a filmmaker in North America. Dallas ranked seventh, while neighboring Fort Worth ranked 12th. Houston appeared as No. 10, and El Paso landed 25th on the list.