Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account

New Statistics for 2021 and Updated Statistics for 2017–2020

By Ledia Guci, Stanislaw Rzeznik, and Blaire Thomson  |  February 27, 2023

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On November 9, 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released new statistics measuring the outdoor recreation economy for the nation, all 50 states, and the District of Columbia. The release includes new statistics for 2021 and updated statistics for 2017–2020. The Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account (ORSA) measures the economic activity associated with outdoor recreation, the size and scope of the outdoor recreation sector, and its contribution to each state economy and to the U.S. economy overall.

  • The outdoor recreation economy accounted for 1.9 percent of current-dollar gross domestic product (GDP) for the nation in 2021 (chart 1). This is up from 1.7 in 2020 but still below the 2.2 percent before the COVID–19 pandemic.
  • Outdoor recreation as a percentage of state GDP was highest in Hawaii (4.8 percent), Montana (4.4 percent), and Vermont (4.1 percent) (chart 2).
  • At the U.S. level, growth in outdoor recreation in 2021 was largely driven by travel and tourism-related activities. Hawaii, where outdoor recreation is heavily dependent on travel and tourism, had the largest increase in outdoor recreation value added in 2021 (47.3 percent), following the largest decline in 2020 (50.8 percent) (table 1).
Chart 1. Outdoor Recreation Value Added as a Share of GDP

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Chart 2. State Outdoor Recreation Value Added as a Percent of State GDP, 2021

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Table 1. Outdoor Recreation Value Added by State, 2019–2021
Region Outdoor recreation value added Outdoor recreation value added as a share of current-dollar GDP
Millions of current dollars Percent change from preceding period
2019 2020 2021 2020 2021 2019 2020 2021
United States 465,608 363,917 453,978 −21.8 24.7 2.2 1.7 1.9
Alabama 4,605 4,167 5,029 −9.5 20.7 2.0 1.8 2.0
Alaska 2,364 1,544 2,083 −34.7 34.9 4.3 3.1 3.6
Arizona 9,899 7,373 9,822 −25.5 33.2 2.7 1.9 2.3
Arkansas 3,127 2,877 3,540 −8.0 23.0 2.4 2.1 2.4
California 59,056 42,804 54,700 −27.5 27.8 1.9 1.4 1.6
Colorado 12,389 9,316 11,632 −24.8 24.9 3.1 2.4 2.7
Connecticut 3,686 3,280 3,921 −11.0 19.6 1.3 1.2 1.3
Delaware 1,366 1,077 1,353 −21.1 25.6 1.8 1.4 1.7
District of Columbia 1,620 1,137 1,397 −29.8 22.9 1.1 0.8 0.9
Florida 48,852 33,581 41,871 −31.3 24.7 4.4 3.0 3.3
Georgia 13,099 10,341 13,193 −21.1 27.6 2.1 1.7 1.9
Hawaii 6,017 2,963 4,364 −50.8 47.3 6.5 3.6 4.8
Idaho 2,476 2,219 2,777 −10.4 25.1 3.0 2.6 2.9
Illinois 16,654 13,348 16,746 −19.9 25.5 1.9 1.6 1.8
Indiana 10,513 10,250 12,913 −2.5 26.0 2.8 2.7 3.1
Iowa 3,786 3,624 4,372 −4.3 20.6 1.9 1.8 2.0
Kansas 3,341 2,861 3,564 −14.4 24.5 1.9 1.6 1.9
Kentucky 4,626 3,938 4,813 −14.9 22.2 2.1 1.8 2.0
Louisiana 6,756 5,089 6,482 −24.7 27.4 2.6 2.2 2.5
Maine 2,721 2,335 2,785 −14.2 19.3 4.0 3.3 3.6
Maryland 6,840 5,449 6,567 −20.3 20.5 1.6 1.3 1.5
Massachusetts 10,016 7,635 9,501 −23.8 24.4 1.7 1.3 1.5
Michigan 10,821 9,401 10,848 −13.1 15.4 2.0 1.8 1.9
Minnesota 9,521 8,386 9,947 −11.9 18.6 2.5 2.2 2.4
Mississippi 2,977 2,463 3,094 −17.3 25.6 2.6 2.1 2.4
Missouri 7,501 6,535 7,863 −12.9 20.3 2.3 2.0 2.2
Montana 2,548 1,981 2,565 −22.2 29.5 4.9 3.8 4.4
Nebraska 2,356 2,210 2,638 −6.2 19.3 1.8 1.6 1.8
Nevada 5,587 3,800 4,878 −32.0 28.4 3.1 2.2 2.5
New Hampshire 2,611 2,262 2,664 −13.4 17.8 3.0 2.6 2.7
New Jersey 11,216 8,582 10,305 −23.5 20.1 1.8 1.4 1.5
New Mexico 2,321 1,792 2,279 −22.8 27.2 2.3 1.8 2.1
New York 26,754 20,624 25,454 −22.9 23.4 1.5 1.2 1.3
North Carolina 11,950 9,653 11,837 −19.2 22.6 2.0 1.6 1.8
North Dakota 1,284 1,153 1,379 −10.1 19.5 2.2 2.1 2.2
Ohio 12,098 10,365 12,777 −14.3 23.3 1.7 1.5 1.7
Oklahoma 4,124 3,486 4,286 −15.5 23.0 2.0 1.8 2.0
Oregon 6,574 5,194 6,501 −21.0 25.2 2.7 2.1 2.4
Pennsylvania 13,779 11,184 13,645 −18.8 22.0 1.7 1.4 1.6
Rhode Island 1,444 1,095 1,371 −24.2 25.3 2.3 1.8 2.1
South Carolina 6,820 5,680 7,116 −16.7 25.3 2.8 2.3 2.6
South Dakota 1,283 1,163 1,416 −9.3 21.7 2.4 2.1 2.3
Tennessee 8,712 7,173 9,048 −17.7 26.1 2.3 1.9 2.1
Texas 37,991 28,789 37,537 −24.2 30.4 2.0 1.6 1.8
Utah 5,926 4,768 6,070 −19.5 27.3 3.0 2.4 2.7
Vermont 1,594 1,259 1,539 −21.0 22.3 4.7 3.7 4.1
Virginia 9,887 7,796 9,422 −21.1 20.9 1.8 1.4 1.6
Washington 12,619 9,809 12,273 −22.3 25.1 2.1 1.6 1.8
West Virginia 1,567 1,318 1,608 −15.9 22.0 2.0 1.7 1.9
Wisconsin 8,360 7,636 8,709 −8.7 14.1 2.4 2.2 2.4
Wyoming 1,575 1,155 1,485 −26.6 28.6 4.0 3.2 3.6
GDP
Gross domestic product

In the ORSA, the role and contribution of outdoor recreation on the U.S. economy are quantified through four measures: (1) value added, a measure of the outdoor recreation economy's contribution to GDP and measured as the value of outdoor recreation-related goods and services produced less the cost of intermediate inputs used in production; (2) gross output, a measure of outdoor recreation-related sales; (3) employment, a measure of the number of full- and part-time jobs related to outdoor recreation; and (4) compensation, a measure of wages and benefits paid to employees in outdoor recreation-related jobs.

BEA's outdoor recreation statistics are presented by type of outdoor recreation activity and by industry.1 Outdoor recreation economic activity falls into two broad categories: core activities and supporting activities. Core activities capture the production and purchase of goods and services used directly for outdoor recreation such as gear, equipment, fuel, and fees. This category contains two subcategories: conventional outdoor activities (for example, fishing and hiking) and other outdoor activities (for example, gardening and visiting water parks).2 Supporting activities capture goods and services that support access to outdoor recreation and include travel and tourism expenses, construction, and government expenditures related to outdoor recreation activities.

Industry statistics track the production of outdoor recreation goods and services by the industries that produce and sell them and show how each industry participates in the outdoor recreation economy. For instance, they show the share of the outdoor recreation economy made up of industries like manufacturing and retail trade. These statistics are based on the North American Industry Classification System and are consistent with and can be directly compared to the other industry-based statistics produced by BEA.

Outdoor recreation by industry and activity are two different ways of aggregating outdoor recreation economic activity. The total values by activity and by industry are identical at both the national and state levels. For instance, the total value for canoeing equipment under the canoeing recreation activity is equivalent to the total value for canoeing equipment under the manufacturing of sporting goods and retail trade industries.

An important feature of ORSA is its state-level dimension. State outdoor recreation economic activity is measured by place of production. The value of manufactured goods (for example, boats and skiing equipment) is assigned to the state where they are produced, even if the goods are used for recreation elsewhere. The value of services (for example, sailing or skiing lessons) is also assigned to the location where the service is provided, which is typically where it is used. The state statistics are valuable because they show how each state contributes to the national outdoor recreation economy and how the outdoor recreation sector supports the economies in each state.

This article focuses on the new outdoor recreation statistics for 2021 and provides analysis on the performance of the outdoor recreation economy in 2021 as the COVID–19 pandemic restrictions eased. It also provides a brief overview of the revised statistics for 2017–2020.

The newly released statistics show the outdoor recreation sector generated $454.0 billion in value added in 2021, reflecting a 24.7 percent year-over-year increase from 2020 and accounting for 1.9 percent of current-dollar GDP at the national level (table 1). The outdoor recreation share of GDP in 2021 increased from 1.7 percent in 2020 but has yet to recover to the pre-pandemic share of 2.2 percent.

Compared with the overall U.S. economy, the outdoor recreation sector had a stronger rebound in 2021 after experiencing a steeper decline in 2020. Outdoor recreation growth was largely driven by travel and tourism-related activities that resumed in 2021 as COVID–19 restrictions lifted and consumers traveled and spent more on transportation, hotels, and restaurants, among other outdoor recreation-related goods and services.

The inflation-adjusted value added (real GDP) for the outdoor recreation sector increased 18.9 percent in 2021, compared with an increase of 5.9 percent for U.S. GDP (chart 3). Real GDP for the outdoor recreation sector declined 21.6 percent in 2020, while U.S. GDP declined 2.8 percent. Real gross output, compensation, and employment for the outdoor recreation sector also showed comparatively stronger increases in 2021 relative to the U.S. economy as a whole.

Chart 3. Change in Outdoor Recreation Compared with U.S. Economy, 2021

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Despite the increases across all measures of outdoor recreation, the 2021 levels of these measures have yet to reach their pre-pandemic 2019 levels (table 2). Employment, in particular, experienced a weaker rebound. Current-dollar outdoor recreation value added and compensation were each 2.5 percent lower in 2021 compared with 2019 ($11.6 billion and $5.6 billion lower, respectively). Outdoor recreation employment was 12.8 percent (665,000 jobs) lower in 2021 compared with 2019.

Table 2. Outdoor Recreation Value Added, Compensation, and Employment, 2019–2021
Measures of outdoor recreation economy 2019 2020 2021 2021 level difference from 2019 level Percent difference from 2019 level
Outdoor recreation value added (millions of current dollars) 465,608 363,917 453,978 −11,630 −2.5
Outdoor recreation compensation (millions of current dollars) 229,909 192,921 224,267 −5,642 −2.5
Outdoor recreation employment (thousands of full- and part-time employees) 5,208 4,017 4,543 −665 −12.8

At the state level, outdoor recreation value added as a share of current-dollar state GDP in 2021 ranged from 4.8 percent in Hawaii to 1.3 percent in New York and Connecticut (table 1). In the District of Columbia, the outdoor recreation sector accounted for 0.9 percent of GDP. Among states with large outdoor recreation shares of the state economy—Alaska, Florida, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Vermont, and Wyoming—these shares ranged from 3.3 percent to 4.8 percent in 2021, reflecting a rebound from 2020 but remaining below pre-pandemic levels; a similar trend was observed in most states. A notable exception was Indiana, where the outdoor recreation sector accounted for 3.1 percent of the state economy in 2021, up from 2.8 percent in 2019, that is largely attributable to the concentration of recreational vehicle (RV) manufacturing in the state.

Outdoor recreation value added increased in all states and the District of Columbia in 2021. States with the largest increases were Hawaii, Alaska, Arizona, Texas, Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, and California. These were also states that were more severely impacted by the pandemic and experienced some of the largest declines in 2020. Hawaii, in particular, had the largest increase in outdoor recreation value added in 2021 (47.3 percent), following the largest decline in 2020 (50.8 percent).

Outdoor recreation employment and compensation also increased in all states and the District of Columbia in 2021 (table 3). The states with the largest increases in employment were Hawaii, Rhode Island, Wyoming, Alaska, New Mexico, Montana, Arizona, and Vermont (chart 4 and table 3). All states reflected outdoor recreation employment levels in 2021 that were lower than in 2019, except for Indiana, where employment in 2021 was higher by 2,000 jobs compared with 2019. States with the largest increases in compensation were Hawaii, Indiana, Arizona, Alaska, and Rhode Island. Nearly half of all states had compensation levels that were lower in 2021 than in 2019.

Chart 4. Percent Change in Outdoor Recreation Employment, 2020–2021

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Table 3. Outdoor Recreation Compensation and Employment by State, 2019–2021
Region Outdoor recreation compensation Outdoor recreation employment
Millions of current dollars Percent change from preceding period Thousands of full- and part-time employees Percent change from preceding period
2019 2020 2021 2020 2021 2019 2020 2021 2020 2021
United States 229,909 192,921 224,267 −16.1 16.2 5,208 4,017 4,543 −22.9 13.1
Alabama 2,181 2,042 2,375 −6.4 16.3 64 52 58 −18.8 12.2
Alaska 1,141 876 1,069 −23.2 22.1 22 16 19 −27.4 18.3
Arizona 4,944 4,040 5,003 −18.3 23.8 114 85 101 −25.3 17.8
Arkansas 1,538 1,526 1,788 −0.8 17.2 42 35 40 −17.0 14.3
California 30,780 24,358 28,262 −20.9 16.0 613 457 517 −25.4 13.1
Colorado 6,391 5,285 6,143 −17.3 16.2 148 110 125 −25.5 13.4
Connecticut 1,963 1,796 2,016 −8.5 12.2 48 39 44 −19.6 13.1
Delaware 626 515 607 −17.7 17.8 18 13 15 −27.9 15.4
District of Columbia 923 668 810 −27.6 21.3 16 11 13 −32.6 16.6
Florida 23,598 17,126 20,001 −27.4 16.8 512 364 415 −28.9 13.8
Georgia 6,860 5,822 6,916 −15.1 18.8 151 120 139 −20.7 15.9
Hawaii 2,969 1,882 2,428 −36.6 29.1 60 38 46 −37.5 23.4
Idaho 1,240 1,165 1,373 −6.0 17.8 35 28 32 −20.3 16.3
Illinois 8,610 7,377 8,574 −14.3 16.2 169 137 154 −19.3 12.5
Indiana 4,680 4,906 6,189 4.8 26.1 105 92 107 −12.1 16.4
Iowa 1,747 1,683 1,937 −3.6 15.1 48 40 45 −16.6 11.0
Kansas 1,508 1,399 1,582 −7.2 13.1 39 33 37 −16.2 13.2
Kentucky 2,030 1,904 2,293 −6.2 20.4 54 43 49 −20.7 15.0
Louisiana 2,711 2,395 2,699 −11.7 12.7 63 52 58 −18.4 11.5
Maine 1,256 1,081 1,238 −13.9 14.5 37 27 31 −27.3 15.6
Maryland 3,732 3,208 3,631 −14.0 13.2 84 65 72 −22.8 11.0
Massachusetts 5,277 4,406 5,148 −16.5 16.9 109 84 93 −22.9 11.6
Michigan 5,022 4,449 4,962 −11.4 11.5 127 102 110 −19.6 6.9
Minnesota 4,526 4,139 4,703 −8.5 13.6 100 83 91 −17.2 9.8
Mississippi 1,189 1,118 1,291 −5.9 15.4 34 27 32 −18.9 15.7
Missouri 3,762 3,343 3,839 −11.1 14.8 91 75 83 −18.4 11.9
Montana 1,163 998 1,173 −14.1 17.5 31 23 28 −25.7 18.1
Nebraska 1,134 1,071 1,201 −5.6 12.2 30 25 27 −18.6 11.7
Nevada 2,644 2,018 2,406 −23.7 19.2 60 44 51 −26.8 15.2
New Hampshire 1,218 1,053 1,187 −13.6 12.7 33 25 28 −25.6 13.0
New Jersey 6,052 4,989 5,634 −17.6 12.9 127 97 107 −23.7 10.4
New Mexico 1,187 1,001 1,175 −15.6 17.3 33 24 28 −27.0 18.2
New York 14,843 12,513 14,362 −15.7 14.8 289 224 248 −22.5 11.0
North Carolina 5,839 5,033 5,900 −13.8 17.2 149 114 130 −23.3 13.8
North Dakota 598 555 618 −7.2 11.2 16 13 14 −18.1 9.2
Ohio 6,242 5,628 6,484 −9.8 15.2 152 123 138 −19.1 12.0
Oklahoma 1,965 1,762 2,020 −10.3 14.7 49 40 44 −18.2 11.3
Oregon 3,531 3,027 3,601 −14.3 19.0 86 64 73 −24.9 14.0
Pennsylvania 7,013 5,944 6,762 −15.2 13.8 174 135 152 −22.3 12.1
Rhode Island 769 592 721 −23.0 21.6 20 14 17 −30.5 19.3
South Carolina 3,296 2,834 3,346 −14.0 18.1 92 67 79 −26.8 17.0
South Dakota 606 566 648 −6.6 14.4 18 14 16 −20.4 14.9
Tennessee 4,067 3,521 4,147 −13.4 17.8 104 81 93 −21.9 15.3
Texas 15,491 13,414 15,547 −13.4 15.9 346 278 315 −19.6 13.3
Utah 3,020 2,600 3,107 −13.9 19.5 74 58 67 −21.6 14.9
Vermont 674 542 635 −19.5 17.0 18 12 15 −30.5 17.6
Virginia 5,027 4,232 4,836 −15.8 14.3 125 96 107 −23.6 11.8
Washington 6,666 5,454 6,272 −18.2 15.0 135 105 114 −22.4 8.7
West Virginia 700 602 695 −13.9 15.3 21 16 19 −23.4 14.3
Wisconsin 4,233 3,870 4,254 −8.6 9.9 98 81 89 −17.0 9.7
Wyoming 728 588 659 −19.3 12.2 19 13 15 −31.1 18.4

Outdoor recreation by activity

In 2021, conventional outdoor recreation activities accounted for $159.4 billion, or 35.1 percent of U.S. outdoor recreation current-dollar value added, up from $145.9 billion in 2020 and $141.8 billion in 2019 (chart 5). Value added generated by overall conventional outdoor activities increased during the pandemic as other recreation activities declined, although that varied among the different components of conventional outdoor recreation.

Chart 5. Outdoor Recreation Value Added by Major Activity

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At the national level, the largest conventional outdoor recreation activities in 2021 were boating/fishing, RVing, and hunting/shooting/trapping, motorcycling/ATVing, equestrian, and snow activities (chart 6). Among these activities, RVing reflected the largest increase in current-dollar value added in 2021 (26.7 percent) and contributed 1.5 percentage points to the increase in total outdoor recreation value added (chart 7). In contrast, boating/fishing reflected the largest decrease (15.8 percent), subtracting 1.4 percentage points from the increase in total outdoor recreation value added. The decline in boating/fishing was driven by a decline in spending on boating operation expenses such as fuel and marina expenses.

Chart 6. Conventional Outdoor Recreation Value Added by Selected Activity

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A notable component under conventional outdoor activities is multi-use apparel and accessories, accounting for $52.9 billion, or 11.7 percent, of total outdoor recreation value added in 2021. This component captures goods that are used across multiple conventional activities and as such cannot be assigned to any single activity.3 Examples include backpacks, sunscreen, general outdoor clothing, GPS equipment, and other miscellaneous gear and equipment. Value added for multi-use apparel and accessories used in conventional outdoor recreation activities increased 15.0 percent and contributed 1.9 percentage points to the increase in total outdoor recreation value added in 2021 (chart 7).

Chart 7. Activity Contribution to Percent Change in Current-Dollar Outdoor Recreation Value Added, Selected Activities: 2020–2021

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Other outdoor recreation—activities that fall outside of the conventional definition—accounted for $79.9 billion, or 17.6 percent, of U.S. outdoor recreation current-dollar value added in 2021, an increase from $63.8 billion in 2020 but below the 2019 level of $91.4 billion (chart 5). Nationally, the largest activities in this category are game areas (including golfing and tennis) and guided tours/outfitted travel, amusement parks/water parks and festivals/sporting events/concerts. Among these activities, guided tours/outfitted travel was the largest contributor to the increase in total outdoor recreation value added in 2021. Value added for guided tours/outfitted travel increased 43.3 percent and contributed 1.7 percentage points to the increase in total outdoor recreation value added, reflecting an increase in post-pandemic public events participation (chart 7).

Lastly, supporting activities accounted for $214.6 billion, or 47.3 percent, of U.S. outdoor recreation nominal value added in 2021, an increase from $154.2 billion in 2020 but below the 2019 level of $232.4 billion (chart 5). The largest single activity—both within supporting activities and the entire outdoor recreation economy—is trips and travel. Value added for this activity increased 59.1 percent in 2021, and this activity was the leading contributor to the increase in total outdoor recreation value added in 2021, contributing 14.5 percentage points (chart 7). Value added for local trips and travel increased 19.7 percent and added 1.8 percentage points to the increase in total outdoor recreation value added. Travel and tourism-related activities had a strong rebound in 2021 as COVID–19 restrictions eased and consumers traveled more and increased spending on transportation, hotels, and restaurants.

At the state level, the composition of outdoor recreation activities varies widely depending on many factors including each state's industry composition, geography, amenities, and other aspects that provide diverse opportunities for outdoor recreation. Because production at the state level tends to be concentrated in a few industries, so does state-level outdoor recreation-related production. The state variation in distribution of outdoor recreation value added across outdoor recreation activities in 2021 is illustrated in charts 8 and 9 for the United States and a few selected states. Indiana, New Hampshire, and Vermont had larger shares of their outdoor recreation value added tied to conventional activities compared to Hawaii and Florida. Among the conventional activities, RVing accounted for the largest share of conventional outdoor recreation value added in Indiana, hunting/shooting/trapping in New Hampshire, and snow activities in Vermont. In contrast, in Hawaii and Florida, most of the state's total outdoor recreation value added was tied to supporting outdoor recreation activities, particularly travel and tourism-related activities.

Chart 8. Current-Dollar Outdoor Recreation Value Added by Major Outdoor Recreation Category and Selected States, 2021

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Conventional outdoor recreation value added increased in all states and the District of Columbia in 2021, except for Rhode Island (table 4). The largest increase was in Indiana (25.6 percent), driven by RVing. Other states with large increases in conventional outdoor recreation value added were Iowa (16.1 percent), Arizona (15.6 percent), and Utah (15.4 percent). Value added for conventional recreational activities declined 4.7 percent in Rhode Island, driven by a decline in boating/fishing. Conventional outdoor recreation value added in 2021 was higher than in 2019 in all states and the District of Columbia, except for Wyoming, where it was 2.2 percent ($10 million) lower.

Chart 9. Current-Dollar Conventional Outdoor Recreation Value Added by Conventional Outdoor Recreation Activity and Selected States, 2021

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Table 4. Outdoor Recreation Value Added by Major Outdoor Recreation Activity and State, 2019–2021
Region Conventional outdoor recreation Other outdoor recreation Supporting outdoor recreation
Millions of current dollars Percent change from preceding period Millions of current dollars Percent change from preceding period Millions of current dollars Percent change from preceding period
2019 2020 2021 2020 2021 2019 2020 2021 2020 2021 2019 2020 2021 2020 2021
United States 141,817 145,933 159,447 2.9 9.3 91,433 63,827 79,932 −30.2 25.2 232,359 154,157 214,599 −33.7 39.2
Alabama 1,703 1,832 2,001 7.6 9.2 802 664 776 −17.1 16.8 2,100 1,670 2,252 −20.5 34.8
Alaska 400 421 425 5.1 1.0 254 122 172 −52.0 41.2 1,710 1,001 1,486 −41.4 48.4
Arizona 2,320 2,431 2,809 4.8 15.6 1,683 1,168 1,512 −30.6 29.5 5,896 3,775 5,502 −36.0 45.8
Arkansas 1,228 1,291 1,430 5.2 10.7 426 362 445 −15.1 23.1 1,473 1,224 1,665 −16.9 36.0
California 15,549 15,257 16,878 −1.9 10.6 12,356 8,011 10,327 −35.2 28.9 31,151 19,535 27,495 −37.3 40.7
Colorado 4,088 3,841 4,196 −6.0 9.2 1,734 1,281 1,614 −26.1 26.0 6,567 4,194 5,822 −36.1 38.8
Connecticut 1,414 1,518 1,550 7.4 2.1 751 571 708 −23.9 24.0 1,521 1,190 1,662 −21.8 39.7
Delaware 344 356 377 3.6 5.7 184 133 167 −28.0 25.7 838 588 810 −29.8 37.7
District of Columbia 153 139 153 −9.1 10.2 263 146 212 −44.6 45.5 1,204 852 1,032 −29.2 21.1
Florida 10,366 11,521 11,942 11.1 3.7 12,790 6,705 8,617 −47.6 28.5 25,696 15,355 21,312 −40.2 38.8
Georgia 4,455 4,420 4,864 −0.8 10.0 2,363 1,785 2,185 −24.5 22.4 6,281 4,136 6,145 −34.2 48.6
Hawaii 597 591 597 −0.9 1.0 752 385 532 −48.8 38.2 4,668 1,987 3,235 −57.4 62.8
Idaho 959 1,062 1,210 10.7 13.9 312 259 323 −17.0 24.9 1,205 898 1,243 −25.5 38.5
Illinois 4,771 4,670 5,177 −2.1 10.9 3,867 2,889 3,544 −25.3 22.7 8,016 5,789 8,025 −27.8 38.6
Indiana 5,671 6,492 8,157 14.5 25.6 1,992 1,566 1,796 −21.4 14.7 2,849 2,192 2,960 −23.1 35.1
Iowa 1,529 1,607 1,866 5.1 16.1 851 783 932 −8.0 19.0 1,405 1,234 1,573 −12.2 27.5
Kansas 1,309 1,269 1,380 −3.1 8.8 568 474 567 −16.6 19.8 1,464 1,119 1,616 −23.6 44.4
Kentucky 1,469 1,549 1,656 5.5 6.9 951 710 821 −25.3 15.6 2,206 1,678 2,336 −23.9 39.2
Louisiana 2,052 2,118 2,126 3.2 0.4 805 617 768 −23.4 24.5 3,900 2,355 3,588 −39.6 52.4
Maine 858 1,018 1,019 18.6 0.1 233 182 224 −21.9 22.9 1,629 1,135 1,542 −30.3 35.9
Maryland 2,069 2,148 2,182 3.8 1.6 1,298 930 1,137 −28.4 22.3 3,474 2,372 3,248 −31.7 36.9
Massachusetts 2,757 2,944 3,129 6.8 6.3 2,398 1,576 2,061 −34.3 30.7 4,861 3,114 4,311 −35.9 38.5
Michigan 3,884 4,113 4,395 5.9 6.9 2,377 1,747 2,065 −26.5 18.2 4,560 3,542 4,388 −22.3 23.9
Minnesota 3,388 3,560 3,903 5.1 9.6 1,954 1,635 1,952 −16.3 19.4 4,179 3,191 4,092 −23.6 28.2
Mississippi 1,056 1,096 1,184 3.8 8.0 428 360 412 −16.0 14.5 1,492 1,007 1,498 −32.5 48.8
Missouri 2,693 2,909 3,174 8.0 9.1 1,761 1,257 1,572 −28.6 25.1 3,047 2,369 3,117 −22.3 31.6
Montana 878 857 952 −2.3 11.0 370 326 394 −11.9 21.1 1,300 799 1,219 −38.6 52.7
Nebraska 855 920 1,008 7.7 9.5 464 435 516 −6.3 18.8 1,037 855 1,114 −17.5 30.3
Nevada 1,233 1,216 1,365 −1.4 12.3 851 562 723 −33.9 28.6 3,503 2,022 2,790 −42.3 38.0
New Hampshire 1,115 1,174 1,261 5.3 7.4 392 294 354 −25.1 20.7 1,104 794 1,049 −28.1 32.1
New Jersey 3,226 3,182 3,361 −1.4 5.6 2,414 1,625 2,071 −32.7 27.4 5,577 3,774 4,872 −32.3 29.1
New Mexico 624 618 674 −1.0 9.0 236 187 229 −20.9 22.5 1,461 987 1,377 −32.5 39.5
New York 7,403 7,140 7,569 −3.6 6.0 5,687 3,856 5,018 −32.2 30.2 13,665 9,629 12,866 −29.5 33.6
North Carolina 3,393 3,546 3,988 4.5 12.4 2,283 1,711 2,110 −25.0 23.3 6,275 4,395 5,739 −30.0 30.6
North Dakota 442 465 513 5.3 10.3 166 153 176 −7.9 15.4 676 536 689 −20.8 28.7
Ohio 4,032 4,252 4,826 5.5 13.5 2,814 2,113 2,606 −24.9 23.3 5,252 3,999 5,345 −23.9 33.6
Oklahoma 1,396 1,440 1,589 3.1 10.3 663 532 639 −19.8 20.0 2,065 1,514 2,059 −26.7 36.0
Oregon 2,241 2,322 2,629 3.6 13.2 966 774 949 −19.9 22.6 3,367 2,098 2,923 −37.7 39.3
Pennsylvania 4,577 4,421 4,887 −3.4 10.5 3,102 2,254 2,796 −27.3 24.0 6,100 4,509 5,962 −26.1 32.2
Rhode Island 371 424 404 14.2 −4.7 213 144 185 −32.3 28.4 860 527 782 −38.8 48.6
South Carolina 2,434 2,647 2,976 8.8 12.4 1,070 850 1,018 −20.5 19.7 3,316 2,183 3,122 −34.2 43.0
South Dakota 457 491 532 7.6 8.3 177 162 195 −8.7 20.5 650 511 689 −21.4 35.0
Tennessee 2,688 2,815 3,142 4.7 11.6 1,672 1,246 1,564 −25.5 25.5 4,351 3,112 4,342 −28.5 39.5
Texas 12,481 12,763 13,624 2.3 6.7 6,374 4,741 6,015 −25.6 26.9 19,136 11,284 17,898 −41.0 58.6
Utah 2,198 2,227 2,570 1.3 15.4 905 745 928 −17.7 24.6 2,822 1,797 2,572 −36.3 43.2
Vermont 590 547 593 −7.3 8.4 148 121 148 −18.7 22.9 856 591 798 −30.9 35.0
Virginia 3,217 3,184 3,403 −1.0 6.9 1,809 1,340 1,656 −25.9 23.6 4,861 3,271 4,364 −32.7 33.4
Washington 4,165 4,284 4,745 2.9 10.7 2,555 1,849 2,431 −27.6 31.4 5,900 3,675 5,097 −37.7 38.7
West Virginia 487 476 522 −2.3 9.7 193 163 194 −15.3 18.6 887 679 892 −23.4 31.4
Wisconsin 3,758 3,906 4,072 3.9 4.2 1,636 1,223 1,450 −25.2 18.6 2,966 2,507 3,187 −15.5 27.1
Wyoming 474 441 464 −7.0 5.3 120 106 125 −11.8 17.5 980 608 897 −38.0 47.5

Among conventional outdoor recreation activities, boating/fishing—the largest conventional activity at the national level ($27.3 billion in current-dollar value added)—was the largest conventional activity in 27 states and the District of Columbia in 2021 (table 5). At the national level, boating/fishing decreased 15.8 percent. Value added for this activity was largest in Florida ($4.0 billion), followed by California ($2.3 billion) and Texas ($2.0 billion). Consistent with the decline at the national level, the value added for this activity declined in all states and the District of Columbia in 2021, except for Tennessee, which had a small increase (0.1 percent).

Table 5. Conventional Outdoor Recreation Value Added by Selected Conventional Activities and State, 2021
Region Conventional outdoor recreation value added Conventional outdoor activity value added as a share of total conventional outdoor recreation value added
Millions of current dollars Percent change from preceding period Percent
Boating/
fishing		 RVing Hunting/
shooting/
trapping		 Motorcycling/
ATVing		 Equestrian Snow activities Boating/
fishing		 RVing Hunting/
shooting/
trapping		 Motorcycling/
ATVing		 Equestrian Snow activities Boating/
fishing		 RVing Hunting/
shooting/
trapping		 Motorcycling/
ATVing		 Equestrian Snow activities Activity total
United States 27,328 25,121 10,844 8,094 6,946 5,191 −15.8 26.7 4.6 10.0 18.6 −3.3 17.1 15.8 6.8 5.1 4.4 3.3 52.4
Alabama 406 287 122 96 99 9 −17.2 32.5 7.0 14.7 13.7 −21.5 20.3 14.3 6.1 4.8 5.0 0.4 50.9
Alaska 93 96 27 14 7 23 −13.2 11.6 8.8 14.9 9.4 2.1 21.9 22.6 6.2 3.4 1.7 5.5 61.4
Arizona 328 493 307 139 100 33 −3.4 24.6 16.7 16.6 17.6 −0.5 11.7 17.5 10.9 4.9 3.5 1.2 49.8
Arkansas 324 171 136 69 110 4 −5.4 26.4 4.5 13.6 16.1 −51.8 22.6 11.9 9.5 4.8 7.7 0.3 56.9
California 2,294 2,014 764 793 545 506 −14.9 23.8 6.8 10.1 13.7 3.2 13.6 11.9 4.5 4.7 3.2 3.0 41.0
Colorado 403 475 123 139 135 1,268 −17.1 20.0 14.2 10.5 14.0 3.7 9.6 11.3 2.9 3.3 3.2 30.2 60.6
Connecticut 276 115 179 79 33 45 −28.5 7.3 8.3 5.5 6.9 −3.7 17.8 7.4 11.6 5.1 2.1 2.9 46.9
Delaware 74 45 10 22 9 6 −22.3 16.7 12.6 14.9 11.7 27.2 19.7 11.9 2.5 5.8 2.4 1.6 44.0
District of Columbia 24 10 7 6 2 1 −5.0 4.2 9.1 0.2 3.3 22.2 15.7 6.8 4.3 3.9 1.1 0.5 32.4
Florida 3,958 1,467 534 430 330 36 −15.5 26.9 0.0 10.0 18.5 −3.5 33.1 12.3 4.5 3.6 2.8 0.3 56.6
Georgia 763 498 555 317 275 39 −7.4 24.9 −3.1 8.2 49.6 −59.5 15.7 10.2 11.4 6.5 5.7 0.8 50.3
Hawaii 125 27 18 16 11 5 −27.7 17.8 11.3 9.7 6.5 55.4 21.0 4.6 3.1 2.7 1.8 0.8 34.0
Idaho 165 276 226 54 87 54 −7.7 33.1 9.3 9.8 18.9 −5.2 13.7 22.8 18.6 4.4 7.2 4.4 71.2
Illinois 680 407 432 237 211 51 −11.0 19.3 4.0 10.7 13.0 2.4 13.1 7.9 8.4 4.6 4.1 1.0 39.0
Indiana 702 5,402 142 215 266 56 −6.0 38.5 11.0 −7.7 29.8 −52.5 8.6 66.2 1.7 2.6 3.3 0.7 83.1
Iowa 181 580 84 94 240 18 −14.1 41.9 −0.6 4.2 18.2 −45.9 9.7 31.1 4.5 5.0 12.8 1.0 64.2
Kansas 197 122 117 71 136 19 −20.3 28.8 4.7 16.2 13.4 −15.9 14.3 8.8 8.5 5.1 9.8 1.4 48.0
Kentucky 233 171 179 97 212 11 −25.2 22.9 7.1 15.9 10.7 −6.8 14.0 10.3 10.8 5.9 12.8 0.6 54.5
Louisiana 438 266 123 131 137 33 −37.0 30.3 0.5 24.7 17.3 2.1 20.6 12.5 5.8 6.2 6.4 1.5 53.1
Maine 407 172 55 29 26 51 −13.7 7.3 15.3 13.0 15.0 0.9 39.9 16.9 5.4 2.9 2.5 5.0 72.6
Maryland 485 182 146 79 76 35 −23.7 10.6 2.1 6.6 6.9 −0.7 22.2 8.3 6.7 3.6 3.5 1.6 46.0
Massachusetts 781 209 256 106 47 107 −15.6 17.1 10.9 7.7 7.7 3.3 25.0 6.7 8.2 3.4 1.5 3.4 48.1
Michigan 948 720 326 187 154 75 −13.4 21.4 −1.4 9.3 18.8 −8.7 21.6 16.4 7.4 4.3 3.5 1.7 54.8
Minnesota 775 447 486 235 345 137 −8.1 22.5 5.8 6.6 44.5 −26.0 19.9 11.5 12.5 6.0 8.8 3.5 62.2
Mississippi 158 146 165 69 82 14 −31.0 31.9 10.0 23.7 10.9 −8.1 13.3 12.3 13.9 5.8 7.0 1.2 53.5
Missouri 590 379 419 165 180 12 −8.7 25.9 8.3 −1.1 12.5 −31.2 18.6 11.9 13.2 5.2 5.7 0.4 55.0
Montana 163 160 85 38 58 55 −10.7 14.5 17.3 19.5 13.7 −0.2 17.1 16.9 8.9 4.0 6.1 5.7 58.8
Nebraska 121 82 105 96 179 20 −18.6 24.7 12.5 8.7 43.0 −63.0 12.0 8.1 10.4 9.5 17.8 2.0 59.8
Nevada 196 198 85 78 35 51 −6.7 26.6 15.4 12.2 18.0 2.5 14.4 14.5 6.2 5.7 2.5 3.7 47.1
New Hampshire 159 142 265 45 18 192 −20.4 5.6 15.7 11.2 27.2 4.3 12.6 11.3 21.0 3.6 1.4 15.2 65.1
New Jersey 648 265 89 134 76 94 −16.7 10.2 −6.3 7.2 9.7 0.9 19.3 7.9 2.6 4.0 2.3 2.8 38.9
New Mexico 79 128 23 35 54 61 −23.0 21.7 11.2 14.1 12.8 2.4 11.7 19.0 3.4 5.2 7.9 9.0 56.3
New York 1,099 663 297 268 175 147 −18.3 16.5 −0.1 5.0 9.0 −1.8 14.5 8.8 3.9 3.5 2.3 1.9 35.0
North Carolina 814 444 220 181 201 48 −4.3 18.0 11.3 8.4 20.1 −26.3 20.4 11.1 5.5 4.6 5.0 1.2 47.9
North Dakota 83 110 27 27 61 7 −18.0 24.4 9.2 16.4 15.1 13.0 16.2 21.4 5.3 5.2 11.9 1.3 61.5
Ohio 582 955 263 267 207 70 −18.7 28.0 12.2 13.3 15.1 −5.6 12.1 19.8 5.5 5.5 4.3 1.4 48.6
Oklahoma 236 300 87 97 132 18 −20.6 28.2 6.2 16.5 12.4 5.2 14.8 18.9 5.5 6.1 8.3 1.1 54.8
Oregon 422 617 144 97 100 114 −2.9 22.4 7.9 5.4 18.7 −3.1 16.1 23.5 5.5 3.7 3.8 4.3 56.8
Pennsylvania 555 705 354 304 223 185 −3.5 17.1 8.1 0.7 11.7 −0.5 11.4 14.4 7.2 6.2 4.6 3.8 47.6
Rhode Island 164 28 7 14 5 5 −24.5 16.5 12.0 6.1 8.2 1.6 40.6 6.9 1.8 3.5 1.3 1.1 55.2
South Carolina 642 659 343 129 128 18 −6.4 33.5 0.7 5.9 52.9 −59.0 21.6 22.2 11.5 4.3 4.3 0.6 64.5
South Dakota 81 93 47 41 78 11 −11.7 15.6 0.5 10.0 14.1 1.7 15.2 17.6 8.8 7.6 14.8 2.1 66.1
Tennessee 854 406 199 151 124 32 0.1 21.2 11.1 12.8 15.6 −2.9 27.2 12.9 6.3 4.8 4.0 1.0 56.2
Texas 2,029 2,198 1,212 791 567 218 −32.4 29.6 −3.6 25.7 15.5 1.1 14.9 16.1 8.9 5.8 4.2 1.6 51.5
Utah 387 391 208 138 70 519 −2.4 31.0 16.8 20.1 17.6 4.5 15.1 15.2 8.1 5.4 2.7 20.2 66.7
Vermont 50 56 61 13 15 215 −13.0 10.1 6.3 8.4 11.7 5.2 8.4 9.5 10.3 2.2 2.5 36.3 69.3
Virginia 550 311 307 126 158 26 −18.7 19.5 −5.7 11.0 13.1 2.7 16.2 9.1 9.0 3.7 4.7 0.8 43.4
Washington 888 524 192 196 183 261 −12.6 23.2 10.3 15.7 15.3 2.7 18.7 11.0 4.1 4.1 3.9 5.5 47.3
West Virginia 72 50 36 37 32 15 −11.4 17.4 9.7 12.5 9.9 3.1 13.7 9.6 7.0 7.1 6.1 2.8 46.3
Wisconsin 602 368 208 882 176 54 −16.6 18.3 7.2 3.3 17.3 −16.2 14.8 9.0 5.1 21.7 4.3 1.3 56.2
Wyoming 44 86 45 21 34 108 −30.9 6.9 −11.5 26.4 9.7 13.5 9.4 18.5 9.6 4.5 7.3 23.3 72.6

RVing—the second-largest conventional activity at the national level ($25.1 billion)—was the largest conventional activity in 15 states in 2021 (table 5). Value added for this activity was largest in Indiana ($5.4 billion), followed by Texas ($2.2 billion) and California ($2.0 billion). This activity increased in all states and the District of Columbia in 2021; Iowa (41.9 percent) and Indiana (38.5 percent) had the largest increases in value added for this activity.

Hunting/shooting/trapping—the third-largest conventional activity at the national level ($10.8 billion)—was the largest conventional activity in two states: New Hampshire and Mississippi (table 5). Value added for this activity was largest in Texas ($1.2 billion), followed by California ($764 million) and Georgia ($555 million). Value added for this activity increased in 42 states and the District of Columbia in 2021; the largest increases were in Montana (17.3 percent), Utah (16.8 percent), Arizona (16.7 percent), and New Hampshire (15.7 percent).

Equestrian was the largest conventional activity in Nebraska, while snow activities was the largest conventional activity in four states: Colorado, Utah, Vermont, and Wyoming (table 5). Value added for the equestrian activity was largest in Texas ($567 million), followed by California ($545 million) and Minnesota ($345 million). Value added for snow activities was largest in Colorado ($1.3 billion), followed by Utah ($519 million) and California ($506 million). Value added for the equestrian activity increased in all states and the District of Columbia in 2021; in contrast value added for snow activities declined in 26 states and at the national level.

Other outdoor recreation value added—generated by outdoor recreation activities that fall outside of the conventional definition—increased in all states and the District of Columbia in 2021 (table 4). The increases ranged from 45.5 percent in the District of Columbia to 14.5 percent in Mississippi. These increases were driven by festivals/sporting events/concerts in the District of Columbia and guided tours/outfitted travel in Mississippi. Despite the increase from 2020, other outdoor recreation value added in 2021 remained lower than in 2019 in most states and the District of Columbia.

Lastly, supporting outdoor recreation value added increased in all states and the District of Columbia in 2021 (table 4). Increases ranged from 62.8 percent in Hawaii to 21.1 percent in the District of Columbia. Despite the broad increase, the level of supporting outdoor recreation value added in 2021 remained lower than in 2019 in most states and the District of Columbia.

Outdoor recreation by industry

Consistent with the increases in current-dollar value added across outdoor recreation activities—largely driven by travel and tourism-related activities and purchases of multi-use apparel and accessories—retail trade and arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, and food services led the increase in current-dollar outdoor recreation value added across industries at the national level.

The retail trade sector accounted for the largest share of total outdoor recreation value added in 2021, generating $119.9 billion in value added, or 26.4 percent of total outdoor recreation value added (chart 10 and table 6). Value added in this sector increased 16.7 percent ($17.2 billion) in 2021, as consumers increased spending on gear, apparel, and equipment needed to participate in the outdoor recreation economy. Retail trade accounted for the largest share of outdoor recreation value added in 32 states, with shares ranging from 35.2 percent in Alabama to 12.2 percent in the District of Columbia (table 7).

Chart 10. Industry Share of Outdoor Recreation, Current-Dollar Value Added, 2021

[Click chart to expand]

Table 6. Outdoor Recreation Value Added by Selected Industry, 2019–2021
Industry Outdoor recreation value added
Millions of current dollars Percent change from preceding period
2019 2020 2021 2020 2021
All industries 465,608 363,917 453,978 −21.8 24.7
Retail trade 101,940 102,767 119,918 0.8 16.7
Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, and food services 126,817 74,334 111,621 −41.4 50.2
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 58,317 33,108 41,412 −43.2 25.1
Accommodation and food services 68,500 41,226 70,209 −39.8 70.3
Manufacturing 56,123 50,039 61,775 −10.8 23.5
Table 7. Outdoor Recreation Value Added by Industry and State, 2021
Region Total outdoor recreation value added by industry (millions of current dollars) Industry outdoor recreation value added as a share of total outdoor recreation value added (percent)
Manufacturing Wholesale trade Retail trade Transportation and warehousing Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, and food services All other industries
United States 453,978 13.6 8.4 26.4 7.0 24.6 20.0
Alabama 5,029 10.9 9.5 35.2 4.6 19.5 20.3
Alaska 2,083 3.5 2.7 16.3 25.4 26.7 25.4
Arizona 9,822 5.5 5.3 28.0 11.4 29.0 20.8
Arkansas 3,540 16.2 9.4 29.4 7.4 17.8 19.8
California 54,700 11.3 7.8 25.0 6.9 29.2 19.8
Colorado 11,632 4.8 7.4 23.3 9.1 31.6 23.8
Connecticut 3,921 14.3 8.1 30.3 5.0 25.3 17.0
Delaware 1,353 8.9 5.7 32.8 1.2 28.2 23.1
District of Columbia 1,397 0.7 2.2 12.2 0.9 50.4 33.6
Florida 41,871 4.2 5.9 24.5 10.2 35.1 20.1
Georgia 13,193 11.3 9.0 27.9 10.6 23.7 17.5
Hawaii 4,364 2.2 2.1 18.5 20.1 41.5 15.5
Idaho 2,777 14.3 6.2 30.0 6.0 21.2 22.3
Illinois 16,746 14.7 12.6 22.4 8.2 20.2 21.9
Indiana 12,913 57.8 5.3 15.3 2.8 9.8 8.9
Iowa 4,372 24.3 11.4 25.2 3.8 12.3 22.9
Kansas 3,564 23.8 12.8 26.5 3.6 14.1 19.2
Kentucky 4,813 19.6 7.8 28.9 5.4 18.7 19.5
Louisiana 6,482 22.8 6.5 25.8 5.9 18.0 20.9
Maine 2,785 12.5 5.1 24.2 2.5 32.4 23.3
Maryland 6,567 5.5 6.9 28.7 6.9 25.9 26.0
Massachusetts 9,501 12.7 8.0 24.0 7.2 28.8 19.2
Michigan 10,848 13.9 7.6 32.1 5.6 16.7 24.1
Minnesota 9,947 16.3 11.6 22.2 6.4 16.5 27.0
Mississippi 3,094 24.7 6.2 30.2 4.1 14.4 20.4
Missouri 7,863 19.7 7.9 27.8 6.7 19.6 18.3
Montana 2,565 8.3 11.0 23.9 6.5 32.7 17.6
Nebraska 2,638 19.8 10.3 24.8 8.2 15.2 21.8
Nevada 4,878 2.7 6.0 28.0 12.1 27.7 23.6
New Hampshire 2,664 14.0 14.8 25.2 1.9 26.1 18.0
New Jersey 10,305 12.0 9.3 28.5 7.0 24.6 18.6
New Mexico 2,279 6.7 4.6 29.4 4.3 26.6 28.4
New York 25,454 6.2 6.6 28.1 6.6 32.1 20.5
North Carolina 11,837 14.4 7.1 29.9 5.9 23.7 19.0
North Dakota 1,379 6.7 16.6 27.7 7.1 15.0 27.0
Ohio 12,777 17.9 9.7 30.0 4.4 19.3 18.7
Oklahoma 4,286 13.4 7.7 31.8 7.0 15.7 24.4
Oregon 6,501 10.7 10.4 29.4 5.1 24.1 20.3
Pennsylvania 13,645 13.3 9.1 28.1 5.4 22.8 21.1
Rhode Island 1,371 9.9 6.5 24.6 5.8 34.9 18.2
South Carolina 7,116 16.6 7.7 27.6 2.2 26.3 19.6
South Dakota 1,416 7.4 11.5 27.1 3.9 22.7 27.4
Tennessee 9,048 15.2 7.7 26.3 7.5 26.8 16.5
Texas 37,537 20.2 10.9 27.6 6.5 18.3 16.5
Utah 6,070 11.6 9.1 26.1 7.7 23.7 21.8
Vermont 1,539 10.3 10.3 20.1 2.7 34.3 22.2
Virginia 9,422 8.3 10.7 29.2 6.4 25.3 20.1
Washington 12,273 12.0 10.5 32.3 7.9 16.3 21.0
West Virginia 1,608 6.8 9.9 32.3 3.2 19.6 28.2
Wisconsin 8,709 24.1 12.6 23.4 3.7 18.0 18.1
Wyoming 1,485 10.3 4.9 18.0 3.5 35.9 27.3

The arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, and food services sector accounted for the second-largest share of total outdoor recreation value added in 2021, generating $111.6 billion in value added, or 24.6 percent of total outdoor recreation value added. Value added in this sector increased 50.2 percent, or $37.3 billion, of which $29.0 billion was generated in accommodations and food services. This increase is consistent with the rebound in trips and travel, as pandemic restrictions were lifted and consumers began to travel more. The arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, and food services sector accounted for the largest share of outdoor recreation value added in 16 states, with shares ranging from 50.4 percent in the District of Columbia to 9.8 percent in Indiana.

Manufacturing accounted for the third-largest share of total outdoor recreation value added in 2021, generating $61.8 billion in value added, or 13.6 percent of total outdoor recreation value added. Value added in this sector increased 23.5 percent ($11.7 billion) in 2021, consistent with an increased demand for apparel and equipment needed for outdoor recreation. Manufacturing accounted for the largest share of outdoor recreation value added in two states, Indiana (57.8 percent) and Wisconsin (24.1 percent), reflecting, in part, manufacturing of RVs in Indiana and bicycles in Wisconsin.

Employment supported by outdoor recreation was 4.5 million full- and part-time jobs in 2021 (table 8). The arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, and food services sector accounted for 1.7 million jobs, or 38.1 percent, of total outdoor recreation-related jobs (chart 11). This sector accounted for the largest share of outdoor recreation employment in 37 states and the District of Columbia (table 9). The District of Columbia and Rhode Island had the largest share of outdoor recreation employment in this sector, 56.9 percent and 51.4 percent, respectively. Indiana had the smallest share of outdoor recreation employment in this sector (23.4 percent).

Chart 11. Industry Composition of Outdoor Recreation Employment, 2021

[Click chart to expand]

Table 8. Outdoor Recreation Employment by Selected Industry, 2019–2021
Industry Outdoor recreation employment
Thousands of full- and part-time employees Percent change from preceding period
2019 2020 2021 2020 2021
All industries 5,208 4,017 4,543 −22.9 13.1
Retail trade 1,619 1,409 1,458 −13.0 3.5
Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, and food services 2,166 1,359 1,731 −37.3 27.4
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 1,057 709 798 −32.9 12.6
Accommodation and food services 1,109 650 933 −41.4 43.5
Manufacturing 249 251 284 0.8 13.1
Government 291 283 286 −2.7 1.1
Table 9. Outdoor Recreation Employment by Industry and State, 2021
Region Total outdoor recreation employment by industry (thousands of full- and part-time employees) Industry outdoor recreation employment as a share of total outdoor recreation employment (percent)
Manufacturing Wholesale trade Retail trade Transportation and warehousing Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, and food services Government All other industries
United States 4,543 6.3 3.3 32.1 4.4 38.1 6.3 9.6
Alabama 58 8.4 3.6 38.2 2.6 33.5 6.8 7.0
Alaska 19 1.2 0.9 23.5 21.5 38.6 8.3 6.0
Arizona 101 2.9 2.0 32.3 6.3 42.0 5.8 8.8
Arkansas 40 13.2 3.5 33.1 4.2 32.2 7.1 6.8
California 517 5.1 3.8 31.1 4.2 39.0 6.0 10.8
Colorado 125 2.5 2.6 27.2 4.4 44.0 8.2 11.1
Connecticut 44 3.8 2.3 34.8 2.5 40.5 6.0 10.1
Delaware 15 2.3 1.2 38.5 0.9 45.0 4.1 7.9
District of Columbia 13 (D) 0.6 17.5 1.8 56.9 12.5 (D)
Florida 415 3.5 2.6 28.7 5.2 47.1 3.6 9.2
Georgia 139 7.0 3.4 32.8 6.8 36.6 6.2 7.4
Hawaii 46 (D) 1.0 24.7 13.5 46.4 6.0 (D)
Idaho 32 8.2 2.4 31.3 3.6 39.7 5.3 9.5
Illinois 154 5.7 4.9 31.3 6.4 32.9 9.6 9.3
Indiana 107 38.9 2.4 22.5 2.4 23.4 4.1 6.3
Iowa 45 15.1 3.9 33.3 2.5 28.6 5.9 10.7
Kansas 37 8.8 4.5 35.1 1.9 30.8 10.4 8.5
Kentucky 49 6.5 2.5 35.9 3.7 37.7 5.2 8.6
Louisiana 58 4.1 2.5 36.7 4.6 32.6 6.7 12.9
Maine 31 7.8 1.2 27.2 2.2 49.6 4.1 7.9
Maryland 72 2.1 2.6 33.5 4.2 38.4 9.3 9.9
Massachusetts 93 5.4 3.4 30.2 5.0 40.3 4.1 11.6
Michigan 110 6.6 2.6 37.7 3.9 33.9 4.9 10.3
Minnesota 91 8.4 5.1 30.9 4.5 33.5 7.8 9.9
Mississippi 32 9.7 2.2 39.1 2.6 31.3 6.7 8.3
Missouri 83 9.5 3.4 32.9 3.5 34.0 8.7 8.0
Montana 28 3.0 5.8 28.6 2.9 47.2 3.7 8.7
Nebraska 27 8.8 3.4 32.5 3.2 33.3 6.3 12.4
Nevada 51 1.6 2.5 33.4 6.6 39.8 7.8 8.3
New Hampshire 28 4.6 5.1 29.9 1.8 47.0 3.2 8.4
New Jersey 107 4.5 3.9 33.6 4.9 36.4 6.8 9.8
New Mexico 28 1.4 1.4 30.6 2.6 42.4 11.0 10.6
New York 248 3.4 2.7 34.6 4.8 37.9 6.9 9.8
North Carolina 130 6.2 2.8 34.0 3.5 39.4 5.9 8.2
North Dakota 14 2.1 4.7 34.2 3.0 31.7 15.3 9.0
Ohio 138 6.7 3.6 33.8 2.8 35.1 8.7 9.3
Oklahoma 44 5.3 2.6 37.9 3.9 30.9 7.3 12.1
Oregon 73 7.6 4.2 30.8 2.7 35.5 7.1 12.1
Pennsylvania 152 5.9 3.0 32.6 3.7 39.7 4.3 10.8
Rhode Island 17 4.9 2.0 26.6 3.1 51.4 2.9 9.1
South Carolina 79 9.0 3.3 31.0 1.7 42.5 6.4 6.1
South Dakota 16 4.4 3.0 30.9 2.3 40.0 10.2 9.2
Tennessee 93 8.7 2.4 31.4 4.3 40.0 5.9 7.3
Texas 315 5.1 2.8 37.7 4.9 34.2 5.2 10.1
Utah 67 7.0 5.2 26.4 3.7 37.0 10.2 10.5
Vermont 15 4.8 5.8 29.1 2.2 47.4 3.0 7.7
Virginia 107 2.8 3.9 33.4 3.7 38.4 9.1 8.7
Washington 114 5.9 5.3 32.7 5.4 31.1 5.6 14.0
West Virginia 19 1.7 3.7 38.0 2.2 37.0 8.4 9.0
Wisconsin 89 10.0 7.1 29.9 2.8 37.3 4.7 8.2
Wyoming 15 1.3 1.6 24.0 2.2 50.2 10.9 9.8
(D)
Data are suppressed to avoid disclosure of confidential information.

Retail trade accounted for 1.5 million outdoor recreation-related jobs and the second-largest share (32.1 percent) of outdoor recreation employment in 2021 (chart 11). This sector accounted for the largest share of outdoor recreation-related jobs in 12 states. Mississippi had the largest share (39.1 percent) of outdoor recreation employment in this sector. The District of Columbia and Indiana had the smallest shares of outdoor recreation employment in this sector, 17.5 percent and 22.5 percent, respectively.

Manufacturing and government were the sectors with the next-largest outdoor recreation-related employment shares nationally (284,000 jobs and 286,000 jobs, respectively), each accounting for 6.3 percent of total outdoor recreation-supported employment (table 8). While employment in other sectors remained below 2019 levels, outdoor recreation employment in manufacturing was higher by 35,000 jobs in 2021 compared with 2019. Manufacturing accounted for the largest share of outdoor recreation employment in Indiana (38.9 percent) and a sizable share of outdoor recreation employment in Iowa, Arkansas, and Wisconsin. The government sector accounted for more than 10 percent of total outdoor recreation employment in North Dakota, the District of Columbia, New Mexico, Wyoming, Kansas, South Dakota, and Utah.

For the November 2022 release of ORSA, outdoor recreation value added, compensation, and employment were updated from 2017–2020 to incorporate the 2022 annual update of the national and regional economic accounts and other updated source data.4 Table 10 summarizes the major data sources that were updated for these statistics.

Table 10. Summary of Updates to Major Source Data
Data type Updated data source Impacted activities
Public data Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) personal consumption expenditure data reflecting newly incorporated U.S. Census Bureau (Census) Service Annual Survey data and Census Annual Retail Trade Survey data Agritourism, amusement parks, bicycling, boating/fishing, camping/hiking, climbing, equestrian, festivals, guided tours, game areas, yard sports, photography, recreational flying, running/walking, skiing, snorkeling, snowboarding, and other activities
BEA private fixed investment data Amusement parks, bicycling, construction, and guided tours
BEA government consumption expenditures data Government and construction
BEA Travel and Tourism Satellite Account data Trips and travel and local trips and travel
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey data RVing, photography, skiing, snowboarding, other outdoor recreation activities, multi-use apparel and accessories
Census Annual Value of Construction Put in Place data Construction
Federal government agency budget reports Government
Private data Updated NPD Group data Bicycling, boating/fishing, camping/hiking, field sports, game areas, climbing, yard sports, running/walking, skiing, snorkeling, snowboarding, and other activities
National Marine Manufacturers Association data Boating/fishing and snorkeling
American Horse Council data Equestrian
National Shooting Sports Foundation data Hunting/shooting
National Gardening Survey data Productive activities
PricewaterhouseCoopers report Contribution of General Aviation to the US Economy in 2018 Recreational flying

In general, revisions to more recent years tend to be larger as new and revised data are incorporated across the national and regional statistics. The current-dollar outdoor recreation value added statistics at the national level were revised up for 2017 (0.3 percent), 2018 (0.3 percent), and 2019 (0.1 percent) and down for 2020 (2.8 percent) (table 11). For 2017–2019, the revisions to state-level outdoor recreation value added ranged from a downward revision of 2.5 percent in Wisconsin in 2018 to an upward revision of 3.5 percent in Indiana in 2019. For 2020, the revisions to the state-level outdoor recreation value added were larger and ranged from a downward revision of 11.4 percent in Montana to an upward revision of 4.1 percent in Indiana.

Table 11. Percent Revisions to Current-Dollar Outdoor Recreation Value Added, Compensation, and Employment, 2017–2020
Region Outdoor recreation value added Outdoor recreation compensation Outdoor recreation employment
2017 2018 2019 2020 2017 2018 2019 2020 2017 2018 2019 2020
United States 0.3 0.3 0.1 −2.8 1.0 −0.3 −0.8 −4.9 0.1 −0.04 −0.2 −7.1
Alabama −0.1 0.1 0.7 −1.5 1.0 −0.3 −0.7 −3.5 −0.1 −0.2 −0.2 −6.5
Alaska 1.0 1.1 0.7 −1.9 1.2 0.0 −0.4 −10.7 0.8 0.0 0.2 −10.3
Arizona 0.5 0.4 0.2 −3.6 0.8 −0.8 −1.9 −9.1 0.1 −0.3 −0.8 −10.3
Arkansas 0.3 −0.2 −0.4 −1.1 0.7 −1.1 −1.9 −0.2 0.2 −0.2 −0.5 −5.8
California 0.4 0.1 −0.2 −3.8 1.2 −0.2 −0.8 −5.5 0.2 0.0 0.0 −6.4
Colorado 0.6 0.4 −0.1 −2.5 0.8 −0.4 −1.5 −6.8 0.2 −0.2 −0.6 −8.0
Connecticut 1.3 0.6 0.1 −0.5 1.9 0.2 −0.9 −3.5 0.3 0.0 −0.1 −6.6
Delaware 0.7 0.7 0.2 −5.6 1.2 −0.1 −0.4 −6.1 0.0 −0.2 −0.3 −10.4
District of Columbia 0.7 −0.2 −0.5 −6.4 1.3 −0.7 −1.1 −11.0 0.5 −0.3 −0.3 −13.6
Florida 0.4 0.3 0.2 1.2 0.9 0.1 −0.8 −4.0 0.1 0.1 0.1 −5.2
Georgia −0.9 −0.2 −0.2 −4.3 0.4 −0.1 −0.4 −6.8 −0.3 −0.1 −0.2 −8.6
Hawaii −0.3 −0.1 0.0 −6.2 0.2 −0.2 −0.4 −10.7 0.2 −0.2 0.0 −14.2
Idaho −0.6 −0.8 −1.1 −1.1 0.1 −1.1 −1.8 −2.5 −0.2 −0.4 −0.9 −6.5
Illinois 0.3 0.1 0.2 −2.3 1.2 −0.1 −0.1 −4.8 0.2 0.0 0.1 −7.3
Indiana 0.7 −0.5 3.5 4.1 −0.1 −4.1 −3.1 2.2 1.7 1.0 0.0 −3.1
Iowa 0.1 −0.2 1.0 1.6 0.4 −1.4 −1.0 −2.1 0.0 −0.1 −0.4 −5.7
Kansas 0.9 2.1 −0.3 −5.6 1.7 1.7 0.5 −3.6 −0.1 0.4 0.1 −7.0
Kentucky −0.3 1.4 2.5 −2.8 −0.1 −0.7 −1.9 −2.5 −0.5 −0.4 −0.4 −8.8
Louisiana 0.2 1.7 −0.7 −7.6 0.8 0.6 −0.4 −4.4 0.1 0.3 −0.1 −7.1
Maine 0.9 0.4 1.1 2.9 1.6 −1.1 −0.7 −1.2 1.1 0.0 −0.1 −4.6
Maryland 1.1 0.6 0.8 −1.1 1.3 −0.2 −0.8 −4.7 0.1 0.0 0.0 −6.7
Massachusetts 0.9 0.0 0.2 −0.8 1.1 −0.6 −0.8 −5.4 0.3 −0.1 −0.2 −7.6
Michigan −0.1 0.6 1.9 −1.2 1.2 −0.2 0.2 −3.9 0.1 0.0 0.1 −5.7
Minnesota −0.9 −0.1 −0.1 −0.2 −0.4 −1.5 −2.4 −4.2 −0.4 −0.7 −1.2 −6.9
Mississippi 0.6 1.4 0.5 −6.8 2.2 0.2 0.3 −2.6 0.4 0.2 0.1 −6.8
Missouri 0.0 0.8 2.2 1.3 1.0 −0.3 −0.4 −4.1 0.2 0.1 0.0 −6.0
Montana −0.7 −1.0 −2.2 −11.4 0.8 −0.6 −1.6 −10.6 0.0 −0.4 −0.9 −10.8
Nebraska −2.2 −1.5 −1.1 1.3 −1.6 −1.8 −2.5 −2.7 −1.3 −1.1 −1.6 −7.8
Nevada 0.4 0.1 −0.2 −4.4 1.0 −0.2 −0.8 −8.2 0.2 −0.1 −0.3 −11.3
New Hampshire 0.0 −0.9 −1.3 0.0 0.6 −0.7 −1.8 −4.2 0.1 −0.3 −0.6 −6.8
New Jersey 0.6 0.3 0.4 −1.5 1.6 0.3 0.2 −3.6 0.4 0.2 0.4 −6.4
New Mexico −0.1 0.0 −0.9 −5.2 0.5 −0.2 −1.0 −4.1 −0.2 −0.2 −0.5 −7.0
New York 1.0 0.0 −0.4 −2.2 2.2 −0.1 −0.5 −4.4 0.6 0.0 0.1 −7.2
North Carolina −0.2 −0.6 0.0 −3.1 0.4 −1.0 −1.1 −3.9 −0.1 −0.3 −0.2 −7.5
North Dakota 0.4 1.2 0.6 −1.9 0.8 0.1 −0.4 −4.0 −0.2 −0.1 −0.5 −6.7
Ohio 0.5 0.7 0.3 −2.7 1.3 0.0 −0.7 −3.7 −0.1 −0.1 −0.3 −6.6
Oklahoma 0.8 1.4 0.9 −4.1 1.1 0.1 −0.4 −4.3 −0.1 0.0 −0.3 −6.8
Oregon 1.1 0.9 0.9 −1.6 0.2 −1.0 −1.5 −3.9 0.0 −0.3 −0.8 −7.5
Pennsylvania −0.2 −0.7 −0.7 −5.3 0.9 −0.7 −1.0 −6.5 −0.1 −0.3 −0.4 −7.5
Rhode Island 0.1 −0.5 0.1 −3.2 1.2 −0.2 0.1 −8.3 0.5 0.1 0.1 −12.9
South Carolina −0.7 −0.8 −0.5 −1.2 0.1 −0.8 −0.8 −2.4 −0.1 0.0 −0.3 −7.1
South Dakota −0.1 0.5 0.8 −0.1 0.3 −0.3 −0.5 −3.5 −0.4 −0.3 −0.7 −6.4
Tennessee 1.0 0.7 0.9 −0.9 1.2 −0.2 −0.2 −4.8 0.3 0.1 0.1 −8.7
Texas −0.1 0.8 −1.3 −9.1 1.3 0.2 −0.1 −5.5 0.1 0.0 −0.2 −7.3
Utah −0.4 −0.5 −1.2 −3.1 0.4 −0.6 −1.5 −4.3 −0.1 −0.2 −0.8 −6.1
Vermont 0.5 0.0 −0.5 0.8 0.5 −0.6 −1.6 −3.8 0.0 −0.1 −0.5 −6.5
Virginia 0.4 0.2 0.2 −2.5 1.2 −0.1 −0.7 −5.8 0.1 −0.1 −0.2 −8.2
Washington 1.2 3.3 1.0 −4.5 1.4 1.6 0.4 −6.0 0.5 0.7 0.3 −7.8
West Virginia −0.9 −0.8 −1.1 −5.7 0.5 −0.6 −0.9 −6.0 −0.6 −0.5 −0.7 −9.2
Wisconsin −1.0 −2.5 1.0 −1.9 −0.7 −3.0 −1.7 −7.5 −0.1 −0.5 −0.3 −6.6
Wyoming −0.3 −0.2 −1.3 −7.3 0.3 −0.5 −0.8 −6.4 −0.1 −0.3 −0.6 −9.0

Outdoor recreation compensation statistics at the national level were revised up for 2017 (1.0 percent) and down for 2018 (0.3 percent), 2019 (0.8 percent), and 2020 (4.9 percent). For 2017–2019, the revisions to state-level outdoor recreation compensation ranged from a downward revision of 4.1 percent in Indiana in 2018 to an upward revision of 2.2 percent in Mississippi and New York in 2019. For 2020, revisions to state-level outdoor recreation compensation ranged from a downward revision of 11.0 percent in the District of Columbia to an upward revision of 2.2 percent in Indiana. Other states with large downward revisions in 2020 were Alaska (10.7 percent), Hawaii (10.7 percent), and Montana (10.6 percent).

The outdoor recreation employment statistics at the national level were revised up in 2017 (0.1 percent) and down in 2018 (0.04 percent), 2019 (0.2 percent), and 2020 (7.1 percent). For 2017–2019, the revisions to state-level outdoor recreation employment ranged from a downward revision of 1.6 percent in Nebraska in 2019 to an upward revision of 1.7 percent in Indiana in 2017. For 2020, the state-level outdoor recreation employment statistics were revised down for all states and ranged from a downward revision of 14.2 percent in Hawaii to a downward revision of 3.1 percent in Indiana. Other states with large downward revisions in 2020 were Rhode Island (12.9 percent), Nevada (11.3 percent), Montana (10.8 percent), Delaware (10.4 percent), Alaska (10.3 percent), and Arizona (10.3 percent). Outdoor recreation employment in 2020 was revised down 13.6 percent in the District of Columbia.

The data show that, compared with the overall U.S. economy, the outdoor recreation sector had a stronger rebound in 2021 after experiencing a steep decline in 2020 as COVID–19 pandemic restrictions eased. The growth in the outdoor recreation sector in 2021 was largely driven by travel and tourism-related activities that resumed as COVID–19 restrictions lifted and consumers resumed traveling and spent more on transportation, hotels, and restaurants, among other outdoor recreation-related goods and services.

Despite the broad increases in measures of outdoor recreation—value added, employment, and compensation—the 2021 levels of these measures have yet to reach their pre-pandemic 2019 levels. Employment, in particular, experienced a weaker rebound. The picture of economic recovery for the outdoor recreation sector varied widely across states. Nearly half of all states had outdoor recreation value added and compensation levels that were lower in 2021 compared with 2019, and virtually all states had outdoor recreation employment levels in 2021 that were lower than in 2019.

Footnotes

  1. Outdoor recreation statistics on gross output and value added are presented by type of outdoor recreation activity, in addition to the standard presentation by industry. Outdoor recreation statistics on employment and compensation are presented only by industry.
  2. In the ORSA, conventional outdoor recreation activities are defined as activities that require some level of intentional physical exertion and occur in natural environments, such as bicycling, boating, and hiking. Other outdoor recreation activities are defined as activities that fall outside the conventional definition but are undertaken for pleasure and occur outdoors, such as gardening or attending an outdoor concert.
  3. Multi-use apparel and accessories is also a component under other outdoor recreation activities, but its magnitude is much smaller ($4.9 billion in 2021).
  4. Details on the latest national annual update can be found in “The 2022 Annual Update of the National Economic Accounts” in the October 2022 Survey of Current Business. Details on the latest regional annual update can be found in “The 2022 Annual Update of the Regional Economic Accounts” in the October 2022 Survey.