2023 NRPA Agency Performance Review | 7 PARK FACILITIES Local and regional park and recreation agencies differ significantly in size and the types of facilities they offer. Of the more than 10,000 local park and recreation agencies across the United States, many serve areas comprised of a few hundred people; others are the park and recreation resource for millions. The typical agency participating in NRPA Park Metrics serves a jurisdiction — a town, city, county and/or region — of 45,000 people. The typical park and recreation agency manages 22 parks encompassing 571 acres. After adding in nonpark sites (including open spaces that an agency may manage — such as city hall lawns or roadway medians), the median number increases to 30 sites encompassing 676 acres. The typical agency has one park for every 2,287 residents. The number of residents per park rises as the population of the town, city, county or region served by an agency increases. For those agencies serving jurisdictions of less than 20,000 residents, there is one park for every 1,225 residents. The ratio increases to one park for every 2,240 residents in jurisdictions with populations between 50,000 and 99,999, and then rises further to one park for every 5,791 people at agencies serving areas with a population of more than 250,000. The typical park and recreation agency manages 10.8 acres of parkland for every 1,000 residents in its jurisdiction. The smallest agencies — those serving less than 20,000 residents — typically manage 13 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents. That ratio narrows to 10.1 acres per 1,000 residents for agencies that serve FIGURE 1: RESIDENTS PER PARK (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 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 2,287 1,225 2,014 2,240 3,240 5,791 Lower Quartile 1,296 666 1,203 1,461 2,067 3,050 Upper Quartile 4,609 2,042 3,162 3,655 6,197 15,900 6,000 5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 0 RESIDENTS PER PARK Two adults work out together in Charleston, South Carolina. PHOTO COURTESY OF KATE PHOTOGRAPHY
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