The July issue of RV News magazine provides a state-by-state review of the RV industry’s direct and indirect impact on state economies.
The issue looks at both U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) data, as well as RVIA’s 2022 Economic Impact of the RV Industry study. RVIA set the total industry direct and indirect impact at $140 billion with 27% of that ($38 billion) taking place in Indiana.
The Hoosier State is at the top no matter how the numbers are sorted. Working from the RVIA study and annual population counts, the RV industry has a $5,453 economic impact per Indiana resident.
The number is five times the economic impact per resident of Alaska, the second-ranked state. The Last Frontier state ranks 48th in population (743,756), but second in economic impact at $1,047 per resident.
No other state tops $1,000 per resident. Idaho is third spot at $984. Oregon ($932), Iowa ($919), South Dakota ($657), Alabama ($577), Minnesota ($514), Wisconsin ($501) and North Dakota ($491) round out the top 10.
Looking at BEA’s direct RV industry impact on each state’s outdoor recreation industry, Indiana is once again at the top. The data shows a $67 impact for every 100 residents. Montana is second at $19.40 per 100 residents, followed by Maine ($18.79), New Hampshire ($17.71) and Oregon ($16.65).
The data from both sources show RVing’s greater impact on states with smaller populations. Indiana ranks 17th in population by state, with Alaska 48th, Idaho 37th, Maine 42nd and New Hampshire 41st.
Meanwhile, California, Florida and Texas have much larger overall impacts but much smaller impacts per person. The three states are right behind Indiana in RVIA’s study. They also are the three largest states by population.
Texas ranks 27th in direct and indirect impact per person, with California 29th and Florida 34th. Their direct impact per 100 people is similar: Texas 28th, California 30th and Florida 35th.
Smaller states comprise the bottom of the lists as well.
In RVIA’s direct and indirect economic impact study, the bottom five states are Hawaii ($85 per person), Massachusetts ($139), Maryland ($149), South Carolina ($180) and Rhode Island ($181).
In BEA’s direct economic impact review, the bottom five are Hawaii ($2.59 per 100 people), Rhode Island ($2.59), Massachusetts ($2.88), New Jersey ($3.29) and Maryland ($3.50).
