Facts & Research

As part of a broader focus on creativity and its role in the community, this study evaluates the relationship between culture, creativity, and economic activity in Austin, TX for the past decade. This paper provides an update to the previous assessments, and documents creative sector issues that emerged from focus groups and individual stakeholder conversations.

Key Findings

• The role of the creative sector in Austin’s economy accounted in 2010 for just over $4.35 billion in economic activity, over $71 million in City tax revenues and almost 49,000 jobs.
• Employment in the creative sector rose about twenty‐five percent over the past five years, compared to a rate of ten percent growth for the local economy as a whole.
• Six industries comprise the creative sector: Music, film and visual media, gaming and digital media, not‐for‐profit arts groups, visual arts and culture‐related tourism.
• In 2010, creative sector earnings amounted to $1 billion in labor compensation and almost 49,000 permanent jobs.

Source: TXP Inc.