It’s not news that the State Fair of Texas can get pricey pretty quickly. Between admission, rides, and snacking your way across Fair Park, the typical local visitor spends an average of $106 to attend the fair — not to mention the transportation + hotel costs for out-of-towners.
How does all of that add up, you may ask?
A new study by Michael C. Carroll and the Economic Research group at the University of North Texas analyzed the financial data from the State Fair of Texas in 2023 and compared it to numbers from 2016, to show how the 24-day festival contributes to DFW’s economy.
Keep reading for a quick breakdown of some Big Tex-sized numbers.
Show me the money
In 2023, the fair generated a whopping $680 million in total economic impact — approximately $180 million more than it did seven years prior. This includes:
- Core revenue | A combination of operations, capital spending, visitors spending, and vendor employee spending | $422.2 million in 2023 vs. $307.6 million in 2016
- Secondary activities | Sales from vendors | $196.2 million in 2023 vs. $192.3 million in 2016
- Labor | Salaries and wages for full-time and temporary employees | 4,486 jobs in 2023 vs. ~6,000 jobs in 2016
- Taxes | Federal, state, and local | $70.5 million in 2023 vs. $14.8 million in 2016
Additionally, football games held at Cotton Bowl Stadium added $62.1 million to DFW’s economy — the Red River Rivalry between the University of Texas and Oklahoma University generated ~$51 million + the State Fair Classic between Grambling State and Prairie View A&M raked in ~$11.1 million last year.
Giving back
In 2023, the fair contributed $15.8 million to educational programs, local nonprofits, scholarships, and historic preservation efforts for Fair Park and South Dallas.
It also awarded a record-breaking $2.2 million in scholarship money during the Big Tex Youth Livestock Auction — bringing the auction’s total awards to $24 million over the last 75 years.
Additionally, the fair gave out 2.1 million free tickets to students, teachers, and members of local nonprofits last year.
Look at all those folks who came from across the state.
Photo courtesy of Kevin Brown/State Fair of Texas
The out-of-town impact
Last year, 2.34 million visitors attended the fair, but only 1.84 million of them were local to North Texas. Over 260,000 traveled across the Lone Star State and 240,000 came from further afield.
The report revealed that spending from out-of-towners creates a $268.7 million impact on DFW and contributes $8.7 million in local taxes.
