Arts and Economic Impact


Durham’s Nonprofit Arts and Culture Industry Generates $154,170,023 in Economic Activity and Supports 5,722 Jobs Annually According to Americans for the Arts
The nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $154,170,023 in annual economic activity in Durham County, NC; supporting 5,722 full-time equivalent jobs and generating $13,357,000 in local and state government revenues, according to the Arts & Economic Prosperity 5 national economic impact study. Durham outperformed the national medians and similar study region medians in every study category.
The most comprehensive economic impact study of the nonprofit arts and culture industry ever conducted in the United States, Arts & Economic Prosperity 5 was conducted by Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education. Durham County is one of 341 study regions across the United States that participated, and one of 30 communities in North Carolina that are represented in the study.

Arts and Economic Prosperity 5 – Durham, NC news release – 2017
Arts and Economic Prosperity 5 – Durham Study Summary
Arts and Economic Prosperity 5 – Durham Study Full Report
Arts and Economic Prosperity 5 National Report Website
“Arts spending makes Durham ‘cultural capital of North Carolina’” – The Herald-Sun article


Durham’s Nonprofit Arts and Culture Industry Generates $125,534,858 in Economic Activity and Supports 4,550 Jobs Annually
The nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $125,534,858 in annual economic activity in Durham County, North Carolina, according to the Arts & Economic Prosperity IV national economic impact study which was presented by Durham Arts Council at City Hall on June 18th. William V. “Bill” Bell, Mayor of the City of Durham, issued a proclamation celebrating the study and its findings. The total spending of nonprofit arts organizations and their audiences in Durham supports 4,550 full-time equivalent jobs, provides $105.2 million in household income paid to local residents, and generates $11,434,000 in local and state government revenues. Durham outperformed the national medians and similar study region medians in every study category. The most comprehensive economic impact study of the nonprofit arts and culture industry ever produced in the United States, Arts & Economic Prosperity IV was conducted by Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education. Durham County is one of 182 study regions that participated, representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia. A total of 56 nonprofit arts and culture organizations in Durham participated in the study that was conducted in 2011.