Attachment 1
The Economic and Social Impact of
Nonprofit Arts and Culture Organizations and Their Audiences in San Diego County, CA
Direct Economic Activity Organizations Audiences Total Expenditures Total Industry Expenditures (FY2022) $731,445,052 $637,846,089 $1,369,291,141 Economic Impact of Spending by Arts and Culture Organizations and Their Audiences Total Economic Impacts
(includes direct, indirect, and induced impacts) Organizations Audiences Total Impacts Employment (Jobs) 11,368 8,403 19,771
Personal Income Paid to Residents $663,214,550 $348,350,586 $1,011,565,136 Local Tax Revenue (city and county) $20,043,875 $21,323,714 $41,367,589 State Tax Revenue $35,716,987 $33,040,120 $68,757,107
Federal Tax Revenue $141,280,845 $69,288,330 $210,569,175 Event-Related Spending by Arts and Culture Audiences Totaled $637.8 million Attendance to Arts and Culture Events
Local1
Attendees
Nonlocal1
Attendees
All
Attendees
Total Attendance to In-Person Events 17,015,925 2,146,153 19,162,078 Percentage of Total Attendance 88.8% 11.2% 100.0%
Average Per Person, Per Event Expenditure $31.26 $69.74 $35.57 Total Event-Related Expenditures2 $426,790,609 $211,055,480 $637,846,089 Nonprofit Arts and Culture Audiences Spend an Average of $35.57 Per Person, Per Event Category of Event-Related Expenditure
Local1
Attendees
Nonlocal1
Attendees
All
Attendees
Food and Drink $13.81 $15.95 $14.05
Retail Shopping $4.92 $11.78 $5.69
Overnight Lodging (one night only) $1.50 $22.95 $3.91
Local Transportation $3.76 $5.81 $3.99
Clothing and Accessories $2.63 $5.38 $2.94
Groceries and Supplies $2.95 $3.77 $3.04
Childcare $0.59 $0.73 $0.60
Other/Miscellaneous $1.10 $3.37 $1.35
Overall Average Per Person, Per Event $31.26 $69.74 $35.57 Source: Arts & Economic Prosperity 6: The Economic and Social Impact Study of Nonprofit Arts and Culture Organizations and Their Audiences in San Diego County. For more information about this study or about other cultural initiatives in San Diego County, contact the City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture.
Copyright 2023 by Americans for the Arts. To learn more, visit www.AEP6.AmericansForTheArts.org.
Past studies have focused primarily on the financial, economic, and tourism contributions of the nonprofit arts and culture industry. AEP6 expands beyond those topics to include measures of social impact. Surveys completed by individual attendees in the San Diego County demonstrate an appreciation for how the arts and culture impacts the development and well-being of the community and its residents.
Audiences Demonstrate Appreciation for the Impact of Arts and Culture Level of Agreement with Social Impact Statements Audiences “This venue or facility is an important pillar for me within my community.” 81.6% “I would feel a great sense of loss if this activity or venue were no longer available.” 85.0% “This activity or venue is inspiring a sense of pride in this neighborhood or community.” 87.9% “My attendance is my way of ensuring that this activity or venue is preserved for future generations” 85.1% About This Study
Americans for the Arts conducted AEP6 to document the economic and social benefits of the nation’s nonprofit arts and culture industry. The study was conducted in 373 diverse communities and regions across the country, representing all 50 states and Puerto Rico. The City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture joined the study on behalf of San Diego County. For additional information including the national report, summaries for the 373 communities, an online calculator, and the project methodology, visit www.AEP6.AmericansForTheArts.org.
Surveys of Nonprofit Arts and Culture Organizations
Nationally, detailed information was collected from 16,399 nonprofit arts and culture organizations about their FY2022 expenditures (e.g., labor, local and non-local artists, operations, materials, facilities, and asset acquisition), as well as their event attendance, in-kind contributions, and volunteerism. Surveys were collected from February through July 2023. Some organizations only provided total expenditures and attendance (they are included in the study). Responding organizations had budgets ranging from a low of $0 to a high of $375 million. Response rates for the 373 communities averaged 43.9% and ranged from 5% to 100%. In San Diego County, 226 of the 699 total eligible nonprofit arts and culture organizations provided the financial and attendance information required for the study analysis—an overall participation rate of 32.3%. It is important to note that each study region’s results are based solely on the survey data collected. Therefore, the less-than-100 percent response rates suggest an understatement of the economic impact findings.
Surveys of Nonprofit Arts and Culture Audiences
Audience-intercept surveying, a common and accepted research method, was conducted to measure event-related spending by audiences. Attendees were asked to complete a short survey while attending an event. Nationally, a total of 224,677 attendees completed the survey. The randomly selected respondents provided itemized expenditure data on attendance-related activities such as meals, souvenirs, transportation, and lodging, as well as socioeconomic information, ZIP code of primary residence, and four social impact questions. Data was collected from May 2022 through June 2023 at a broad range of both paid and free events. In San Diego County, a total of 4,636 valid audience-intercept surveys were collected from attendees to nonprofit arts and culture performances, events, exhibits, and special events during the period from May 2022 through June 2023.
Studying Economic Impact Using Input-Output Analysis
Americans for the Arts uses the IMPLAN platform to create the customized models for each of the 373 study regions. Input-output models calculate the interdependencies between various sectors or industries within a region.
This analysis traces how many times a dollar is respent within the local economy before it leaks out, and it quantifies the economic impact of each round of spending. This form of economic analysis is well suited for AEP studies because it can be customized specifically to each participating community, region, or state. To complete this analysis for San Diego County, the researchers used the IMPLAN platform to build a customized inputoutput model based on the unique economic and industrial characteristics of San Diego County.
Research Notes: 1 For the purpose of this study, local attendees live within San Diego County; nonlocals live elsewhere. 2 To calculate the total audience expenditures in San Diego County, first the audience expenditure findings were calculated for each of the participating sub-regions that are located within San Diego County. Next, the residency percentages and the average per person arts-related expenditure for residents and nonresidents were applied to any additional attendance data collected from organizations located within San Diego County but outside the participating sub-regions. Finally, the results were added to the findings from the individual sub-regions. It is important to note that, as a result, the aggregate audience expenditures for San Diego County do not equal the average per person event-related expenditure for locals multiplied by the total estimated attendance by locals plus the average per person event-related expenditure for nonlocals multiplied by the total estimated attendance by nonlocals.