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The purpose of the 2015 Local Arts Agency (LAA) Census was to characterize the different ways that LAAs perform their vital roles in every community. LAAs share the goals of enabling diverse forms of arts and culture to thrive locally, ensuring broad accessibility to the public, and building healthier communities through the arts.

The census provides details about LAA staffing and oversight, services and programs, partnerships and collaborations in the community, grantmaking, diversity within staff/volunteers/board and diversity in programming, marketing and communications practices, arts education, services for the military, and operating revenues and expenditures, and more. For a more detailed listing of question groups, please refer to the Description of Variables below.

This study contains data from the two forms of the surveys (Full and Abbreviated--a subset of the Full survey). These surveys were distributed online to 4,377 individual Local Arts Agencies in the United States which were known to Americans for the Arts in 2015. A total of 1,127 LAAs responded to the census survey. 641 submitted the Full survey; 486 completed the Abbreviated survey. The overall response rate was 26%.

The data is contained in two separate datasets comprising results from the two surveys. The Full Survey (dataset 1) contains data from the 641 respondents who completed the long survey. The Combined Surveys (dataset 2) contains responses from both the 486 respondents of the abbreviated survey as well the corresponding 641 responses from the full survey for a total of 1,127 respondents. The rate of response from large and mid-sized LAAs was very high, while small and volunteer-driven LAAs were underrepresented in the survey respondents.

The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study SM is the largest long-term study of brain development and child health in the United States. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded leading researchers in the fields of adolescent development and neuroscience to conduct this ambitious project. The ABCD Research Consortium consists of a Coordinating Center, a Data Analysis, Informatics & Resource Center, and 21 research sites across the country, which have invited 11,880 children ages 9-10 to join the study. Researchers will track their biological and behavioral development through adolescence into young adulthood.

Arts measures in ABCD include how can arts experiences be best used to enhance development of each individual? How can arts experience be best used to promote health and address developmental disorders? And also, how can neuroscience research provide a foundation for rational approaches to how we integrate arts into development?

ABCD enables us to track a trajectory of broad measures of cortical area thickness of the brain over time and see whether individuals keep on with the mean, go higher, lower, and so forth. And what factors might affect those trajectories.The data shows the relationship between music engagement and brain and behavioral developmental trajectories in childhood and adolescence, using rich characterization of brain, behavior, demographics, and genetics available in ABCD.

Arts experiences in ABCD are captured largely as part of something called the activities questionnaire, which is a pretty detailed questionnaire given to parents, which includes detailed information about participation in a wide range of activities, which include many different sports, but also performance in the arts, music, dance, drama, visual and crafts. Activities such as active engagement, learning, lessons, playing in bands, creating art (school, outside school, private lessons, and self-study). The data offers insights into effects of arts-related activities on cognitive outcomes like fluid and crystallized intelligence, executive function, working memory-specific measures, risk scores for IQ, and educational attainment.

Watch the recording of NADAC's webinar featuring Dr. Gay Dowling, Director of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Project, and Dr. Iversen, a cognitive neuroscientist. Dr. Dowling provides an overview of the ABCD study, while Dr. Iversen discusses the arts-specific measures within the ABCD data and explains how these measures, combined with comprehensive brain and cognitive assessments, reveal the impact of the arts on brain development.

Additional ABCD resources:

• The Sound Health Network

• The ABSD Data Dictionary

• NIMH Data Archive

• ABCD GitHub

• ABCD Study Infographics

The American Community Survey (ACS) is an ongoing statistical survey that samples a small percentage of the population every year -- giving communities the information they need to plan investments and services. The 5-year public use microdata sample (PUMS) for 2008-2012 is a subset of the 2008-2012 ACS sample. It contains the same sample as the combined PUMS 1-year files for 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. This data collection provides a person-level subset of 124,023 respondents whose occupations were coded as arts-related in the 2008-2012 ACS PUMS.

The 2008-2012 PUMS is the fourth 5-year file published by the ACS. This data collection contains five years of data for the population from households and the group quarters (GQ) population. The GQ population and population from households are all weighted to agree with the ACS counts which are an average over the five year period (2008-2012). The ACS sample was selected from all counties across the nation.

The ACS provides social, housing, and economic characteristics for demographic groups covering a broad spectrum of geographic areas in the United States and Puerto Rico. Demographic variables include sex, age, relationship of person to the selected respondent, race, and Hispanic origin. Social characteristics variables include school enrollment, educational attainment, marital status, fertility, grandparents caring for children, veteran status, type of disability, health insurance, place of birth, United States citizenship status, year of entry, year of naturalization, language spoken at home, and ancestry. Variables focusing on economic characteristics include employment status, commuting to work, occupation, industry, class of worker, income and benefits, and poverty status.

The American Community Survey (ACS) is an ongoing statistical survey that samples a small percentage of the population every year -- giving communities the information they need to plan investments and services. The 5-year public use microdata sample (PUMS) for 2010-2014 is a subset of the 2010-2014 ACS sample. It contains the same sample as the combined PUMS 1-year files for 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. This data collection provides a person-level subset of 127,392 respondents whose occupations were coded as arts-related in the 2010-2014 ACS PUMS.

The 2010-2014 PUMS is the sixth 5-year file published by the ACS. This data collection contains five years of data for the population from households and the group quarters (GQ) population. The GQ population and population from households are all weighted to agree with the ACS counts which are an average over the five year period (2010-2014). The ACS sample was selected from all counties across the nation.

The ACS provides social, housing, and economic characteristics for demographic groups covering a broad spectrum of geographic areas in the United States and Puerto Rico. Demographic variables include sex, age, relationship of person to the selected respondent, race, and Hispanic origin. Social characteristics variables include school enrollment, educational attainment, marital status, fertility, grandparents caring for children, veteran status, type of disability, health insurance, place of birth, United States citizenship status, year of entry, year of naturalization, language spoken at home, and ancestry. Variables focusing on economic characteristics include employment status, commuting to work, occupation, industry, class of worker, income and benefits, and poverty status.

The American Community Survey (ACS) is an ongoing statistical survey that samples a small percentage of the population every year -- giving communities the information they need to plan investments and services. The 5-year public use microdata sample (PUMS) for 2011-2015 is a subset of the 2011-2011 ACS sample. It contains the same sample as the combined PUMS 1-year files for 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. This data collection provides a person-level subset of 129,895 respondents whose occupations were coded as arts-related in the 2011-2015 ACS PUMS.

The 2011-2015 PUMS is the seventh 5-year file published by the ACS. This data collection contains five years of data for the population from households and the group quarters (GQ) population. The GQ population and population from households are all weighted to agree with the ACS counts which are an average over the five year period (2011-2015). The ACS sample was selected from all counties across the nation.

The ACS provides social, housing, and economic characteristics for demographic groups covering a broad spectrum of geographic areas in the United States. Demographic variables include sex, age, relationship of person to the selected respondent, race, and Hispanic origin. Social characteristics variables include school enrollment, educational attainment, marital status, fertility, grandparents caring for children, veteran status, type of disability, health insurance, place of birth, United States citizenship status, year of entry, year of naturalization, language spoken at home, and ancestry. Variables focusing on economic characteristics include employment status, commuting to work, occupation, industry, class of worker, income and benefits, and poverty status.

The American Community Survey (ACS), conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, replaced the long form of the decennial census in 2000. The ACS allows researchers, policy makers, and others access to timely information about the U.S. population to make decisions about infrastructure and distribution of federal funds. The monthly survey is sent to a sample of approximately 3.5 million U.S. addresses, including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The ACS includes questions on topics not included in the decennial census, such as those about occupations and employment, education, and key areas of infrastructure like internet access and transportation.

When studying large geographic areas, such as states, researchers can use a single year's worth of ACS data to create population-level estimates. However, the study of smaller groups of the population, such as those employed in arts-related fields, requires additional data for more accurate estimation. Specifically, researchers often use 5-year increments of ACS data to draw conclusions about smaller geographies or slices of the population. Note, the Census Bureau produced 3-year estimates between 2005 and 2013 (resulting in seven files: 2005-2007, 2006-2008, 2007-2009, . . . 2011-2013), which remain available but no additional 3-year estimate files have been created.

Individuals wishing to describe people working in occupations related to the arts or culture should plan to use at least five years' worth of data to generate precise estimates. When selecting data from the U.S. Census Bureau or IPUMS USA, users should select data collected over 60 months, such as 2020-2024. NADAC's Guide to Creating Artist Extracts and Special Tabulations of Artists from the American Community Survey provides information about the occupation codes used to identify artists.

The American Community Survey: Public Use Microdata Sample: Artist Extract, 2018-2022 can be downloaded from the IPUMS USA website. The extract captures information on the number of artists, by occupation, demographic group, and other individual characteristics.

To explore social, housing, and economic characteristics within the arts sector, the 2018-2022 ACS 5-year sample can narrowed down to only respondents in arts-related occupations (identified by the variable name: OCC):

• 1300 Architects, Except Naval

• 2600 Artists and Related Workers

• 2630 Designers

• 2700 Actors

• 2710 Producers and Directors

• 2740 Dancers and Choreographers

• 2750 Musicians, Singers, and Related Workers

• 2760 Entertainers and Performers, Sports and Related Workers, All Other

• 2700 Announcers

• 2850 Writers and Authors

• 2910 Photographers

• 2920 Television, Video, and Motion Picture Camera Operators and Editors

Users can also visit the IPUMS USA website to analyze the 2018-2022 ACS 5-year sample online in the IPUMS SDA system.

About the American Community Survey (ACS): The ACS is an ongoing statistical survey that samples a small percentage of the population every year -- giving communities the information they need to plan investments and services. The 5-year public use microdata sample (PUMS) for 2018-2022 is a subset of the 2015-2019 American Community Survey (ACS) and Puerto Rico Community Survey (PRCS) samples. It contains the same sample as the combined PUMS 1-year files for 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. The 2018-2022 ACS 5-year PUMS contains five years of data for housing units (HUs) and the population from households and the group quarters (GQ) population. The GQ population, housing units and population from households are all weighted to agree with the ACS counts, which are an average over the five year period. The ACS sample is selected from all counties across the nation and all municipios in Puerto Rico.

The 5-year dataset is a 5-in-100 national random sample of the population, comprising all households and individuals from the 1% American Community Survey (ACS) samples for 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022, identifiable by year. It includes persons in group quarters and is weighted. The smallest identifiable geographic unit is the PUMA, which contains at least 100,000 persons and does not cross state boundaries. However, the updating of some geography variables has been delayed due to the usage of two different census definitions (2010 and 2020) of PUMA across the five years in the sample. Regarding data quality issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Census Bureau revised its methodology for weighting households in the 2017-2020 5-year sample, resulting in larger coefficients of variation for some key estimates. Users should proceed with caution when using the 2020 1-year ACS PUMS file and should not compare it to other ACS years in the multi-year data samples. Please see ACS and COVID-19: Guidance for Using the PUMS with Experimental Weights for more information.

Additionally, data collection errors occurred in certain years, notably in 2016, 2017, and 2019, affecting specific variables in particular counties. These errors should be considered when analyzing the data. Users should read the FAQ on the multi-year data.

The American Community Survey (ACS) is an ongoing statistical survey that samples a small percentage of the population every year -- giving communities the information they need to plan investments and services. The 5-year public use microdata sample (PUMS) for 2012-2016 is a subset of the 2012-2012 ACS sample. It contains the same sample as the combined PUMS 1-year files for 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016. This data collection provides a person-level subset of 133,781 respondents whose occupations were coded as arts-related in the 2011-2015 ACS PUMS.

The 2012-2016 PUMS is the seventh 5-year file published by the ACS. This data collection contains five years of data for the population from households and the group quarters (GQ) population. The GQ population and population from households are all weighted to agree with the ACS counts which are an average over the five year period (2012-2016). The ACS sample was selected from all counties across the nation.

The ACS provides social, housing, and economic characteristics for demographic groups covering a broad spectrum of geographic areas in the United States. For a more detailed list of variables of what these categories include please see the decriptions of variables section.

• Visit the IPUMS USA website to download the 2015-2019 ACS 5-year sample
• Restrict the downloaded sample to a subset of respondents in arts-related occupations (variable name: OCC):

• OCC Code Occupation Name
• 1300 Architects, Except Naval
• 2600 Artists and Related Workers
• 2630 Designers
• 2700 Actors
• 2710 Producers and Directors
• 2740 Dancers and Choreographers
• 2750 Musicians, Singers, and Related Workers
• 2760 Entertainers and Performers, Sports and Related Workers, All Other
• 2700 Announcers
• 2850 Writers and Authors
• 2910 Photographers
• 2920 Television, Video, and Motion Picture Camera Operators and Editors

This data collection is comprised of responses from two sets of survey questionnaires, the basic Current Population Survey (CPS) and a survey administered as a supplement to the February 2013 basic CPS questionnaire. The supplement, on the topic of public participation in the arts in the United States, was sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts.

The CPS, administered monthly, collects labor force data about the civilian noninstitutional population aged 15 years old or older living in the United States. Moreover, the CPS provides current estimates of the economic status and activities of this population which includes estimates of total employment (both farm and nonfarm), nonfarm self-employed persons, domestics, and unpaid helpers in nonfarm family enterprises, wage and salaried employees, and estimates of total unemployment. The basic CPS data are provided on labor force activity for the week prior to the survey. In addition, CPS provides respondents' demographic characteristics such as age, sex, race, marital status, educational attainment, family relationship, occupation, and industry.

In addition to the basic CPS questions, the February 2013 Annual Arts Basic Survey (AABS) questions were asked of the CPS respondent and spouse as well as another randomly selected household member aged 18 or older and his/her spouse. About one-quarter of the sampled households were asked the supplement questions. Interview numbers 3 and 7 were asked the supplement questions. If the selected person had a spouse or partner then questions were also asked of the spouse/partner. The supplement contained questions about the sampled member's participation in various artistic activities from February 2012 through February 2013. Questions were asked about the type of artistic activity attended including attending a live music, theater, or dance performance. Questions also included attending a live book reading or a poetry or storytelling event, an art exhibit, going to the movies or to see a film, or taking any lessons or classes in music or music appreciation. Interviews were conducted during the period of February 17-23, 2013. The total sample size of the 2013 AABS was 150,827 Americans, ages 18 and older.

This data collection is comprised of responses from two sets of survey questionnaires, the basic Current Population Survey (CPS) and a survey administered as a supplement to the February 2015 basic CPS questionnaire. The supplement, on the topic of public participation in the arts in the United States, was sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts.

The CPS, administered monthly, collects labor force data about the civilian noninstitutional population aged 15 years old or older living in the United States. Moreover, the CPS provides current estimates of the economic status and activities of this population which includes estimates of total employment (both farm and nonfarm), nonfarm self-employed persons, domestics, and unpaid helpers in nonfarm family enterprises, wage and salaried employees, and estimates of total unemployment. The basic CPS data are provided on labor force activity for the week prior to the survey. In addition, CPS provides respondents' demographic characteristics such as age, sex, race, marital status, educational attainment, family relationship, occupation, and industry.

In addition to the basic CPS questions, the February 2015 Annual Arts Basic Survey (AABS) questions were asked of the CPS respondent and spouse as well as another randomly selected household member aged 18 or older and his/her spouse. About one-quarter of the sampled households were asked the supplement questions. Interview numbers 3 and 7 were asked the supplement questions. If the selected person had a spouse or partner then questions were also asked of the spouse/partner. The supplement contained questions about the sampled member's participation in various artistic activities from February 2014 through February 2015. Questions were asked about the type of artistic activity attended including attending a live music, theater, or dance performance. Questions also included attending a live book reading or a poetry or storytelling event, an art exhibit, going to the movies or to see a film, or taking any lessons or classes in music or music appreciation. Interviews were conducted during the period of several days in February 2015. The total sample size of the 2015 AABS was 151,788 Americans, ages 18 and older.

This data collection is comprised of responses from two sets of survey questionnaires, the basic Current Population Survey (CPS) and a survey administered as a supplement to the February 2016 basic CPS questionnaire. The supplement, on the topic of public participation in the arts in the United States, was sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts.

The CPS, administered monthly, collects labor force data about the civilian noninstitutional population aged 15 years old or older living in the United States. Moreover, the CPS provides current estimates of the economic status and activities of this population which includes estimates of total employment (both farm and nonfarm), nonfarm self-employed persons, domestics, and unpaid helpers in nonfarm family enterprises, wage and salaried employees, and estimates of total unemployment. The basic CPS data are provided on labor force activity for the week prior to the survey. In addition, CPS provides respondents' demographic characteristics such as age, sex, race, marital status, educational attainment, family relationship, occupation, and industry.

In addition to the basic CPS questions, the February 2016 Annual Arts Basic Survey (AABS) questions were asked of the CPS respondent and spouse as well as another randomly selected household member aged 18 or older and his/her spouse. About one-quarter of the sampled households were asked the supplement questions. Interview numbers 3 and 7 were asked the supplement questions. If the selected person had a spouse or partner then questions were also asked of the spouse/partner. The supplement contained questions about the sampled member's participation in various artistic activities from February 2015 through February 2016. Questions were asked about the use of pottery, ceramics, jewelry, leatherwork, metalwork and woodwork. They were also asked about weaving, crocheting, needlepoint, knitting, sewing, and whether they played a musical instrument. Questions also included doing any acting, singing or dance. Interviews were conducted during the period of February 14-20, 2016. The total sample size of the 2016 AABS was 150,294 Americans, ages 18 and older.

The tables report selected forms of arts participation for U.S. states and the District of Columbia. State-level figures are reported for those estimates with coefficients of variation under 30 percent, at 90 percent confidence. The period refers to the 12 months ending February 2020.

The data were derive from the 2020 Arts Basic Survey (ABS), a supplement to the Current Population Survey, and sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts.

The following state-level tables are included:

• Table 1A. Percent of U.S. adults who work with pottery, ceramics, or jewelry, or who create visual art such as paintings, sculpture, or graphic designs, by state
• Table 1B. Percent of U.S. adults do leatherwork, metalwork, or woodwork, or who weave, crochet, quilt, do needlepoint, knit, or sew, by state
• Table 1C. Percent of U.S. adults who play a musical instrument, by state
• Table 1D. Percent of U.S. adults who perform or practice any singing, by state
• Table 1E. Percent of U.S. adults who create any films or videos, or who take any photographs, as artistic activities, by state
• Table 1F. Percent of U.S. adults who attend live music, theater, or dance events, by state
• Table 1G. Percent of U.S. adults who go to art exhibits, by state
• Table 1H. Percent of U.S. adults who go out to the movies or go to see films, by state
• Table 1I. Percent of U.S. adults who visit buildings, neighborhoods, parks, or monuments for their historical, architectural, or design value, by state
• Table 1J. Percent of U.S. adults who read literature (novels or short stories, poetry, or plays), by state
• Table 1K. Percent of U.S. adults who use a device to watch, listen to, or download any music, theater, dance, or creative writing, or information about these art forms, by state

For information about the 2020 ABS, please visit the 2020 ABS study homepage.

The 2018 Arts Basic Survey (ABS) was conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau as a supplement to the Current Population Survey. This data collection is comprised of responses from two sets of survey questionnaires, the basic Current Population Survey (CPS) and a survey administered as a supplement to the February 2018 basic CPS questionnaire. The supplement, on the topic of public participation in the arts in the United States, was sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts.

The CPS, administered monthly, collects labor force data about the civilian noninstitutional population aged 15 years old or older living in the United States. Moreover, the CPS provides current estimates of the economic status and activities of this population which includes estimates of total employment (both farm and nonfarm), nonfarm self-employed persons, domestics, and unpaid helpers in nonfarm family enterprises, wage and salaried employees, and estimates of total unemployment. The basic CPS data are provided on labor force activity for the week prior to the survey. In addition, CPS provides respondents' demographic characteristics such as age, sex, race, marital status, educational attainment, family relationship, occupation, and industry.

The ABS captures data on American's participation in the arts through personal performance and creation. Examples include the share of adults who: play a musical instrument; perform or practice singing, dance, or acting; take photographs for artistic purposes; and engage in textile arts such as knitting, crocheting, or embroidery. Questions were also asked about the use of pottery, ceramics, jewelry, leatherwork, metalwork and woodwork. The 2018 ABS sample size was 18,116.

The 2020 Arts Basic Survey (ABS) was conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau as a supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS). This data collection is comprised of responses from two sets of survey questionnaires, the basic CPS and a survey administered as a supplement to the February 2020 basic CPS questionnaire. The supplement, on the topic of public participation in the arts in the United States, was sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts.

The CPS, administered monthly, collects labor force data about the civilian noninstitutional population aged 15 years old or older living in the United States. Moreover, the CPS provides current estimates of the economic status and activities of this population which includes estimates of total employment (both farm and nonfarm), nonfarm self-employed persons, domestics, and unpaid helpers in nonfarm family enterprises, wage and salaried employees, and estimates of total unemployment. The basic CPS data are provided on labor force activity for the week prior to the survey. In addition, CPS provides respondents' demographic characteristics such as age, sex, race, marital status, educational attainment, family relationship, occupation, and industry.

The ABS captures data on American's participation in the arts through attendance at arts events and personal performance and creation of art. The respondent 18 years of age or older and his/her spouse as well as a second randomly selected person and his/her spouse/partner as applicable were asked the supplement questions. The 2020 ABS sample size was 34,995. Questions asked included the following:

• Do any leisure activities such as working with pottery, ceramics or jewelry, leatherwork, woodwork, or any weaving, crocheting, needlepoint, knitting, or sewing.
• Play a musical instrument.
• Perform any acting, dancing, or singing. Take part in any visual artistic activity or creative writing.

The Community Indicators project is a research-based initiative that is part of the Knight Foundation's ongoing effort to learn more about the 26 communities it serves through its grant-making. To document changes in the quality of life in its communities, the foundation tracks a few key indicators over time. The project focuses on aspects of community life related to the six grant-making areas that are the priority of the Knight Community Partners Program. The Knight Community Partners Program prefers to make grants in the following six priority areas: education; the well-being of children and families; housing and community development; economic development; civic engagement and positive human relations; and the vitality of cultural life. The foundation expected to update both the community surveys and the community profiles approximately every three years.

Local area surveys were conducted in each of the 26 communities in both 1999 and 2002. In 2002, a number of the local area surveys were supplemented with regional surveys or surveys of a neighboring city. The 26 local areas surveyed in 1999 were: Milledgeville, GA; Long Beach, CA; Gary, IN; Boca Raton (Palm Beach County), FL; Boulder, CO; Philadelphia, PA; Akron, OH; Macon, GA; Columbus, GA; Aberdeen, SD; Grand Forks, ND; Wichita, KS; Charlotte, NC; Columbia, SC; Myrtle Beach, SC; Tallahassee, FL; Duluth, MN; St. Paul, MN; State College, PA; Fort Wayne, IN; Biloxi, MS; Detroit, MI; Lexington, KY; San Jose, CA; Bradenton, FL; Miami, FL. For 2002, the 11 regional and neighboring city areas also surveyed were: Charlotte, NC - Regional; Columbus, SC - Second City; Detroit, MI - Regional; Duluth, MN - Second City; Gary, IN - Regional; Grand Forks, SD - Second City; Lexington, KY - Regional; Philadelphia, PA - Regional; Philadelphia, PA - Second City, and Miami - Dade, FL and Miami - Broward, FL in place of Miami, FL. National surveys were also conducted in order to provide comparative benchmark measures. The surveys measured citizens' civic engagement and attitudes concerning seven topic areas: education, arts and culture, children and social welfare, community development, homelessness, literacy, and citizenship. Questions relating specifically to arts and culture include frequency of attendance at arts events or museums and satisfaction with arts and cultural opportunities.

The study was conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates and funded by the Knight Foundation. In 1999, 17,417 telephone interviews were conducted from February 10 through December 1. In 2002, 21,722 telephone interviews were conducted from January 2 through October 3.

The Consumer Expenditure Surveys (CE) program provides data on expenditures, income, and demographic characteristics of consumers in the United States. Expenditure categories include various arts-related spending categories on admissions for activities such as plays, theater, opera, concerts, as well as movies, parks, and museums. Additionally, spending on reading materials like newspapers, magazines, books, and digital book readers is covered. The survey also captures expenditure data on other arts-related items such as musical instruments, photographic equipment, audio-visual equipment, and items related to toys, games, arts, and crafts.

CE data are primarily used to revise the relative importance of goods and services in the market basket of the Consumer Price Index. The CE is the only Federal household survey to provide information on the complete range of consumers' expenditures and incomes. CE data are collected by the Census Bureau for BLS in two surveys: the Interview Survey for major and/or recurring items and the Diary Survey for more minor or frequently purchased items. Here is an overview of the CE program and its methods.

The CE program provides these data in tables, LABSTAT database, news releases, reports, and public use microdata files, including household arts spending, by demographic characteristics.

The Consumer Expenditure Survey (CE) program consists of two surveys: the quarterly Interview survey and the annual Diary survey. Combined, these two surveys provide information on the buying habits of American consumers, including data on their expenditures, income, and consumer unit (families and single consumers) characteristics. The survey data are collected for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) by the U.S. Census Bureau. The CE collects all on all spending components including food, housing, apparel and services, transportation, entertainment, and out-of-pocket health care costs.

The CE tables are an easy-to-use tool for obtaining arts-related spending estimates. They feature several arts-related spending categories, including the following items:

Spending on Admissions

• Plays, theater, opera, and concerts
• Movies, parks, and museums

Spending on Reading

• Newspapers and magazines
• Books
• Digital book readers

Spending on Other Arts-Related Items

• Musical instruments
• Photographic equipment
• Audio-visual equipment
• Toys, games, arts and crafts

The CE is important because it is the only Federal survey to provide information on the complete range of consumers' expenditures and incomes, as well as the characteristics of those consumers. It is used by economic policymakers examining the impact of policy changes on economic groups, by the Census Bureau as the source of thresholds for the Supplemental Poverty Measure, by businesses and academic researchers studying consumers' spending habits and trends, by other Federal agencies, and, perhaps most importantly, to regularly revise the Consumer Price Index market basket of goods and services and their relative importance.

The most recent data tables are for 2024 and include: 1) Detailed tables with the most granular level of expenditure data available, along with variances and percent reporting for each expenditure item, for all consumer units (listed as "Other" in the Download menu); and 2) Tables with calendar year aggregate shares by demographic characteristics that provide annual aggregate expenditures and shares across demographic groups (listed as "Excel" in the Download menu).

Also, see Featured CE Tables and Economic News Releases sections on the CE home page for current data tables and news release. The 1980 through 2024 CE public-use microdata, including Interview Survey data, Diary Survey data, and paradata (information about the data collection process), are available on the CE website.

The Creating Connection: Building Public Will for Arts and Culture, 2014, study explores arts and culture experiences as they relate to people's core values. The study is part of the Arts Midwest and Metropolitan Group's multi-year social change effort that began in 2012 to advance the position of arts and culture as a recognized, valued, and expected part of the public's everyday lives. The 2014 study seeks to understand how people define their arts and culture experiences, the core values that drive these experiences, and those messages that effectively connect these experiences to their values in order to craft messages that change expectations surrounding arts and culture.

Data was collected from 4,645 participants through a national survey administered September 2014. The base sample consisted of more than 2,586 responses nationwide, with additional oversamples from San Jose (California), California, Michigan, Minnesota, and Oregon. Data is weighted by education, race, age, and party identification to reflect those populations. Variables include information on: faith, family, community, cultural diversity, arts and culture engagement, social activities, artistic expression, and defining arts and culture. Demographic variables include age, race, education, gender, and income.

SMU DataArts hosts the Cultural Data Profile (CDP), an annual online survey collecting detailed financial, programmatic, and demographic information from cultural nonprofits, which they use to apply for funding to multiple grant programs. SMU DataArts also integrates surveys from national arts service organizations into a unified platform, streamlining data collection and providing more reliable, standardized data. Participating organizations, including those in broadcast, media, literary arts, education, museums, performing arts, and advocacy, report detailed information on revenues, expenses, marketing, balance sheets, investments, attendance, programming, staffing, and volunteers. This results in a comprehensive longitudinal dataset essential for research and advocacy, supporting the evidence-based demonstration of the arts' value and impact. SMU DataArts provides data in various formats, from raw datasets for research to custom analyses and reports.

Cultural Data Profile datasets can be requested for the past five completed fiscal years for $750, with discounts for academic use. The available datasets include: the National Dataset (all available data for broad analysis), the National Trend Dataset (for consistent trend comparisons across organizations), and the Most Recent Fiscal Year Dataset (a snapshot of the latest fiscal year). Customization and aggregate data services are available for additional fees. For more details, view the data dictionary here and the Cultural Data Profile questions here. Contact [email protected] for customization or further inquiries.

Conducted by the Urban Institute, the Cultural Participation Survey 1998 was the first in a series of surveys evaluating the Community Partnerships for Cultural Participation (CPCP) initiative. In the CPCP initiative, a total of ten community foundations around the country received grants from the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund to induce more people to attend arts and cultural events, encourage people who attend to contribute their time and money as well, and attract people who do not usually attend. The Urban Institute was commissioned to evaluate the initiative through surveys of households and organizations in five of these communities.

The Cultural Participation Survey 1998 measured leisure time activities, organizational involvement attendance at arts and culture events, and personal participation in arts and cultural activities by individuals in five geographic areas: the Kansas City metropolitan area; Humboldt County, California; Mayfair (San Jose), California; Milpitas, California; and Gilroy, California. From November 10, 1998 through December 12, 1998, a total of 2,406 computer-aided telephone interviews were conducted across all five geographic areas.

The General Social Survey (GSS) collects information from the general public on a wide variety of subjects, including attitudes toward social issues, religion, education, jobs and the economy, government and other institutions, politics, and policy issues. The 2012 merged data used a rolling panel design. The first panel is the 2008 GSS as the base year. The second panel is a subsample of the GSS cases from 2008 that was selected to be reinterview for the GSS in 2010 along with a new cross-section of cases. The third panel is the same subsample of 2008 GSS cases reinterviewed for the GSS in 2012 along with a new cross-section of cases. The 2012 GSS merged data file has the third wave of the 2008 respondents (N=1295), the second wave of the 2010 respondents (N=1,551), and the first wave (a cross-section) of 2012 respondents (N=1,974).

Besides the standard GSS topics, such as attitudes toward social issues, religion, education, jobs and the economy, government and other institutions, politics, and policy issues, the 2012 GSS data included a "Cultural Module," a battery of questions focused on culture and the arts. Questions asked if the respondent attended various performances or exhibits, who they attended with, if the performance attended was free, factors that impacted the decision to attend or not attend. The merged data also include demographic information including age, sex, race, and income. This data collection also contains questions asked in the 2008 GSS and the 2010 GSS.

Cross-sectional data for the 2022 General Social Survey (GSS), along with an updated cumulative file for 1972-2022, is available at the project's data portal, along with the 2022 GSS Documentation and Public-use File Codebook. The GSS Data Explorer has also been updated. The 2022 GSS provides opinion data at a critical time in U.S. history as we move forward from the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to understand changes in post-pandemic society.

Sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, the 2022 GSS Arts Module was fielded between July 11th and September 21st, 2022, as a web-only follow-on study to the GSS and included questions about changes in individual's recreational activities before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Arts Module's final sample size is 843 individuals (from 2,896 eligible GSS baseline respondents). To identify the individuals in the module, use the "NEASTATUS" variable. Additional information about weights for the module is also provided. Access the 2022 GSS Users Guide here.

The 2022 GSS Arts Module includes 24 measures of respondents' participation in the arts through attendance at live performances, exhibits, movies, and the like, as well as consuming culture through online galleries, reading, or watching a recorded event. Respondents are asked to report about their participation over the past 12 months and to compare this to what they did from March 2020 to March 2021.

The 2022 GSS is the most recent in a series of modules covering similar topics. For example, the 1993 Culture Module included questions on musical preferences, leisure and recreational activities, and attitudes toward art and literature. The 1998 Cultural Module included questions on attendance in arts events, personal engagement in artistic activities, attitudes toward art and literature, and attitudes toward arts funding. The 2002 Cultural Module included questions on musical preferences, attendance at arts events, and personal engagement in artistic activities. In 2002, another module on the "Information Society" included questions on the use of the Internet to obtain information about the arts (e.g., how people use the Web to learn about music, the visual arts, and literature). The 2016 Arts and Culture Module added in new variables covering information regarding social media use, suicide, hope and optimism, arts and culture, racial/ethnic identity, flexibility of work, spouses work and occupation, home cohabitation, and health.

About GSS:

The General Social Survey (GSS) was launched by National Opinion Research Center (NORC) in 1972 as an annual national research project to monitor Americans' shifting attitudes on social issues. NORC conducted the GSS almost every year until 1994, when it became biennial. NORC has also widened the scope of the GSS over the decades. With every survey round, GSS questions changed to reflect emerging trends such as the COVID-19 pandemic, political polarization, and crime.

The National Arts Index (NAI) was developed in the mid-2000s by Americans for the Arts as a way of tracking the health and vitality of arts and culture in the United States over time. Annual NAI reports were published in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2016.

NAI's main features included:

• A policy index providing a summary annual score which aggregated 81 individual indicators of arts finance, capacity, participation, and competitiveness
• A compendium of data with detail on each indicator including its origin and an interpretation of its significance accompanied by a chart representing change in the indicator over time.

Americans for the Arts seeks to build recognition and support for the extraordinary and dynamic value of the arts and to lead, serve, and advance the diverse networks and organizations and individuals who cultivate the arts in America.

The National Children's Study (NCS), authorized by the Children's Health Act of 2000, was a large-scale study to investigate environmental influences on child health and development. The NCS Vanguard (Pilot) Study, launched in 2009, tested methods for the larger Main Study and enrolled approximately 5,000 children across 40 locations by July 2013. The Main Study followed 100,000 children from before birth to age 21. On December 12, 2014, the NIH Director closed the study per advice from the expert review group.

The NCS Archive, created after the study's closure, offers researchers access to over 250,000 data and samples, including nearly 19,000 biological and 5,500 environmental samples from the Vanguard Study. The archive contains study visit data from preconception to 42 months post-birth, neuro-psychosocial and cognitive assessments, physical examinations, study protocols, operation manuals, data collection instruments, and more.

The NCS Archive includes various arts-related variables that were part of the study questionnaires and interviews conducted with participants and covered a range of activities and exposures. Specifically, the study captured data on children's participation in artistic activities, including music, dance, drama, and visual arts. Information was collected on the frequency and type of arts engagement, such as attending classes, participating in performances, or creating art. Examples include:

• DANCE_DAYS: The average number of days per week someone dances with the child.

• THEATER_DAYS: The average number of days per week someone engages in theater, play-acting, or make-believe with the child.

• MUSIC_DAYS: The average number of days per week someone plays musical instruments, sings, or listens to music with the child.

• DRAWPAINT_DAYS: The average number of days per week someone spends drawing or painting with the child.

• ART_EVENT_DAYS: The average number of days per week someone takes the child to arts-related events outside the home.

• DAYS_READ: The number of days in the past week that family members read stories to the child.

• TOTAL_NUMBER_BOOKS: The total number of children's books in the home, including library books.

• FREQ_BOOKS: The average number of days per week someone reads or looks at books with the child.

• READ_STORIES: The number of days per week stories are read to the child.

• TELL_STORIES: The number of days per week stories are told to the child.

The NCS Archive is available in NICHD's Data and Specimen Hub (DASH) for researchers to request access and conduct their own studies. For more information, researchers can consult the National Children's Study Archive: Study Description and Guide or contact NICHD's Data and Specimen Hub at [email protected].

The National Cultural Districts Exchange provides a portal for accessing information on cultural districts in the United States. Cultural districts are defined as well-recognized, labeled areas of a city in which a high concentration of cultural facilities and programs serve as the main anchor of attraction. They help strengthen local economies, create an enhanced sense of place, and deepen local cultural capacity. The Nation Cultural Districts Exchange website provides tools and resources to help guide the development and advancement of Cultural Districts. The portal is provided by Americans for the Arts.

The portal offers tools and resources for the following areas:

• Cultural Districts Basics
• Developing a Cultural District
• Advancing a Cultural District
• Profiles of Cultural Districts
• Cultural Districts Research
• Cultural Districts Issue Briefs

Of particular interest to those involved in the arts are the phone survey results from 42 cultural districts in the United States which can be found on the Cultural Districts Research link and the Cultural Districts Interactive Map which provides data on over 300 cultural districts in the United States.

Collected by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), personal consumption expenditures (PCE) is the primary measure of consumer spending on goods and services in the United States economy. It accounts for about two-thirds of domestic final spending, and thus it is the primary engine that drives future economic growth. PCE shows how much of the income earned by households is being spent on current consumption as opposed to how much is being saved for future consumption.

PCE also provides a comprehensive measure of types of goods and services that are purchased by households. Thus, for example, it shows the portion of spending that is accounted for by discretionary items, such as motor vehicles, or the adjustments that consumers make to changes in prices, such as a sharp run-up in gasoline prices. Further, Personal Consumption Expenditures by Function contain classifications that identify the purposes of objectives for which expenditures are made. In the U.S. National Income and Product Accounts (NIPAs), functional breakdowns of expenditures are provided for PCE by Function. NIPAs are a set of accounts that provides a logical and consistent framework for presenting statistics on U.S. economic activity. See Chapter 2 of the NIPA Handbook for further details regarding PCE by Function and NIPAs.

In addition, the PCE by Function features several spending categories of arts-related goods and services, including the following items:

Membership clubs, sports centers, parks, theaters, and museums

• Amusements parks, campgrounds, and related recreational services
• Admissions to specified spectator amusements, such as motion picture theaters, live entertainment, and spectator sports
• Museums and libraries

Sports and recreational goods and related services

• Sports and recreational vehicles

Magazines, newspapers, books, and stationery

Photographic goods and services

The PCE estimates are available monthly, so they can provide an early indication of the course of economic activity in the current quarter. For example, the PCE estimates for January are released at the end of February, and the estimates for February are released at the end of March; the advance estimates of gross domestic product (GDP) for the first quarter are released at the end of April. The PCE estimates are an integral part of the NIPAs.

Data for PCE by Function are available for years 1929-2014. To view expenditures by function on the BEA Web site, users are encouraged to go to Summary NIPA Tables from the Consumer Spending page. The Summary Tables are located under the Estimates tab. On the Summary NIPA Tables page, users can view the PCE by Function Tables 2.5.3., 2.5.4., 2.5.5., and 2.5.6. under "Section 2 - Personal Income and Outlays." Users can interact with the data and choose the years they wish to view (e.g. 1999-2013). Spreadsheets can be downloaded from the Download NIPA Tables page.

This study provides cross-sectional data from a nationally representative survey that collected data on public perceptions of artists.

The data were collected in March 2017, August 2019, and April 2022; the development of the survey instrument and results from its pilot test are documented in Novak-Leonard and Skaggs (2017). In each wave, a core set of questions is repeated while additional wave-specific questions are uniquely added on matters germane to arts policy within the United States.

Each survey wave has been administered through the AmeriSpeak Panel, a probability-based panel designed to be representative of the U.S. household population, operated by NORC at the University of Chicago. The survey was offered in both in English and Spanish and fielded through both a web-based survey and phone interviews. The data are weighted using sampling weights provided by AmeriSpeak, accounting for age, gender, U.S. Census geographic divisions, education levels, and race/ethnicity. In 2017, the resulting sample was 1,110 adult respondents (age 18 and older); in 2019, the resulting sample contained 1,002 adult respondents; and, in 2022, 1,033 adult respondents.

The State-Level Estimates of Arts Participation Patterns (2012-2015) highlights selected arts-participation rates for all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. These summary statistics were derived from the following studies: ANNUAL ARTS BASIC SURVEY, 2015 [UNITED STATES]; ANNUAL ARTS BASIC SURVEY, 2014 [UNITED STATES]; and SURVEY OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN THE ARTS (SPPA), 2012 [UNITED STATES].

The following tables are provided:

• Tables 1 and 1a-1d - Events Attended: Reports AABS 2015 data on attendance at visual and performing arts events.

  Includes - attending a live music, theater, or dance performance; attending a live book reading, poetry, or storytelling event; going to see an art exhibit; going to a movie; and touring/visiting buildings, neighborhoods, parks, or monuments for their historical, architectural, or design value.

• Table 2 - Literature Read: Shows AABS 2015 data on literary-reading rates.

  Includes - reading novels, short stories, poems, or plays.

• Table 3 - Performed or Created Artworks: Shows AABS 2014 data on personal performance and creation of artworks.

  Includes - making pottery, ceramics or jewelry; making leatherwork, metalwork, or woodwork; making weaving, crocheting, or other textile art; playing a musical instrument; acting; performing or practicing dance; doing social dancing; performing or practicing singing; creating films or videos; taking photographs for artistic purposes; creating other visual arts (e.g., paintings, sculpture, or graphic design; and doing creative writing.

• Table 4 - Arts Consumed via Electronic Media: Features SPPA 2012 data on arts consumption via electronic media.

  Includes - Use TV, Radio, and/or the Internet to watch, listen to, and/or download any: jazz; Latin, Spanish, or salsa music; classical music; opera; rock, pop, country, folk, rap, or hip-hop; musicals or stage plays; ballet, modern, or contemporary dance; other dance programs or shows; programs about visual arts such as painting, sculpture, graphic design, or photography; programs or information about books or writers, or other books, short stories, or poetry read out loud.

The World Cities Culture Forum, established in 2012, is a leading global network of civic leaders from over 40 creative cities across six continents, representing a combined population of over 245 million. The forum fosters collaborations to place culture at the core of urban development, addressing 21st-century challenges such as climate change, affordable workspaces, cultural tourism, and diversity in public spaces. Through its Global Summit, partnerships, and programs like the Leadership Exchange Programme and Digital Dialogue Masterclasses, the forum promotes cultural integration in city planning. The World Cities Culture Report 2022 provides comprehensive open-source data on culture, including over 60 datasets from 40 cities.

• Contextual Data: Includes demographics such as characteristics of the overall and working-age populations (including percent who were foreign born) and of the geographical area, such as the percentage of national population living in the city and the percentage of the area devoted to parks and other public green spaces.
• Cultural Infrastructure: Provides counts (and rates) of various facilities and venues, including art galleries, artists' studios, rehearsal spaces, bars, bookshops, cinemas, community centers, concert halls, museums, nightclubs, libraries, video game arcades, and theatres.
• Participation and Tourism: Focuses on cultural participation metrics, such as cinema and theatre admissions, festival attendance, museum visits, average daily attendance at the top five art exhibits, and international tourist numbers.
• Creative Economy: Encompasses data on book publishing, creative industries employment, film festivals, restaurant ratings, and performances.
• Education: Includes statistics on public library book loans, higher education levels, international student enrollment, and specialist institutes in art and design education.

The source for each number is identified within the dataset. Data users can freely download selected datasets as .csv files.