18 | 2023 National Recreation and Park Association BUDGET U.S. Census Bureau data indicate that local park and recreation agencies’ operating expenditures totaled $45 billion in 2020 (most recent data available). Per NRPA Park Metrics data, the typical park and recreation agency has current annual operating expenditures of $5.5 million, although budget size varies widely depending on a number of factors (including population served, services offered). Normalizing operating expenditure data by population served by an agency is a more meaningful way of articulating and comparing spending. By this measure, the typical park and recreation agency has annual operating expenses of $94.77 on a per capita basis. The denser the population served by an agency, the higher the per capita operating expenses: the typical agency serving a jurisdiction of less than 500 people per square mile has per capita operating expenses of $60.73, while one serving a jurisdiction of more than 2,500 people per square mile has a median of $116.01 per resident. FIGURE 13: ANNUAL OPERATING EXPENDITURES (BY JURISDICTION POPULATION) All Agencies Less Than 20,000 20,000 to 49,999 50,000 to 99,999 100,000 to 250,000 More Than 250,000 Median $5,500,000 $1,200,000 $3,255,771 $8,005,757 $11,834,432 $28,878,054 Lower Quartile $2,045,100 $573,150 $1,996,538 $5,338,200 $6,147,332 $14,735,128 Upper Quartile $14,841,451 $2,482,403 $6,279,749 $13,413,924 $21,753,741 $53,898,865 All Agencies Less Than 20,000 20,000 to 49,999 50,000 to 99,999 100,000 to 250,000 More Than 250,000 $30,000,000 $25,000,000 $20,000,000 $15,000,000 $10,000,000 $5,000,000 $0 ANNUAL OPERATING EXPENDITURES Attendees of the reopening of Belmont Park in Clearwater, Florida, boast shovels and assist with planting shrubs. PHOTO COURTESY OF CLEARWATER PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT
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