Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account

New Statistics for 2022 and Updated Statistics for 2017–2021

By Stanislaw Rzeznik and Blaire Thomson  |  April 23, 2024

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On November 17, 2023, 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 2022 and updated statistics for 2017–2021. 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 newly released statistics show the outdoor recreation sector generated $563.7 billion in value added in 2022, reflecting a 15.1 percent year-over-year increase from 2021 and surpassing pre-COVID–19-pandemic value added of $489.3 billion in 2019. Outdoor recreation accounted for 2.2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2022, slightly below the pre-pandemic share of 2.3 percent (chart 1 and table 1).

Chart 1. Outdoor Recreation Value Added as a Share of GDP

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At the state level, outdoor recreation value added as a share of current-dollar state GDP in 2022 ranged from 5.6 percent in Hawaii to 1.4 percent in Connecticut (chart 2 and table 1). In the District of Columbia, the outdoor recreation sector accounted for 0.9 percent of GDP. Vermont, Montana, Wyoming, and Alaska had outdoor recreation shares of the state economy of 4.0 percent or more, reflecting an increase from 2021 but still not greater than their pre-pandemic shares in 2019.

Chart 2. State Outdoor Recreation Value Added as a Percent of State GDP, 2022

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Outdoor recreation sector value added grew faster than the overall U.S. economy in 2022, as was the case in 2021. Outdoor recreation growth was largely driven by travel and tourism-related activities that are returning to pre-pandemic levels. In 2022, consumers traveled and spent more on transportation, hotels, and restaurants, among other outdoor recreation-related goods and services. Regionally, outdoor recreation value added grew in all states and the District of Columbia (table 1). Hawaii had the largest increase in outdoor recreation value added in 2022 (44.4 percent). Alaska, Florida, and Wyoming also had increases over 20 percent. The District of Columbia had a 28.6 percent increase due to growth in tourist spending on lodging and food services.

Table 1. Outdoor Recreation Value Added by State, 2019–2022
Region Millions of current dollars Percent change from preceding period As a share of current-dollar gross domestic product
2019 2020 2021 2022 2020 2021 2022 2019 2020 2021 2022
United States 489,315 376,848 489,751 563,705 −23.0 30.0 15.1 2.3 1.8 2.1 2.2
Alabama 4,409 3,885 5,034 5,517 −11.9 29.6 9.6 1.9 1.7 2.0 2.0
Alaska 2,191 1,299 2,015 2,611 −40.7 55.2 29.5 4.0 2.5 3.4 4.0
Arizona 9,698 7,308 10,031 11,704 −24.6 37.3 16.7 2.6 1.9 2.3 2.5
Arkansas 3,148 2,903 3,777 4,114 −7.8 30.1 8.9 2.4 2.1 2.5 2.5
California 68,482 50,052 65,320 73,828 −26.9 30.5 13.0 2.2 1.6 1.9 2.0
Colorado 11,665 8,670 11,558 13,859 −25.7 33.3 19.9 2.9 2.2 2.6 2.8
Connecticut 4,059 3,403 4,130 4,582 −16.2 21.4 10.9 1.4 1.2 1.4 1.4
Delaware 1,299 948 1,224 1,336 −27.1 29.2 9.1 1.7 1.2 1.5 1.5
District of Columbia 1,491 808 1,118 1,437 −45.8 38.4 28.6 1.0 0.5 0.7 0.9
Florida 45,856 33,055 43,332 52,358 −27.9 31.1 20.8 4.1 2.9 3.4 3.6
Georgia 12,922 10,261 13,495 15,746 −20.6 31.5 16.7 2.0 1.6 1.9 2.1
Hawaii 6,090 2,543 3,932 5,679 −58.2 54.6 44.4 6.5 3.0 4.2 5.6
Idaho 2,627 2,291 2,983 3,440 −12.8 30.2 15.3 3.1 2.6 3.0 3.1
Illinois 18,638 14,439 18,736 21,887 −22.5 29.8 16.8 2.1 1.7 2.0 2.1
Indiana 11,247 11,459 14,511 16,027 1.9 26.6 10.4 2.9 3.0 3.4 3.4
Iowa 3,488 3,260 4,172 4,583 −6.5 28.0 9.9 1.8 1.6 1.9 1.9
Kansas 3,493 2,792 3,550 3,876 −20.1 27.2 9.2 2.0 1.6 1.9 1.9
Kentucky 4,303 3,617 4,574 5,094 −15.9 26.5 11.4 1.9 1.7 1.9 2.0
Louisiana 7,639 4,724 6,644 7,900 −38.2 40.6 18.9 3.0 2.0 2.5 2.7
Maine 2,829 2,217 2,853 3,323 −21.6 28.7 16.5 4.1 3.1 3.6 3.9
Maryland 7,408 5,707 7,234 8,263 −23.0 26.8 14.2 1.8 1.4 1.6 1.7
Massachusetts 10,886 7,998 10,046 11,765 −26.5 25.6 17.1 1.8 1.4 1.6 1.7
Michigan 10,422 8,910 11,060 12,359 −14.5 24.1 11.7 1.9 1.7 1.9 2.0
Minnesota 9,423 8,270 10,191 11,687 −12.2 23.2 14.7 2.5 2.2 2.5 2.6
Mississippi 2,685 2,286 2,985 3,370 −14.9 30.6 12.9 2.3 2.0 2.3 2.4
Missouri 7,201 6,273 7,907 8,823 −12.9 26.1 11.6 2.2 1.9 2.2 2.2
Montana 2,396 1,856 2,531 2,886 −22.6 36.4 14.0 4.5 3.5 4.2 4.3
Nebraska 2,226 2,069 2,479 2,753 −7.0 19.8 11.0 1.7 1.5 1.7 1.7
Nevada 5,887 3,809 5,156 6,114 −35.3 35.3 18.6 3.2 2.2 2.6 2.7
New Hampshire 2,889 2,288 2,806 3,315 −20.8 22.6 18.1 3.3 2.6 2.8 3.2
New Jersey 12,114 8,964 11,258 12,636 −26.0 25.6 12.2 1.9 1.4 1.6 1.7
New Mexico 2,297 1,602 2,152 2,401 −30.3 34.3 11.6 2.2 1.6 1.9 1.9
New York 29,751 21,306 26,855 31,188 −28.4 26.0 16.1 1.7 1.2 1.4 1.5
North Carolina 12,651 10,434 13,068 14,599 −17.5 25.2 11.7 2.1 1.7 2.0 2.0
North Dakota 1,154 955 1,210 1,343 −17.3 26.7 11.0 1.9 1.7 1.9 1.8
Ohio 13,768 11,354 14,931 17,173 −17.5 31.5 15.0 2.0 1.6 2.0 2.1
Oklahoma 4,062 3,201 4,153 4,493 −21.2 29.7 8.2 2.0 1.7 1.9 1.9
Oregon 6,290 4,918 6,525 7,502 −21.8 32.7 15.0 2.5 2.0 2.4 2.5
Pennsylvania 14,848 11,848 15,018 16,863 −20.2 26.8 12.3 1.8 1.5 1.8 1.8
Rhode Island 1,526 1,134 1,505 1,675 −25.7 32.7 11.4 2.4 1.8 2.2 2.3
South Carolina 6,676 5,324 6,869 7,592 −20.3 29.0 10.5 2.7 2.1 2.5 2.6
South Dakota 1,276 1,118 1,463 1,709 −12.4 30.8 16.8 2.3 2.0 2.3 2.5
Tennessee 9,506 7,690 10,135 11,886 −19.1 31.8 17.3 2.5 2.0 2.3 2.4
Texas 38,663 28,548 40,383 47,632 −26.2 41.5 18.0 2.1 1.6 1.9 2.0
Utah 6,571 5,095 7,023 8,139 −22.5 37.8 15.9 3.3 2.5 3.0 3.2
Vermont 1,609 1,218 1,561 1,860 −24.3 28.1 19.1 4.6 3.5 4.2 4.6
Virginia 9,893 7,948 9,833 11,349 −19.7 23.7 15.4 1.8 1.4 1.6 1.7
Washington 18,117 14,691 18,190 20,009 −18.9 23.8 10.0 3.0 2.4 2.6 2.7
West Virginia 1,485 1,152 1,502 1,647 −22.4 30.4 9.7 1.9 1.5 1.7 1.7
Wisconsin 8,415 7,794 9,132 9,752 −7.4 17.2 6.8 2.4 2.3 2.5 2.5
Wyoming 1,647 1,156 1,602 2,021 −29.8 38.6 26.1 4.1 3.2 3.8 4.1

Inflation-adjusted value added (real GDP) for the outdoor recreation sector increased 4.8 percent in 2022, compared with an increase of 1.9 percent for U.S. GDP (chart 3). Real gross output related to outdoor recreation increased 7.5 percent, compared with an increase of 2.3 percent for the United States.

Compensation and employment for the outdoor recreation sector also showed stronger increases in 2022 relative to the U.S. economy as a whole. For all states and the District of Columbia, outdoor recreation employment and compensation increased in 2022. Hawaii, the District of Columbia, Alaska, Vermont, and Florida are the top five states with the largest increases in employment (chart 4 and table 2). Hawaii, the District of Columbia, Nevada, Alaska, and Florida are the top five states with the largest increases in compensation.

Chart 3. Change in Outdoor Recreation Compared with U.S. Economy, 2021–2022

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Chart 4. Percent Change in Outdoor Recreation Employment, 2021–2022

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Table 2. Outdoor Recreation Employment and Compensation by State, 2021–2022
Region Employment Compensation
Thousands of full- and part-time jobs Percent change Millions of current dollars Percent change
2021 2022 2022 2021 2022 2022
United States 4,635 4,979 7.4 240,393 262,151 9.1
Alabama 63 65 3.8 2,447 2,560 4.6
Alaska 18 21 14.0 1,054 1,207 14.5
Arizona 101 107 5.8 5,267 5,707 8.4
Arkansas 42 43 3.6 1,795 1,872 4.3
California 516 568 10.1 32,974 35,159 6.6
Colorado 119 130 9.2 6,168 6,926 12.3
Connecticut 43 46 5.9 1,961 2,108 7.5
Delaware 15 15 5.8 578 619 7.0
District of Columbia 10 12 18.5 715 847 18.6
Florida 417 466 11.6 23,195 26,468 14.1
Georgia 152 161 6.1 7,182 7,892 9.9
Hawaii 39 47 18.5 2,049 2,618 27.8
Idaho 33 36 6.6 1,433 1,553 8.4
Illinois 167 177 6.1 9,321 10,219 9.6
Indiana 107 112 5.1 7,136 7,501 5.1
Iowa 42 44 4.2 1,864 1,960 5.1
Kansas 36 37 1.1 1,450 1,495 3.1
Kentucky 50 52 4.7 2,099 2,241 6.8
Louisiana 56 58 3.3 2,547 2,698 5.9
Maine 30 32 7.3 1,348 1,457 8.1
Maryland 77 80 4.8 3,633 3,851 6.0
Massachusetts 93 103 10.2 5,287 5,959 12.7
Michigan 111 119 7.2 5,185 5,628 8.5
Minnesota 89 94 5.4 4,647 4,987 7.3
Mississippi 33 34 3.1 1,269 1,329 4.7
Missouri 85 90 5.2 3,900 4,166 6.8
Montana 28 29 4.9 1,320 1,384 4.8
Nebraska 27 28 4.8 1,120 1,220 9.0
Nevada 50 54 8.2 2,384 2,765 16.0
New Hampshire 28 31 10.3 1,329 1,483 11.5
New Jersey 113 122 7.7 6,000 6,600 10.0
New Mexico 26 28 7.0 1,045 1,133 8.4
New York 238 257 8.2 14,805 16,516 11.6
North Carolina 138 147 5.9 6,346 6,880 8.4
North Dakota 13 14 6.0 529 565 6.8
Ohio 146 155 5.8 6,739 7,262 7.8
Oklahoma 47 49 4.3 1,997 2,100 5.2
Oregon 68 73 6.9 3,512 3,761 7.1
Pennsylvania 153 164 7.2 7,047 7,706 9.4
Rhode Island 17 18 6.6 769 837 8.8
South Carolina 81 85 4.8 3,487 3,715 6.5
South Dakota 17 18 6.1 640 675 5.4
Tennessee 103 110 6.2 4,493 4,926 9.6
Texas 364 388 6.5 17,725 19,331 9.1
Utah 67 72 6.7 3,362 3,635 8.1
Vermont 14 15 12.4 632 713 12.8
Virginia 115 125 8.3 5,022 5,581 11.1
Washington 114 121 6.2 7,839 8,264 5.4
West Virginia 19 20 4.5 664 696 4.8
Wisconsin 90 94 4.8 4,425 4,659 5.3
Wyoming 15 16 7.7 659 718 9.0

Outdoor recreation by activity

In 2022, conventional outdoor recreation activities accounted for $192.7 billion, or 34.2 percent, of U.S. outdoor recreation current-dollar value added, up from $183.2 billion in 2021 and $151.7 billion, pre-pandemic, in 2019 (chart 5 and table 3). Value added for supporting activities and other activities, at $259.4 and $111.7 billion, respectively, exceeded their 2019 pre-pandemic levels for the first time.

At the national level, the largest conventional outdoor recreation activities in 2022 were RVing; boating and fishing; motorcycling and ATVing; hunting, shooting, and trapping; snow activities; and equestrian (chart 6).

Chart 5. Outdoor Recreation Value Added by Activity Category

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Chart 6. Conventional Outdoor Recreation Value Added by Selected Activity

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Table 3. Outdoor Recreation Value Added by Activity Category and State, 2022
Region Millions of current dollars Activity category share of total state outdoor value added
Conventional Other Supporting
United States 563,705 34.2 19.8 46.0
Alabama 5,517 40.9 16.0 43.2
Alaska 2,611 16.0 12.9 71.1
Arizona 11,704 31.8 17.6 50.5
Arkansas 4,114 43.0 14.8 42.2
California 73,828 29.8 21.5 48.7
Colorado 13,859 34.8 16.8 48.4
Connecticut 4,582 39.4 20.6 40.0
Delaware 1,336 26.8 13.5 59.7
District of Columbia 1,437 10.0 20.4 69.6
Florida 52,358 27.1 24.0 48.9
Georgia 15,746 36.2 17.5 46.3
Hawaii 5,679 11.6 16.0 72.4
Idaho 3,440 42.3 15.0 42.7
Illinois 21,887 28.0 22.2 49.9
Indiana 16,027 62.1 13.8 24.1
Iowa 4,583 42.8 24.5 32.8
Kansas 3,876 35.7 16.3 48.0
Kentucky 5,094 34.9 18.3 46.8
Louisiana 7,900 27.0 13.5 59.5
Maine 3,323 36.4 9.8 53.8
Maryland 8,263 30.0 22.5 47.4
Massachusetts 11,765 31.2 24.3 44.5
Michigan 12,359 41.5 22.3 36.1
Minnesota 11,687 43.0 20.8 36.3
Mississippi 3,370 37.5 15.8 46.7
Missouri 8,823 38.3 24.3 37.3
Montana 2,886 36.2 14.0 49.7
Nebraska 2,753 41.2 19.5 39.3
Nevada 6,114 26.1 23.8 50.1
New Hampshire 3,315 42.8 16.8 40.3
New Jersey 12,636 32.9 23.2 43.8
New Mexico 2,401 30.1 13.4 56.5
New York 31,188 28.6 21.0 50.4
North Carolina 14,599 35.6 20.3 44.1
North Dakota 1,343 36.9 14.8 48.3
Ohio 17,173 35.0 22.8 42.3
Oklahoma 4,493 38.5 14.8 46.7
Oregon 7,502 40.1 18.0 41.9
Pennsylvania 16,863 36.0 22.7 41.3
Rhode Island 1,675 28.3 15.5 56.1
South Carolina 7,592 40.1 16.8 43.0
South Dakota 1,709 41.1 14.0 44.9
Tennessee 11,886 34.2 24.9 40.9
Texas 47,632 34.1 15.8 50.1
Utah 8,139 40.4 16.7 42.8
Vermont 1,860 36.7 10.3 53.0
Virginia 11,349 32.8 18.7 48.5
Washington 20,009 42.3 18.3 39.4
West Virginia 1,647 34.9 14.6 50.5
Wisconsin 9,752 46.9 19.6 33.6
Wyoming 2,021 28.8 11.0 60.2

Other outdoor recreation—activities that fall outside of the conventional definition—accounted for $111.7 billion, or 19.8 percent, of U.S. outdoor recreation current-dollar value added in 2022, an increase from both $93.2 billion in 2021 and $97.2 billion in 2019. Nationally, the largest activities in this category are game areas (including golfing and tennis); amusement parks and water parks; guided tours and outfitted travel; and festivals, sporting events, and concerts.

Lastly, supporting activities accounted for $259.4 billion, or 46.0 percent, of U.S. outdoor recreation nominal value added in 2022, an increase from $213.3 billion in 2021 and from $240.4 billion in 2019. The largest single activity—both within supporting activities and the entire outdoor recreation economy—is travel and tourism. Value added for travel and tourism accounted for 69.3 percent of value added for supporting activities in 2022 (table 4). Value added for local trips made up 18.5 percent of the total. Travel and tourism-related activities continued the rebound seen in 2021 as consumers continued to increase spending on transportation, hotels, restaurants, and other outdoor recreation-related goods and services.

Table 4. Outdoor Recreation Value Added by Selected Conventional and Supporting Activities and State, 2022
Region Conventional activities Supporting activities
Millions of current dollars Share of total Millions of current dollars Share of total
RVing Boating and fishing Motorcycling and ATVing Hunting, shooting, and trapping Snow activities Equestrian All other conventional outdoor recreation Travel and tourism Local trips All other supporting outdoor recreation
United States 192,684 18.4 16.8 6.0 5.5 3.6 3.1 46.5 259,370 69.3 18.5 12.2
Alabama 2,254 21.7 17.9 5.3 4.5 0.9 4.0 45.6 2,383 67.8 24.2 8.1
Alaska 417 23.4 24.4 4.0 6.2 6.4 1.9 33.8 1,857 84.5 12.2 3.3
Arizona 3,725 25.4 10.0 6.0 8.4 1.5 2.3 46.4 5,915 79.7 11.8 8.5
Arkansas 1,771 15.7 25.6 5.1 7.6 1.2 5.8 39.0 1,735 69.3 22.0 8.7
California 22,013 15.5 11.0 4.8 3.3 3.1 2.4 60.0 35,931 64.7 18.5 16.8
Colorado 4,819 15.4 10.9 5.0 2.9 29.9 2.4 33.5 6,709 75.6 11.5 13.0
Connecticut 1,804 9.8 17.9 10.4 7.3 3.5 1.9 49.2 1,833 70.6 22.3 7.1
Delaware 358 15.8 17.8 6.9 1.8 1.5 2.6 53.6 797 71.5 22.9 5.6
District of Columbia 144 7.4 14.2 2.1 3.8 2.0 1.2 69.5 1,000 77.1 9.0 13.9
Florida 14,182 16.2 31.4 3.8 4.1 1.1 2.0 41.4 25,593 78.5 8.2 13.3
Georgia 5,694 12.0 19.9 8.1 8.4 3.4 2.7 45.4 7,294 76.4 14.3 9.3
Hawaii 658 4.8 18.4 2.5 3.5 0.4 1.9 68.6 4,113 89.6 6.4 4.0
Idaho 1,455 30.6 13.7 5.2 14.9 5.6 5.3 24.7 1,468 78.8 16.1 5.1
Illinois 6,118 9.2 13.5 6.9 7.8 1.0 3.1 58.4 10,920 63.0 17.1 19.9
Indiana 9,950 58.9 14.3 5.5 1.7 2.4 1.5 15.7 3,868 62.7 29.5 7.8
Iowa 1,960 28.0 11.9 8.3 4.2 1.6 8.6 37.4 1,502 62.9 26.1 11.0
Kansas 1,382 11.2 14.2 5.4 11.2 1.0 7.0 49.9 1,862 61.0 32.1 6.9
Kentucky 1,779 14.2 11.8 6.3 8.8 0.7 13.9 44.3 2,383 68.5 25.3 6.2
Louisiana 2,131 16.4 19.4 5.1 5.1 0.4 5.4 48.2 4,703 57.2 34.9 8.0
Maine 1,210 26.9 34.1 3.5 3.9 5.6 2.3 23.6 1,789 83.6 12.1 4.3
Maryland 2,483 10.9 22.2 3.7 6.1 1.8 3.3 52.0 3,920 70.6 13.1 16.3
Massachusetts 3,665 8.0 19.9 3.8 6.5 3.7 1.5 56.6 5,239 78.5 12.9 8.6
Michigan 5,134 22.2 22.1 5.4 5.9 2.5 2.6 39.3 4,466 72.2 19.5 8.2
Minnesota 5,023 13.4 24.3 8.4 9.3 8.2 2.9 33.6 4,237 67.4 19.6 13.0
Mississippi 1,264 17.9 14.4 5.4 10.8 0.5 5.8 45.3 1,575 57.4 32.6 10.0
Missouri 3,382 14.2 19.7 7.9 7.4 0.9 4.6 45.3 3,294 72.4 18.1 9.5
Montana 1,046 27.8 13.4 3.7 8.2 6.0 4.9 36.0 1,435 75.3 18.7 6.0
Nebraska 1,133 12.3 15.5 11.9 9.1 3.9 8.8 38.5 1,083 66.1 23.0 10.9
Nevada 1,596 20.0 13.9 6.0 6.3 4.0 1.9 48.0 3,065 76.6 12.4 11.0
New Hampshire 1,420 20.1 11.2 5.4 14.4 14.1 0.9 33.9 1,337 82.2 16.3 1.5
New Jersey 4,162 8.4 17.6 3.8 2.9 2.9 1.8 62.5 5,539 64.7 22.5 12.8
New Mexico 723 29.5 8.9 4.0 2.4 8.4 6.7 40.1 1,356 69.1 18.9 12.0
New York 8,913 12.4 12.5 4.5 3.6 2.3 2.1 62.5 15,726 71.1 13.0 15.9
North Carolina 5,198 13.1 28.9 5.8 3.7 1.7 3.7 43.1 6,433 69.9 17.8 12.3
North Dakota 495 27.2 15.9 5.0 4.5 1.3 11.0 35.1 649 64.5 26.9 8.6
Ohio 6,005 16.8 13.1 8.9 6.0 1.6 3.2 50.4 7,261 56.1 28.1 15.8
Oklahoma 1,729 27.7 12.7 5.8 4.2 1.1 6.3 42.2 2,099 58.0 28.9 13.1
Oregon 3,007 31.1 14.0 4.2 3.8 5.0 2.7 39.2 3,143 73.1 15.3 11.6
Pennsylvania 6,076 14.2 9.5 9.6 5.6 3.4 3.4 54.2 6,960 66.6 23.3 10.1
Rhode Island 475 8.4 38.7 5.6 1.5 1.7 1.4 42.6 941 82.4 14.9 2.7
South Carolina 3,048 20.6 26.9 4.7 8.9 1.8 1.7 35.4 3,266 76.1 15.4 8.5
South Dakota 703 24.2 12.3 11.1 6.2 2.0 10.3 33.9 768 71.7 18.7 9.6
Tennessee 4,065 14.8 27.2 5.8 5.0 1.1 2.9 43.3 4,867 72.7 18.8 8.4
Texas 16,233 22.4 12.7 5.4 7.5 1.0 3.0 48.0 23,878 59.8 29.7 10.5
Utah 3,291 17.4 13.3 4.1 7.4 18.3 2.0 37.4 3,485 68.0 21.7 10.3
Vermont 682 16.0 7.8 2.5 3.8 35.8 2.2 31.9 985 88.5 10.2 1.3
Virginia 3,725 12.2 14.9 4.5 8.0 1.1 4.4 54.8 5,499 70.6 15.3 14.1
Washington 8,458 11.3 15.7 2.8 4.2 4.3 2.5 59.2 7,888 64.9 19.4 15.8
West Virginia 575 14.7 10.4 7.7 5.3 3.1 5.1 53.8 831 64.9 27.4 7.7
Wisconsin 4,569 12.1 15.5 24.1 4.8 1.8 3.2 38.4 3,273 70.4 21.2 8.4
Wyoming 582 20.4 10.5 3.6 18.5 17.5 5.3 24.2 1,216 64.0 25.4 10.6

At the state level, the composition of outdoor recreation categories varies widely depending on many factors including each state's industry composition, geography, amenities, and other aspects that provide diverse opportunities for outdoor recreation. The variation in distribution of outdoor recreation value added across outdoor recreation activities in 2022 is illustrated in charts 7 and 8 for the United States and selected states. Indiana and Wisconsin had large shares of their outdoor recreation value added tied to conventional activities compared to Vermont and Hawaii, which had more than half of their value added tied to supporting activities.

Among the conventional activities, RVing accounted for the largest share of conventional outdoor recreation value added in Indiana, motorcycling and ATVing in Wisconsin, snow activities in Vermont, and boating and fishing in Hawaii.

Chart 7. Activity Category Share of State Total, Value Added

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Chart 8. Value Added for Selected Conventional Outdoor Recreation Activities and States

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Outdoor recreation by industry

Estimates of outdoor recreation by industry present outdoor recreation goods and services by the industries that produce and sell them and show how each industry participates in the outdoor recreation economy. The industry estimates complement the activity estimates by rearranging and aggregating the components of each activity into their respective industries. For example, the RVing activity consists of spending on transportation equipment manufacturing (RVs), retail services (RV dealers), petroleum product manufacturing (gasoline), and lodging services (RV campgrounds).

The retail trade sector measures the services of U.S. retailers selling both imported and domestically produced outdoor-related goods. This sector accounted for the largest share of total outdoor recreation value added in 2022. It generated $153.6 billion in value added, or 27.3 percent of total outdoor recreation value added (chart 9 and table 5).

Retail trade value added was the largest of the selected sectors in 28 states. Among states, retail trade's share ranged from 14.2 percent in Alaska to 42.3 percent in Washington state. The share in the District of Columbia was 14.0 percent.

The arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, and food services sector accounted for the second-largest share, 25.6 percent, of total outdoor recreation value added in 2022 for the United States. It was the largest sector in 18 states and the District of Columbia. The shares ranged from 11.0 percent in Indiana to 46.2 percent in Vermont. The share in the District of Columbia was 63.6 percent.

Manufacturing accounted for the third-largest share, 13.8 percent, of total outdoor recreation value added in 2022 for the United States. It was the largest sector in two states, Louisiana (34.2 percent) and Indiana (57.4 percent). Manufacturing's share ranged from 1.7 percent in Hawaii to 57.4 percent in Indiana. The share in the District of Columbia was 0.3 percent.

Transportation and warehousing accounted for the fourth-largest share, 9.7 percent, of total outdoor recreation value added in 2022 for the United States. It was the largest sector in two states, Hawaii (37.2 percent) and Alaska (39.2 percent). The shares ranged from 1.6 percent in Delaware to 39.2 percent in Alaska.

Chart 9. U.S. Industry Share of Outdoor Recreation, Current Dollar Value Added, 2022

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Table 5. Outdoor Recreation Value Added by Industry and State, 2022
Region Total outdoor recreation
(millions of current dollars)		 Outdoor recreation value added by industry 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 563,705 13.8 8.2 27.3 9.7 25.6 15.4
Alabama 5,517 12.8 11.1 37.1 5.3 19.8 13.9
Alaska 2,611 3.5 3.7 14.2 39.2 23.8 15.6
Arizona 11,704 5.9 5.5 31.7 15.9 26.3 14.8
Arkansas 4,114 16.9 10.8 31.5 7.6 20.2 13.0
California 73,828 13.3 8.2 25.9 9.8 26.1 16.7
Colorado 13,859 5.4 6.2 23.3 13.4 36.0 15.8
Connecticut 4,582 10.6 9.6 31.2 5.8 27.2 15.6
Delaware 1,336 10.5 6.5 29.1 1.6 30.7 21.6
District of Columbia 1,437 0.3 2.8 14.0 2.4 63.6 16.9
Florida 52,358 4.6 6.3 23.0 13.8 36.0 16.4
Georgia 15,746 12.7 8.8 26.9 15.1 22.6 14.0
Hawaii 5,679 1.7 2.5 15.4 37.2 34.6 8.7
Idaho 3,440 11.0 7.6 31.5 8.3 27.1 14.5
Illinois 21,887 12.6 10.8 21.2 11.3 23.3 20.9
Indiana 16,027 57.4 4.9 16.4 3.2 11.0 7.1
Iowa 4,583 17.0 11.1 30.0 4.6 16.9 20.3
Kansas 3,876 26.0 10.9 27.1 4.2 15.4 16.5
Kentucky 5,094 16.8 9.7 31.0 7.9 20.2 14.4
Louisiana 7,900 34.2 6.5 23.7 8.2 16.1 11.3
Maine 3,323 10.6 5.2 25.6 3.9 39.5 15.3
Maryland 8,263 4.4 7.2 26.7 8.8 33.9 19.1
Massachusetts 11,765 8.7 8.5 25.1 10.9 31.7 15.2
Michigan 12,359 15.6 7.1 33.3 7.0 19.7 17.2
Minnesota 11,687 22.1 9.8 24.7 8.4 18.7 16.2
Mississippi 3,370 26.2 7.2 32.7 3.8 15.8 14.4
Missouri 8,823 15.0 8.4 30.3 8.4 23.6 14.3
Montana 2,886 12.2 11.6 23.0 8.3 33.0 11.9
Nebraska 2,753 17.8 10.6 27.8 7.2 17.7 18.9
Nevada 6,114 2.7 6.6 26.6 18.9 33.5 11.7
New Hampshire 3,315 8.4 11.4 25.8 2.5 39.5 12.4
New Jersey 12,636 10.1 10.6 29.4 9.9 24.0 16.0
New Mexico 2,401 4.8 6.2 30.5 8.2 32.3 17.9
New York 31,188 4.3 6.8 27.7 9.3 34.1 17.8
North Carolina 14,599 16.3 8.2 27.8 8.9 23.8 14.8
North Dakota 1,343 7.4 14.1 33.0 5.5 22.7 17.4
Ohio 17,173 18.7 8.7 28.3 5.4 21.8 17.1
Oklahoma 4,493 10.6 7.8 34.6 14.7 15.3 16.9
Oregon 7,502 9.5 9.0 31.7 7.9 28.1 13.9
Pennsylvania 16,863 13.7 8.5 31.5 7.7 24.0 14.6
Rhode Island 1,675 8.2 7.2 24.4 6.8 40.6 12.9
South Carolina 7,592 14.0 9.9 28.9 3.5 30.1 13.7
South Dakota 1,709 8.2 9.3 32.0 3.6 29.7 17.3
Tennessee 11,886 14.1 7.0 28.2 7.8 32.9 10.1
Texas 47,632 21.7 9.3 28.1 8.6 17.6 14.7
Utah 8,139 16.7 9.1 29.6 9.1 23.0 12.5
Vermont 1,860 5.7 10.5 21.3 2.6 46.2 13.7
Virginia 11,349 8.1 10.5 29.0 10.1 25.3 17.0
Washington 20,009 11.4 8.4 42.3 8.1 15.7 14.2
West Virginia 1,647 5.1 14.1 36.4 3.5 21.6 19.4
Wisconsin 9,752 20.3 12.9 27.6 5.2 19.4 14.7
Wyoming 2,021 20.9 4.3 15.8 3.1 37.6 18.3

Outdoor recreation employment

Employment supported by outdoor recreation was 5.0 million full- and part-time wage and salary jobs in 2022 (chart 10 and table 6). Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, and food services was the largest sector by employment and accounted for 38.3 percent of total outdoor recreation-related jobs for the United States. This sector was also the largest in 31 states and the District of Columbia. Shares ranged from 24.3 percent in Indiana to 57.2 percent in Wyoming.

Retail trade was the second-largest sector, accounting for 33.9 percent of total outdoor-related employment. This sector accounted for the largest share of outdoor recreation employment in 19 states. Retail trade's share ranged from 22.8 percent in Alaska to 42.6 in Mississippi. The share in the District of Columbia was 22.3 percent.

Government and manufacturing were the sectors with the third-largest outdoor recreation-related employment shares for the United States (5.6 percent and 5.5 percent, respectively). The share of employment in the government sector ranged from 0.4 percent in Rhode Island to 11.1 percent in Illinois. The share of employment in manufacturing was the largest in Indiana. The manufacturing share of total outdoor recreation-related employment ranged from 1.0 percent in Hawaii to 35.3 percent in Indiana.

Chart 10. U.S. Industry Composition of Outdoor Recreation Employment, 2022

[Click chart to expand]

Table 6. Outdoor Recreation Employment by Industry and State, 2022
Region Total outdoor recreation
employment by industry
(thousands of full-
and part-time employees)		 Outdoor recreation employment by industry as a share of total outdoor recreation employment (percent)
Manufacturing Retail trade Transportation and warehousing Arts, entertainment, recreation,
accommodation, and food services		 Government All other industries
United States 4,979 5.5 33.9 4.4 38.3 5.6 12.3
Alabama 65 7.0 40.9 2.1 33.6 4.1 12.5
Alaska 21 1.4 22.8 21.1 42.8 4.8 7.0
Arizona 107 2.9 34.2 6.1 42.2 3.8 10.8
Arkansas 43 11.7 35.3 3.0 35.5 2.7 11.8
California 568 4.0 31.8 4.6 38.2 8.8 12.5
Colorado 130 2.4 26.7 4.6 46.5 6.5 13.2
Connecticut 46 3.3 41.8 2.1 38.6 2.4 11.9
Delaware 15 2.1 37.4 1.2 48.2 0.8 10.4
District of Columbia 12 (D) 22.3 4.9 57.0 6.0 (D)
Florida 466 3.6 27.3 5.7 47.6 4.6 11.1
Georgia 161 6.3 33.7 6.7 36.3 5.9 11.2
Hawaii 47 1.0 27.1 16.1 45.0 1.7 9.0
Idaho 36 7.9 32.1 3.7 43.9 1.5 10.8
Illinois 177 4.5 34.6 6.6 30.2 11.1 13.1
Indiana 112 35.3 26.3 2.3 24.3 2.9 8.9
Iowa 44 12.3 38.1 2.0 31.3 2.6 13.8
Kansas 37 8.3 38.3 1.5 32.4 5.1 14.3
Kentucky 52 5.2 38.3 3.3 37.2 2.5 13.4
Louisiana 58 4.4 39.0 4.6 33.0 4.3 14.7
Maine 32 7.9 27.9 2.2 52.3 1.3 8.4
Maryland 80 1.9 38.9 4.0 37.1 6.7 11.3
Massachusetts 103 4.0 35.4 5.3 39.2 2.4 13.7
Michigan 119 6.7 39.1 3.4 34.9 3.8 12.0
Minnesota 94 8.1 33.6 4.1 35.0 4.6 14.4
Mississippi 34 9.1 42.6 2.2 30.0 2.8 13.3
Missouri 90 8.8 35.7 3.1 34.3 5.3 12.8
Montana 29 3.4 27.6 2.5 51.2 1.2 14.2
Nebraska 28 8.4 35.4 2.4 35.2 2.1 16.5
Nevada 54 1.7 32.9 7.1 43.4 2.9 12.0
New Hampshire 31 4.1 31.5 1.6 50.0 0.6 12.2
New Jersey 122 3.7 39.5 4.4 34.5 4.8 13.1
New Mexico 28 1.5 33.8 3.1 45.7 4.2 11.7
New York 257 2.5 36.3 5.3 36.2 8.9 10.7
North Carolina 147 5.2 35.3 3.7 38.6 6.7 10.4
North Dakota 14 2.0 38.4 1.9 40.9 2.6 14.1
Ohio 155 5.5 35.2 2.7 35.2 8.0 13.4
Oklahoma 49 4.4 39.0 3.5 30.8 3.2 19.2
Oregon 73 6.7 34.0 2.9 39.3 4.0 13.1
Pennsylvania 164 4.9 35.7 3.4 40.1 3.4 12.5
Rhode Island 18 4.7 29.7 2.8 51.8 0.4 10.5
South Carolina 85 8.2 31.9 1.8 43.5 3.9 10.8
South Dakota 18 3.7 36.1 1.7 44.5 2.2 11.9
Tennessee 110 7.8 33.8 3.1 39.4 3.9 12.0
Texas 388 4.1 38.2 4.9 33.6 6.6 12.7
Utah 72 6.2 28.6 3.3 40.0 5.4 16.6
Vermont 15 4.5 29.9 1.3 50.8 0.4 13.1
Virginia 125 2.3 34.3 3.9 38.2 8.9 12.5
Washington 121 5.3 36.0 5.0 31.6 4.8 17.3
West Virginia 20 1.5 42.0 1.6 36.7 2.4 15.8
Wisconsin 94 8.8 33.7 2.2 37.8 2.9 14.5
Wyoming 16 (D) 24.6 1.5 57.2 4.0 (D)
(D)
Data are suppressed to avoid disclosure of confidential information.

In addition to the new 2022 statistics, this release also included updated statistics for 2017–2021. The updated estimates incorporate the results of the 2023 comprehensive update of the National Economic Accounts and the Regional Economic Accounts as well as newly available and revised national and regional source data for 2017–20221. Notably, this update includes new supply and use tables (SUTs) for 2017 that are benchmarked to the 2017 Economic Census and updated annual SUTs for 2018–20222. The reference year for output and price measures was updated from 2012 to 2017. Updating the reference year did not affect the percent changes in the price or quantity indexes (or in the chained-dollar estimates), because these changes are measured from chain-type indexes. More detailed results and updates to methodology can be found in “Information on 2023 Comprehensive Updates to the National, Industry, and State Economic Accounts” on the BEA website.

In addition to incorporating the comprehensive update, the share of items tied to outdoor recreation was also updated based on newly available source data. Table 7 summarizes the major sources that were updated for this release.

Table 7. Summary of Updated Source Data, 2022
Type Source Impacted activities
Public U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) personal consumption expenditures (reflect newly incorporated data from U.S. Census Bureau (Census) Service Annual Survey and Annual Retail Trade Survey) Agritourism, amusement and water parks, bicycling, boating and fishing, camping and hiking, climbing, equestrian, festivals, guided tours, game areas, yard sports, photography, recreational flying, running and walking, skiing, snorkeling, snowboarding, and other activities
BEA private fixed investment Amusement and water parks, bicycling, construction, and guided tours
BEA government consumption expenditures Government and construction
BEA Travel and Tourism Satellite Account Travel and tourism and local trips
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Surveys program RVing, photography, skiing, snowboarding, other outdoor recreation activities, and multiuse apparel and accessories
Value of Construction Put in Place Survey Construction
Federal government agencies' budget reports Government
Private Circana Bicycling, boating and fishing, camping and hiking, field sports, game areas, climbing, yard sports, running and walking, skiing, snorkeling, snowboarding, and other activities
National Marine Manufacturers Association Boating and fishing and snorkeling
American Horse Council Equestrian
National Shooting Sports Foundation Hunting and shooting

In 2022, as in 2021, the outdoor recreation economy showed stronger growth than the overall U.S. economy as spending on outdoor activities and the supporting activities that facilitate them continued to rebound from the COVID–19 pandemic. Travel and tourism, in particular, drove growth in 2022 as consumers continued to spend more on transportation, hotels, restaurants, and other outdoor recreation goods and services.

The current-dollar measures of U.S. value added and compensation show strong recovery from 2020 and exceeded 2019 pre-pandemic levels. U.S. employment related to outdoor recreation also grew faster than for the overall economy.

Footnotes

  1. More details on the November release can be found in the “Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account, U.S. and States, 2022” news release.
  2. For more information on the levels of industry detail BEA offers, please see “BEA Industry and Commodity Codes and NAICS Concordance.”