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Mural along Nashua New Hampshire's Heritage Trail
New research confirms that arts and culture is not only good for you, it’s good for your community, and good for business.
On October 12 Americans for the Arts released Arts and Economic Prosperity 6, its sixth national study of the nonprofit arts and culture sector’s contribution to local and national economies. The study surveyed 16,399 organizations and 224,677 attendees in 373 communities across all 50 states in the US and Puerto Rico to measure the financial and social impact of nonprofit arts and culture organizations had in 2022.
Nationally, the Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6) study estimates that the United States’ entire nonprofit arts and culture sector generated $151.7 billion in spending, which supported 2.6 million jobs and contributed $29.1 billion in government revenue.
In recognition of arts and culture’s contribution to social and individual wellbeing, AEP6 expanded its scope to measure the industry’s social impacts, in addition to economic impact.
“When we invest in nonprofit arts and culture, we strengthen our economy and build more livable communities.”
- Nolen V. Bivens, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts
“Arts and culture organizations have a powerful ability to attract and hold dollars in the community longer. They employ people locally, purchase goods and services from nearby businesses, and produce the authentic cultural experiences that are magnets for visitors, tourists, and new residents,” said Nolen V. Bivens, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. “When we invest in nonprofit arts and culture, we strengthen our economy and build more livable communities.”
Several New Hampshire organizations and agencies participated in the AEP6, including Arts Alive!, City of Dover Arts Commission, City of Nashua Arts Commission, Sullivan County, City of Portsmouth, and the Upper Valley Business Alliance.
Key figures from New Hampshire’s AEP6 contributing communities:
| Sullivan County | City of Dover | Greater Portsmouth | Monadnock Region | Nashua | Upper Valley (NH/VT) | Nationwide | |
| Nonprofit Arts and Culture audience spending | $4.4 mil | $3.98 mil | $41.1 mil | $6.8 mil | $3.9 mil | $2.4 mil | $78.4 bil |
| Average money spent per attendee/event above cost of admission | $32.67 | $25.62 | $48.45 | $32.51 | $36.31 | $28.09 | $38.46 |
| Percentage of attendees from outside the local county | 41.9% | 32.1% | 39.2% | 27.1% | 27.8% | 13.8% | 30.1% |
| Percentage of survey respondents who agreed that the activity or venue they attended was a “source of neighborhood pride for the community” | 89% | 88.6% | 90% | 87.6% | 85.9% | 90.7% | 89% |
| Percentage of respondents who said they would “feel a sense of loss if that activity or venue was no longer available” | 85.4% | 82.3% | 89.9% | 85.7% | 82.3% | 90.3% | 86% |
