2023 NRPA Agency Performance Review | 1 2023 NRPA AGENCY PERFORMANCE REVIEW
Cover image: Participants enjoy the sunset during a stand-up paddle board yoga class at Carvins Cove Natural Reserve in Roanoke, Virginia. Photo courtesy of Roanoke Parks and Recreation
2023 NRPA Agency Performance Review | 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 Executive Summary 4 Infographic: 2023 NRPA Agency Performance Review Key Findings 5 Index of Figures 7 Park Facilities 12 Programming 14 Responsibilities of Park and Recreation Agencies 16 Staffing 18 Budget 21 Agency Funding 25 Policies 27 Additional NRPA Resources 30 Conclusions 31 Acknowledgements 32 About NRPA A child plays during Riverfest, an arts and recreation festival, at McGregor Park in Clarksville, Tennessee. PHOTO COURTESY OF CLARKSVILLE PARKS AND RECREATION
2 | 2023 National Recreation and Park Association EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Local parks and recreation shape our landscapes; more importantly, they shape our lives. Throughout the past year, more than 275 million people in the United States visited a local park or recreation facility. Proximity to high-quality parks and recreation opportunities consistently is an important factor in people’s decision regarding where to live. Nine in 10 U.S. adults agree that parks and recreation is an important service provided by their local government. The value of parks and recreation happens thanks to the tireless and dedicated efforts of the more than 160,000 full-time and hundreds of thousands of part-time, seasonal and volunteer workers at agencies across the nation. The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) provides park and recreation professionals across the United States with the most up-to-date data that inform current and future decisions and equip leaders with insights that help those professionals make the case to key stakeholders and elected officials for greater, more sustainable funding. The 2023 NRPA Agency Performance Review summarizes the key findings from NRPA Park Metrics — the benchmarking resource that assists park and recreation professionals in the effective management and planning of their operating resources and capital facilities. Taken together, the 2023 NRPA Agency Performance Review and NRPA Park Metrics deliver the most comprehensive collection of park and recreation- related benchmarks and insights that apprise professionals, key stakeholders and the public about the state of the park and recreation industry. PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL LEE Gallery Park residents enjoy the annual Fourth of July fireworks show in Glenview, Illinois.
2023 NRPA Agency Performance Review | 3 Data is a powerful tool, but does not, by itself, provide final answers to the question of what is best for your individual park and recreation agency. The 2023 NRPA Agency Performance Review and NRPA Park Metrics help inform conversations among internal colleagues, external consultants, partners and policymakers about the role of parks and recreation in your community. The combination of insights from this report, along with information about your community’s specific needs and experiences, will help you craft the optimal mix of facilities and programming your agency should deliver. The 2023 NRPA Agency Performance Review does not present park and recreation “standards,” nor do the benchmarks represent any standards against which every individual park and recreation agency should measure itself. In fact, NRPA does not have a set of specific standards. The reason for this is simple: there is not one single set of standards for parks and recreation because different agencies serve different communities that have unique needs, desires and challenges. For instance, if your agency has more workers per 10,000 residents relative to the “typical” agency, it does not necessarily mean you should shed staff to meet that benchmark. An agency with a larger staff may offer more hands-on programming because of the unique needs of the population it serves. Communities differ; so too should the amenities and programs offered by their park and recreation agencies. A park and recreation agency may serve a small town, a large city or an entire county. It may be a department of its local jurisdiction’s government or its own governmental entity. While most agencies deliver both park and recreation amenities and programming, some focus solely on maintaining parks and green spaces while others only offer recreational programming. Agencies also have diverse funding mechanisms, drawing from such sources as general tax funding, dedicated taxes, generated income and grants. Truly successful agencies tailor their offerings to meet the needs and demands of all members of their communities. To be successful, it is essential that park and recreation professionals know the characteristics of the residents who use their agencies’ resources — including residents’ age, race and income trends — as well as the types of programming, facilities and amenities those residents look for from their local parks. It also is vital to recognize the characteristics of those who may use those resources in the future when shaping the optimal mix of facilities and services your agency will offer going forward. Park and recreation professionals should use the 2023 NRPA Agency Performance Review with other resources, including those that may be proprietary to their specific agency, those from NRPA and others from external sources. This report also provides a list of additional NRPA resources. How to Use the 2023 NRPA Agency Performance Review and NRPA Park Metrics The first step in using the 2023 NRPA Agency Performance Review is to look at the available data. Most of the data presented in the report feature medians and data responses at the lower quartile (lowest 25 percent) and upper quartile (highest 25 percent). The data allow for insights into where your agency stands compared to “typical” agencies (i.e., those at the median values), as well as the full spectrum of agencies at both the high and low quartiles. Many metrics include the top-line figures and certain cross-tabulations by jurisdiction population or population density. More comprehensive cross-tabulations are available as interactive tables at nrpa.org/Metrics. The next step is to build a customized benchmark report based on your preferred peer group. Go into NRPA Park Metrics (nrpa.org/ParkMetrics) to filter the data by agency type, size and geographic region. You can enhance this experience even further by entering your agency’s data into NRPA Park Metrics, after which you can generate reports that compare your agency’s data against the key metrics of agencies throughout the United States. The 2023 NRPA Agency Performance Review presents data from more than 1,000 unique park and recreation agencies across the United States as reported between 2020 and 2022. Note: Not all agencies answered every survey question.
4 | 2023 National Recreation and Park Association INFOGRAPHIC 2023 NRPA Agency Performance Review Key Findings Residents per park: 2,287 Acres of parkland per 1,000 residents: 10.8 Residents per playground: 3,759 Full-time equivalent employees (FTEs) per 10,000 residents: 8.9 Percentage of full-time staff dedicated to operations/maintenance: 46% Operating expenditures per capita: $94.77 Revenue to operating expenditures: 24.6%
2023 NRPA Agency Performance Review | 5 INDEX OF FIGURES The 2023 NRPA Agency Performance Review highlights characteristics of America’s local public park agencies with graphics categorized into seven sections: park facilities, programming, responsibilities of park and recreation agencies, staffing, budget, agency funding and policies. FIGURE TOP-LINE FINDING PAGE NO. PARK FACILITIES Figure 1: Residents per Park There is typically one park for every 2,287 residents. 7 Figure 2: Acres of Parkland per 1,000 Residents The typical park and recreation agency has 10.8 acres of parkland for every 1,000 residents in its jurisdiction. 8 Figure 3: Outdoor Park and Recreation Facilities — Prevalence and Population per Facility An overwhelming majority of park and recreation agencies have playgrounds (95 percent) and basketball courts (86 percent) in their portfolio of outdoor assets. 9 Figure 4: Miles of Trails The typical park and recreation agency manages or maintains 15 miles of trails for walking, hiking, running and/or biking. 10 Figure 5: Indoor Park and Recreation Facilities — Prevalence and Population per Facility A majority of agencies offer community centers and recreation centers; two in five agencies offer senior centers. 11 PROGRAMMING Figure 6: Programming Offered by Park and Recreation Agencies Key programming activities include themed special events, social recreation events, team sports, fitness enhancement classes, and health and wellness education. 13 Figure 7: Targeted Programs for Children, Older Adults and People With Disabilities Eighty-two percent of agencies offer summer camps for their communities’ younger residents. 13 RESPONSIBILITIES OF PARK AND RECREATION AGENCIES Figure 8: Key Responsibilities of Park and Recreation Agencies Top roles include operating and maintaining parks, trails and indoor facilities; providing recreation programming and services and conducting jurisdiction-wide special events. 14 Figure 9: Other Responsibilities of Park and Recreation Agencies Operating, maintaining or contracting special purpose parks, pools and racquet sports areas lead the list of other agency responsibilities. 15 STAFFING Figure 10: Park and Recreation Agency Staffing The typical park and recreation agency has a payroll of 51.5 fulltime equivalent staff. 16 Figure 11: Park and Recreation Full-Time Equivalent Employees per 10,000 Residents The typical park and recreation agency has 8.9 full-time equivalent employees on staff for every 10,000 residents in its jurisdiction. 17 Figure 12: Responsibilities of Park and Recreation Workers Operations and maintenance, programming, and administration are the primary responsibilities of park and recreation workers. 17
6 | 2023 National Recreation and Park Association FIGURE TOP-LINE FINDING PAGE NO. BUDGET Figure 13: Annual Operating Expenditures The typical park and recreation agency has annual operating expenditures of $5.5 million. 18 Figure 14: Operating Expenditures per Capita The typical park and recreation agency has annual operating expenses of $94.77 per capita. 19 Figure 15: Operating Expenditures per Acre of Park and Non-Park Sites The median level of operating expenditures is $7,388 per acre of park and non-park sites managed by the agency. 19 Figure 16: Operating Expenditures per Full-Time Equivalent Employee The typical park and recreation agency spends $105,484 in annual operating expenditures for each employee. 20 Figure 17: Distribution of Operating Expenditures Staffing costs account for 55 percent of the operating budget at the typical park and recreation agency. 20 Figure 18: Operating Expenditures Dedicated to Parks or Recreation The typical park and recreation agency dedicates 46 percent of its operating budget to park management and maintenance and 41 percent to recreation. 20 AGENCY FUNDING Figure 19: Sources of Operating Expenditures Park and recreation agencies derive 61 percent of their operating expenditures from general fund tax support. 21 Figure 20: Park and Recreation Revenues per Capita The typical park and recreation agency generates $21.71 in revenue annually per each resident in its jurisdiction. 22 Figure 21: Revenue as a Percentage of Operating Expenditures (Cost Recovery) The typical agency recovers 24.6 percent of its operating expenditures from non-tax revenues. 22 Figure 22: Five-Year Capital Budget Spending Park and recreation agencies will spend a median of $10 million in capital expenditures budgeted over the next five years. 23 Figure 23: Targets for Capital Expenditures On average, 55 percent of an agency’s capital budget is designated for renovation, while 31 percent is geared toward new development. 23 Figure 24: Value of Deferred Maintenance Projects per Agency On average, park and recreation agencies have $16.5 million of deferred maintenance projects on their books. 24 POLICIES Figure 25: Park and Recreation Policies Four in five park and recreation agencies ban tobacco products at most/all of their parks and facilities. 25 Figure 26: Agencies With an Expressed Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in Their Foundational Documents Eighty-one percent of park and recreation agencies have an expressed commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in their foundational documents (e.g., vision, mission and strategic plan documents). 26 Figure 27: Agencies With Hiring Practices and Policies That Promote a Diverse Workforce Ninety percent of park and recreation agencies have hiring practices and policies that promote a diverse workforce. 26
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
8 | 2023 National Recreation and Park Association a population of more than 250,000 people. Agencies serving jurisdictions with populations between 100,000 and 250,000 manage 8.9 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents. Parkland refers to both maintained parks and open space areas, such as green spaces and courtyards. Park and recreation professionals oversee a wide range of facilities and features for which their agencies have responsibility. In addition, the number of amenities and facilities managed by park and recreation agencies varies. Ninety-five percent of park and recreation agencies provide playground facilities for their communities, typically managing 14 playgrounds. At least half of agencies have basketball courts, diamond fields for baseball and/or softball, tennis courts, multi- purposeand/oryouthsoccerrectangularfields,dogparks, community gardens and outdoor swimming pools. The typical park and recreation agency has: • One playground for every 3,759 residents • One basketball court for every 7,404 residents • One outdoor tennis court for every 5,860 residents • One dog park for every 43,532 residents FIGURE 2: ACRES OF PARKLAND PER 1,000 RESIDENTS (BY JURISDICTION POPULATION) 15 12 9 6 3 0 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 ACRES OF PARKLAND PER 1,000 RESIDENTS 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 10.8 13.0 11.3 11.2 8.9 10.1 Lower Quartile 5.3 6.0 5.9 5.0 4.5 5.2 Upper Quartile 18.4 21.1 17.9 17.3 17.1 17.4 A young child slides down a slide in Miami, Florida. PHOTO COURTESY OF MIAMI-DADE PARKS AND RECREATION
2023 NRPA Agency Performance Review | 9 FIGURE 3: OUTDOOR PARK AND RECREATION FACILITIES – POPULATION PER FACILITY (BY PREVALENCE AND POPULATION PER FACILITY) Types of Facilities Median Number of Residents per Facility Population of Jurisdiction Percent of Agencies 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 Playgrounds 95% 3,759 2,014 3,028 3,779 5,024 10,811 Basketball courts 86 7,404 3,729 7,117 8,790 8,792 15,214 Diamond fields: baseball field – youth 79 6,863 3,114 5,033 7,237 14,564 26,826 Tennis courts (outdoor) 76 5,860 2,805 5,815 5,577 7,797 12,033 Rectangular fields: multipurpose 69 9,177 3,859 7,674 13,244 14,471 23,771 Dog parks 68 43,532 11,100 28,000 54,119 78,526 131,943 Diamond fields: softball field – adult 63 15,345 5,800 11,802 17,078 26,508 39,652 Diamond fields: softball field – youth 62 11,384 5,079 9,060 12,716 26,313 44,265 Diamond fields: baseball field – youth 55 20,228 7,627 19,556 27,566 45,257 54,004 Community gardens 52 31,395 8,178 26,741 52,906 56,297 114,666 Swimming pools (outdoor) 51 38,635 9,745 25,191 43,100 67,267 108,245 Rectangular fields: soccer field – youth 50 7,228 3,600 4,947 7,207 12,875 47,204 Multiuse courts – basketball, volleyball 49 17,475 5,093 14,800 22,960 40,667 62,018 Totlots 48 11,649 5,816 11,195 11,641 17,703 37,441 Rectangular fields: soccer field – adult 42 13,692 6,955 10,775 17,741 18,215 42,136 Skate parks 41 53,144 10,726 32,000 62,927 110,000 235,209 Rectangular fields: football field 35 26,780 8,637 18,785 29,374 50,837 73,556 Pickleball (outdoor) 31 13,922 3,252 9,257 11,150 29,836 46,801 Regulation 18-hole courses 29 94,109 9,587 32,990 69,374 114,842 239,241 Multiuse courts – tennis, pickleball (outdoor) 27 15,948 4,868 9,667 16,556 36,876 45,455 Multipurpose synthetic field 25 36,884 9,518 25,330 34,814 57,011 144,306 Ice rinks (outdoor) 18 17,741 8,045 13,247 33,214 108,000 543,242 Rectangular fields: cricket field 14 139,248 ISD 34,706 62,943 118,709 362,153 Rectangular fields: lacrosse field 11 26,411 9,786 16,584 49,348 56,000 126,912 Overlay fields 9 14,763 8,707 9,468 16,398 25,452 27,737 Rectangular fields: field hockey field 4 20,909 18,000 17,292 44,292 53,895 ISD *ISD = Insufficient Data
10 | 2023 National Recreation and Park Association In addition, 84 percent of park and recreation agencies have trails, greenways and/or blueways as part of their outdoor infrastructure. The typical park and recreation agency that manages or maintains trails for walking, hiking, running and/or biking has 15 miles of trails in its network. Agencies serving jurisdictions of more than 250,000 residents have a median of 89 miles of trails under their purview. Geography also plays a role in the number of trail miles managed by park and recreation agencies. Agencies in a city locale have a median of 16 miles of trails, while county-based agencies typically have approximately 36 miles of trails. The typical park and recreation agency operates seven buildings. Agencies serving populations of less than 20,000 often operate three buildings, while those serving populations between 100,000 and 250,000 oversee 13 buildings. Agencies serving a population of more than 250,000 typically have 43 buildings under their purview. Park and recreation agencies also offer many indoor facilities to their residents. Three in five have recreation centers and community centers. Also commonly offered are senior centers, performance amphitheaters and nature centers. The typical agency that offers recreation centers has one facility for every 31,215 residents, while those agencies with community centers have one such facility for every 29,494 residents. A little more than two in five agencies offer senior centers, with one such facility for every 59,727 residents in their jurisdictions. FIGURE 4: MILES OF TRAIL (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 15 4 8 19 31 89 Lower Quartile 5 2 5 8 16 36 Upper Quartile 44 10 20 33 58 176 All Agencies Less Than 20,000 20,000 to 49,999 50,000 to 99,999 100,000 to 250,000 More Than 250,000 100 80 60 40 20 0 MILES OF TRAILS A participant receives an award upon completion of a race in North Port, Florida. PHOTO COURTESY OF CITY OF NORTH PORT PARKS AND RECREATION
2023 NRPA Agency Performance Review | 11 FIGURE 5: INDOOR PARK AND RECREATION FACILITIES — POPULATION PER FACILITY (BY PREVALENCE AND POPULATION PER FACILITY) Types of Facilities Median Number of Residents per Facility Population of Jurisdiction Percent of Agencies 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 Recreation centers (including gyms) 63% 31,215 9,745 24,380 38,018 54,125 65,909 Community centers 59 29,494 8,829 26,696 53,331 54,354 109,710 Senior centers 41 59,727 14,000 31,199 67,139 123,882 294,394 Performance amphitheaters 37 67,862 11,100 30,283 60,495 121,000 298,416 Nature centers 33 120,000 10,633 32,000 71,360 129,859 358,431 Aquatics centers 28 53,950 11,650 31,645 60,116 108,843 273,914 Stadiums 20 79,866 9,250 31,000 64,150 156,798 432,000 Teen centers 13 55,494 14,593 31,645 58,174 127,301 426,501 Indoor ice rinks 12 53,224 8,000 24,838 53,224 102,132 395,699 Arenas 8 79,828 5,531 24,626 68,208 104,774 578,231 Teammates pose after a basketball game in Henderson, Nevada. PHOTO COURTESY OF CITY OF HENDERSON PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT
12 | 2023 National Recreation and Park Association PROGRAMMING The 275 million people who visited a local park or recreation facility last year were able to select from a wide variety of offerings that met their needs and desires. Each of those people represents a touchpoint or “contact” for parks and recreation. “Contacts” include many different types of interactions with a park and recreation agency, such as visits to a local park, running or biking on a local trail, visits to a local recreation center or other interactions with any park and recreation facility operated by an agency. Moreover, a person can have more than one contact with parks and recreation. Someone who swims at their local agency’s aquatics center 10 times a year and bikes along a local trail five times a year would have 15 contacts. The typical park and recreation agency registers approximately 341,000 contacts every year. The number of contacts varies dramatically from agency to agency. For example, the typical agency at the 75th percentile has more than 1.3 million annual contacts. Engagement between large park and recreation agencies and visitors is even more frequent — the typical agency serving a population of more than 250,000 has nearly 1.9 million contacts per year, with those at the 75th percentile serving more than 4.1 million people annually. Programming is a crucial driver of engagement with parks and recreation. The typical park and recreation agency generates more than 20,000 contacts through its programs alone. Those agencies serving more than 250,000 residents may have more than two-anda-half times the number of contacts compared with agencies overall. Registration fees for special programming are the largest source of non-tax revenue for most agencies. The typical agency offers 200 programs each year; 141 of those programs are fee-based events. Agencies serving a population of less than 20,000 typically hold 30 fee-based programs per year, while those serving more than 250,000 residents offer 400 fee-based programs annually. Programming provided by agencies spans a variety of park and recreation activities — many of which touch on one or more of NRPA’s Three Pillars: Health and Wellness, Equity, and Conservation. Key programming activities offered by at least seven in 10 park and recreation agencies include: • Themed special events (offered by 89 percent of agencies) • Social recreation events (88 percent) • Team sports (86 percent) • Fitness enhancement classes (81 percent) • Health and wellness education (80 percent) • Individual sports (77 percent) • Safety training (71 percent) • Racquet sports (71 percent) • Aquatics (69 percent) A group of children play at a community center in Lexington, Massachusetts. PHOTO COURTESY OF LEXINGTON RECREATION AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
2023 NRPA Agency Performance Review | 13 The “prime directive” for all park and recreation agencies is to serve the public. Delivering high-quality services to all community members is a key commitment of park and recreation professionals. That promise includes those professionals being leaders in providing services and programming for children, older adults and people with disabilities. Eighty-two percent of park and recreation agencies offer summer camp programs for their communities’ children. A majority also delivers programs for teens and after-school care as parts of their out-of-school time (OST) offerings. Fewer agencies include preschool, before-school care or all-day childcare as a part of their program offerings. In addition, most park and recreation agencies offer specific programming for other segments of their communities including older adults (77 percent), teens (65 percent) and people with disabilities (63 percent). Agencies in larger communities are most likely to offer these types of programming. For example, 78 percent of park and recreation agencies in jurisdictions serving 100,000 to 250,000 residents offer programming designed for people with disabilities. In comparison, 34 percent of agencies that serve populations of less than 20,000 residents offer such programs. More than half of park and recreation agencies provide science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)-specific programs to community members. FIGURE 7: TARGETED PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN, OLDER ADULTS AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES (PERCENT OF AGENCIES BY JURISDICTION POPULATION) Percent of Agencies Less Than 20,000 20,000 to 49,999 50,000 to 99,999 100,000 to 250,000 More Than 250,000 Summer camp 82% 60% 86% 93% 86% 90% Specific senior programs 77 61 77 87 84 77 Specific teen programs 65 43 61 77 77 78 Programs for people with disabilities 63 34 55 80 78 81 Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs 58 42 49 68 64 71 After-school programs 53 45 47 53 57 69 Preschool 33 24 32 44 34 33 Before-school programs 19 16 19 21 17 18 Full daycare 7 5 6 11 4 12 FIGURE 6: PROGRAMMING OFFERED BY PARK AND RECREATION AGENCIES (PERCENT OF AGENCIES) 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Themed special events Social recreation events Team sports Fitness enhancement classes Health and wellness education Individual sports Safety training Racquet sports Aquatics Natural and cultural history activities Performing arts Cultural crafts Trips and tours Visual arts Martial arts Running/cycling races Golf Esports/Egaming 89% 88% 86% 81% 80% 77% 71% 71% 69% 63% 62% 62% 61% 61% 57% 52% 48% 23%
14 | 2023 National Recreation and Park Association RESPONSIBILITIES OF PARK AND RECREATION AGENCIES At its core, parks and recreation is responsible for just that: parks and recreation. But park and recreation professionals oversee myriad services and facilities in their communities beyond their “traditional” roles of operating parks and related facilities (98 percent) and providing recreation programming and services (94 percent). In addition to those two core functions, the top responsibilities for park and recreation professionals are to: • Operate and maintain indoor facilities (91 percent of agencies) • Have budgetary responsibility for their administrative staff (88 percent) • Operate, maintain or manage trails, greenways and/or blueways (84 percent) • Conduct major jurisdiction-wide special events (80 percent) • Operate, maintain or manage special-purpose parks and open spaces (75 percent) • Operate, maintain or contract racquet sport activities/courts/facilities (69 percent) • Operate and maintain non-park sites (68 percent) • Operate, maintain or contract outdoor swim facilities/water parks (66 percent) • Administer or manage tournament/event-quality outdoor sports complexes (57 percent) • Administer community gardens (47 percent) FIGURE 8: KEY RESPONSIBILITIES OF PARK AND RECREATION AGENCIES (PERCENT OF AGENCIES) 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Operate and maintain park sites Provide recreation programming and services Operate and maintain indoor facilities Have budgetary responsibility for its administrative staff Operate, maintain or manage trails, greenways and/or blueways Conduct jurisdiction-wide special events Operate, maintain or manage special purpose parks and open spaces Include in its operating budget the funding for planning and development functions Operate, maintain or contract racquet sport activities/courts/facilities Operate and maintain non-park sites Operate, maintain or contract outdoor swim facilities/water parks Administer or manage tournament/event quality outdoor sports complexes Administer community gardens 98% 94% 91% 88% 84% 80% 75% 73% 69% 68% 66% 57% 47%
2023 NRPA Agency Performance Review | 15 FIGURE 9: OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES OF PARK AND RECREATION AGENCIES (PERCENT OF AGENCIES) Operate, maintain or contract tourism attractions 38% Manage large performance outdoor amphitheaters 37 Operate, maintain or contract golf courses 35 Operate, maintain or contract indoor swim facilities/water parks 31 Maintain or manage beaches (inclusive of all waterbody types) 25 Administer or manage farmers markets 22 Maintain, manage or lease indoor performing arts center 20 Administer or manage tournament/event quality indoor sports complexes 20 Operate, maintain or contract campgrounds 19 Operate, maintain or contract marinas 12 Administer or manage professional or college-type stadium/arena/racetrack 10 Manage or maintain fairgrounds 6 Children participate in a sack race across a field in Natchez, Mississippi. PHOTO COURTESY OF NATCHEZ PARKS AND RECREATION
16 | 2023 National Recreation and Park Association STAFFING Because park and recreation agencies differ by size and jurisdiction served, so too do staffing levels. Staffing at the typical park and recreation agency includes 51.5 full-time equivalent employees (FTEs) with a mix of both full-time and part-time staff. Staff size, however, expands rapidly as the size of the population served by an agency increases. Park and recreation agencies serving jurisdictions of less than 20,000 residents have a median of 11.3 FTEs on staff. Agencies serving areas with 50,000 to 99,999 people have a median of 75.8 FTEs, while those in jurisdictions of more than 250,000 residents have a median of 264.1 FTEs on staff. The median number of FTEs on staff also positively correlates with: • Number of acres maintained: 250 or fewer acres — 20.4 FTEs; more than 3,500 acres — 263.0 FTEs • Number of parks maintained: Less than 10 parks — 13.8 FTEs; 50 or more parks — 218.2 FTEs • Operating expenditures: Less than $500,000 — 4.1 FTEs; more than $10 million — 184.5 FTEs • Population served by the agency: Less than 500 people per square mile — 22.3 FTEs; more than 2,500 people per square mile — 95.8 FTEs One way to view agency staffing is to measure it relative to the population that an agency serves. The typical park and recreation agency has 8.9 FTEs on staff for every 10,000 residents in the jurisdiction served by that agency. Agencies in more populated areas tend to have fewer FTEs on staff per population. Agencies serving jurisdictions of less than 20,000 people have 11.5 FTEs for every 10,000 residents; this measure decreases to 4.9 FTEs for 10,000 residents in areas with more than 250,000 people. Agencies that serve areas with greater population density tend to have more FTEs per number of residents. Those operating in jurisdictions of less than 500 people per square mile have 5.8 FTEs per 10,000 people served compared to 10.2 FTEs per 10,000 residents in areas with more than 2,500 people per square mile. FIGURE 10: PARK AND RECREATION AGENCY STAFFING: FULL-TIME EQUIVALENTS (FTEs) (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 250,000 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 NUMBER OF FTE STAFF 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 51.5 11.3 32.3 75.8 121.5 264.1 Lower Quartile 17.3 6.0 17.0 46.0 72.8 103.9 Upper Quartile 134.7 22.0 67.8 127.5 198.3 533.0 A summer camper shows off her mermaid art in Kettering, Ohio. PHOTO COURTESY OF CITY OF KETTERING PARKS, RECREATION AND CULTURAL ARTS DEPARTMENT
2023 NRPA Agency Performance Review | 17 Operations and maintenance are the primary work responsibility of park and recreation professionals. But staff also devote their energies to other areas. On average, an agency’s full-time staff dedicate their time to the following general activities: • Operations/Maintenance (46 percent of staff time) • Programming (30 percent) • Administration (17 percent) • Capital development (3 percent) • Other (4 percent) Thirty-nine percent of park and recreation agency professionals are covered by collective bargaining agreements. Those professionals covered by such agreements are more likely to work at agencies that: • Have a larger staff: 24 percent of agencies with a staff of fewer than 10 FTEs compared to 55 percent of agencies with 100 or more FTEs • Serve larger populations: 23 percent of agencies in jurisdictions of less than 20,000 people compared to 61 percent of agencies in jurisdictions of more than 250,000 people • Have more parks: 19 percent of agencies with less than 10 parks compared to 61 percent of agencies with at least 50 parks • Maintain more parkland: 28 percent of agencies that maintain 250 acres or less of parkland compared to 62 percent of agencies that maintain more than 3,500 acres of parkland FIGURE 11: PARK AND RECREATION FULL-TIME EQUIVALENTS (FTEs) PER 10,000 RESIDENTS (BY JURISDICTION POPULATION) 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 FTE STAFF PER 10,000 RESIDENTS 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 8.9 11.5 10.7 11.1 8.0 4.9 Lower Quartile 4.8 6.5 5.6 6.6 4.8 1.9 Upper Quartile 15.5 20.1 19.7 18.1 12.3 8.0 Operations/Maintenance Programmers Administration Other Capital development 17% 46% 30% 3% 4% FIGURE 12: RESPONSIBILITIES OF PARK AND RECREATION STAFF (AVERAGE PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION OF AGENCY FULL-TIME EQUIVALENTS (FTEs)) Operations/Maintenance 46% Programmers 30 Administration 17 Other 4 Capital development 3 A runner crosses the finish line at a race in City of North Port, Florida. PHOTO COURTESY OF CITY OF NORTH PORT PARKS AND RECREATION
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
2023 NRPA Agency Performance Review | 19 At the same time, per capita operations spending is inversely related to the population of the area served. Agencies serving less than 20,000 people have a median operating expenditure of $120.79 per resident. That figure declines to $54.62 per resident for agencies serving jurisdictions of more than 250,000 people, declining further to $41.67 in jurisdictions of more than 500,000 residents. One can normalize operating expenditures by the amount of parkland managed by an agency. The median operating expenditure is $7,388 per acre of park and non-park sites managed by the typical agency. (Note: Non-park sites are public spaces — such as lawns at a city hall — not designated as parks, but whose maintenance and/or operation costs are part of the park and recreation agency’s budget.) The typical operating expenditure per acre of parkland increases with population density. The typical agency serving a jurisdiction of fewer than 500 people per square mile spends $4,359 per acre of park and non-park sites. The median rises to $13,048 per acre at agencies serving a jurisdiction with a population density greater than 2,500 residents per square mile. Park and recreation agencies serving larger populations tend to have lower operating expenditures than do agencies serving small- and medium-sized jurisdictions. The typical park and recreation agency serving a jurisdiction of less than 20,000 people spends a median of $7,495 per acre of park and non-park sites. The median increases to $8,106 per acre for agencies serving jurisdictions with populations between 20,000 and 49,999, but then declines to $3,970 per acre managed by agencies serving more than 250,000 people. The typical park and recreation agency has $105,484 in annual operating expenditures for each employee (as measured by full-time equivalent (FTE) employees). The denser the population an agency serves, the higher the operating expenditures for each FTE. Agencies serving less than 500 residents per square mile have median operating expenditures of $97,861 for each FTE. The median rises to $113,888 per FTE for agencies serving areas with more than 2,500 residents per square mile. As is the case for most nonprofit/government entities, personnel services account for the largest share of the operations budget at the typical park and recreation agency. $10,000 $8,000 $6,000 $4,000 $2,000 0 OPERATING EXPENDITURES PER ACRE OF PARK AND NON-PARK SITES FIGURE 15: OPERATING EXPENDITURES PER ACRE OF PARK AND NON-PARK SITES (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 $7,388 $7,495 $8,106 $9,108 $7,323 $3,970 Lower Quartile $3,521 $3,692 $4,250 $5,434 $3,082 $1,601 Upper Quartile $17,668 $23,506 $20,047 $20,564 $14,045 $10,629 $120 $100 $80 $60 $40 $20 $0 OPERATING EXPENDITURES PER CAPITA FIGURE 14: OPERATING EXPENDITURES PER CAPITA (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 $94.77 $120.79 $103.95 $120.70 $75.88 $54.62 Lower Quartile $53.23 $69.65 $64.04 $73.64 $47.07 $22.04 Upper Quartile $173.05 $229.61 $197.61 $197.47 $155.62 $93.16
20 | 2023 National Recreation and Park Association • Personnel services (55 percent of the operating budget) include salaries, wages and benefits for full-time and non-full-time personnel and contracted individuals. • Operating expenditures (38 percent of the operating budget) fund agency operations. • Capital funds repay the operating budget, all enterprise funds, interdepartmental transfers and, in some cases, the capital debt service. This is five percent of the operating budget. A portion of the operations spending includes capital expenses that are not part of an agency’s capital improvement plan, such as expenditures for capital equipment (e.g., computers, vehicles, large-area mowers, tractors, boats), some periodic cyclical maintenance (e.g., carpets, conference chairs, push mowers) and perhaps debt services paid from the agency’s operating funds. The typical park and recreation agency dedicates 46 percent of its annual operating budget to managing and maintaining parks and open spaces. Agencies spend a median 41 percent of their annual operating expenditures to support recreation offerings, including programming (e.g., out-of-school time activities, sports leagues, health and wellness programs) and the facilities for such activities. Personnel services Operating expenses Capital expense not in Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Other 55% 38% 2% 5% FIGURE 17: DISTRIBUTION OF OPERATING EXPENDITURES (AVERAGE PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION OF OPERATING EXPENDITURES) Personnel services 55% Operating expenses 38% Capital expense not in CIP 5% Other 2% Parks Recreation Other 46% 41% 13% FIGURE 18: OPERATING EXPENDITURES DEDICATED TO PARKS OR RECREATION (AVERAGE PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION OF OPERATING EXPENDITURES) Parks 46% Recreation 41% Other 13% 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 $105,484 $102,135 $99,944 $108,035 $110,707 $111,770 Lower Quartile $78,258 $73,560 $76,360 $81,301 $76,332 $83,477 Upper Quartile $144,945 $152,404 $140,221 $140,257 $145,048 $150,000 FIGURE 16: OPERATING EXPENDITURES PER FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT STAFF (FTE) (BY JURISDICTION POPULATION) $120,000 $100,000 $80,000 $60,000 $40,000 $20,000 0 OPERATING EXPENDITURES PER FULLTIME EQUIVALENT STAFF (FTE)
2023 NRPA Agency Performance Review | 21 AGENCY FUNDING Funding sources for park and recreation operations vary greatly by agency; however, support from the local jurisdiction’s general fund tax base is common. On average, park and recreation agencies derive slightly more than three-fifths of their operating expenditures from general fund tax support. However, the percentage of funding from general fund tax support tends to be lower for those agencies with larger operating budgets. The second-largest source of funding for most agencies is earned/generated revenue, accounting for an average of 22 percent of operating expenditures. In addition, many agencies have access to special, dedicated taxes that cover a part of their budgets, while others obtain much of their funding from tax levies dedicated to park and recreation purposes approved by citizen referenda. But as mentioned previously, many agencies generate funding from non-tax revenue (such as fees for special programming). The typical park and recreation agency generates nearly $1.3 million in non-tax revenues annually, although this amount can vary significantly based on agency size, the services and facilities offered by an agency and the mandate from agency leadership and policymakers. Agencies with annual operating budgets of less than $500,000 typically generate nearly $44,000 in non-tax revenues. In comparison, those with annual budgets greater than $10 million generate a median of slightly more than $5.9 million from nontax revenue sources. FIGURE 19: SOURCES OF OPERATING EXPENDITURES (AVERAGE PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION OF OPERATING EXPENDITURES) General fund tax support Earned/Generated revenue Dedicated levies Other dedicated taxes Other Grants Sponsorships 61% 22% 8% 3% 2% 3% 1% General fund tax support 61% Earned/Generated revenue 22 Dedicated levies 8 Other dedicated taxes 3 Other 3 Grants 2 Sponsorships 1 Youth who use wheelchairs participate in inclusive programming in Hopewell, Virginia. PHOTO COURTESY OF HOPEWELL RECREATION AND PARKS
22 | 2023 National Recreation and Park Association The typical park and recreation agency generates $21.71 in revenue annually per each resident in the jurisdiction it serves. Agencies operating in less densely populated areas generate less revenue than do those with a greater population density. The typical agency — serving a jurisdiction of fewer than 500 people per square mile — realizes $12.93 in revenue on a per capita basis per year compared to a median of $27.71 for agencies serving a jurisdiction of greater than 2,500 people per square mile. Small- and medium-sized park and recreation agencies generate more revenue per capita compared to large-sized ones. Agencies serving jurisdictions of less than 20,000 people generate $31.31 in per capita revenue per resident — nearly matching that generated by agencies serving jurisdictions with populations between 50,000 and 99,999, with a median of $32.91 in revenue per resident each year. In comparison, agencies serving populations of more than 250,000 generate $7.39 per capita in revenue, with the amount declining to $6.66 in jurisdictions with populations of more than 500,000 residents, matching the lower quartile amount for agencies overall. Another way to look at revenue generation is by examining cost recovery as a percentage of operating expenditures. The typical agency recovers 24.6 percent of its operating expenditures from non-tax revenues. The amount of cost recovery differs significantly among agencies based on an agency’s portfolio of facilities and programming, the demographics of the populace it serves, the agency’s mission and possible revenue mandates from the agency’s governing authorities. Agencies serving less than 500 people per square mile have a median percentage cost recovery of 25 percent. Cost recovery dips slightly to 22.1 percent of operating expenditures for agencies serving jurisdictions of between 1,000 and 2,500 people per square mile. Beyond day-to-day operations, park and recreation agencies have a median of $10 million in capital expenditures budgeted for the next five years. Not surprisingly, the larger the agency, the larger its five-year capital budget. The typical park and recreation agency serving a population of less than 20,000 has a median five-year capital budget of $1.5 million. Five-year capital budgets FIGURE 20: PARK AND RECREATION REVENUES PER CAPITA (BY JURISDICTION POPULATION) $35 $30 $25 $20 $15 $10 $5 0 PARK AND RECREATION REVENUES PER CAPITA 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 $21.71 $31.31 $25.14 $32.91 $15.20 $7.39 Lower Quartile $6.66 $8.18 $9.13 $12.85 $5.14 $2.59 Upper Quartile $57.51 $83.28 $69.84 $77.41 $46.71 $21.78 FIGURE 21: REVENUES AS A PERCENTAGE OF OPERATING EXPENDITURES (COST RECOVERY) (PERCENTAGE OF OPERATING EXPENDITURES BY JURISDICTION POPULATION) 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0 REVENUES AS A PERCENTAGE OF OPERATING EXPENDITURES 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 24.6% 25.9% 25.7% 28.5% 22.0% 16.7% Lower Quartile 11.6 10.9 12.0 14.7 11.5 7.4 Upper Quartile 44.5 50.9 48.1 51.9 38.4 31.4
2023 NRPA Agency Performance Review | 23 increase greatly as the population served increases — to more than $16.8 million at agencies serving jurisdictions of 50,000 to 99,999 residents and nearly $43 million at agencies in areas with more than 250,000 residents. In addition, factors that are positively related to the size of the five-year capital budget include: • The number of parks maintained: Less than 10 parks — $1.7 million; 50 or more parks — $35.1 million • Acreage of parks maintained: 250 or fewer acres — $2.6 million; more than 3,500 acres — $42 million • Operating budgets: Annual operating budgets less than $500,000 to $350,000; annual operating budgets greater than $10 million to $32.9 million • Population density: Less than 500 people per square mile — $3.3 million; more than 2,500 people per square mile — $16.3 million Park and recreation agencies designate their capital expenditures to a variety of areas. On average, agencies designate 55 percent of their capital budget for renovation and 31 percent toward new development. Agencies serving jurisdictions of 50,000 to 99,999 residents focus 36 percent of their capital budget on new development, while agencies serving jurisdictions of less than 20,000 residents designate a quarter of their capital budget on new development. Agencies serving jurisdictions of less than 20,000 people focus 61 percent of their capital budgets on renovation. $45,000,000 $40,000,000 $35,000,000 $30,000,000 $25,000,000 $20,000,000 $15,000,000 $10,000,000 $5,000,000 $0 FIVE-YEAR CAPITAL BUDGET SPENDING 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 $10,000,000 $1,500,000 $5,000,000 $16,815,000 $18,560,000 $42,888,140 Lower Quartile $1,844,875 $500,000 $1,500,000 $6,000,000 $8,000,000 $15,000,000 Upper Quartile $30,509,975 $4,118,785 $15,000,000 $28,012,500 $43,448,361 $125,000,000 FIGURE 22: FIVE-YEAR CAPITAL BUDGET SPENDING (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 Renovation New development Acquisition Other FIGURE 23: TARGETS FOR CAPITAL EXPENDITURES (AVERAGE PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION OF CAPITAL EXPENDITURES) Renovation 55% New development 31 Acquisition 8 Other 6 55% 31% 8% 6% A young child and two adults follow a nature story walk in Howard County, Maryland. PHOTO COURTESY OF HOWARD COUNTY RECREATION AND PARKS
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