A new report highlights the significant economic impact of the region’s creative economy, generating $3.82 billion in activity and supporting thousands of local jobs.

Conducted by the UCSB Economic Forecast Project, the study examines strong growth across creative industries and their role in sustaining local employment and generating tax revenue across Santa Barbara County.

The report was presented to the County Board of Supervisors on March 3.  The full report is available at sbac.ca.gov/creative-economy.

The report was co-commissioned by the Economic Development Collaborative and Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture.

“In economic development, we see a strong connection between a region’s creative assets — its artistic talent and cross-sector innovation — and overall economic performance,” said Bruce Stenslie, president/CEO of the Economic Development Collaborative.

A major finding of the report was that the creative economy represents 5% of employment in Santa Barbara County, supporting 11,232 jobs, comparable to manufacturing (12,955) and construction (12,639).

During the presentation to the supervisors, UCSB economics professor Peter Rupert said: “The economic output in Santa Barbara County is a hefty number. My best guess is that this is a lower estimate.”

The report analyzes 12 creative industry sectors, such as digital media, architecture and interior design, entertainment, publishing and printing, and visual and performing arts providers.

Among other metrics, the report shows the creative economy has increased from $3.46 billion to $3.82 billion since 2019. It also generates approximately $1.30 billion annually in labor income and $469 million in total tax revenue.

The Santa Barbara Bowl was cited as an example of the creative economy’s tangible benefits. The organization said it has 260 paid personnel at each concert. Last year, they generated $12.3 million in annual revenue and reinvested $737,000 of those earnings into the local community through outreach programs.

“Creative work drives jobs, supports local businesses, and strengthens the fabric of our community,” said Rick Boller, CEO of the Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation. “The data makes clear that the arts are essential infrastructure, not a luxury, for Santa Barbara’s long-term economic vitality.”