The Nancy Hanks Center 

1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW 

Washington, D.C. 20506-0001 

202-682-5400 

Research Division 

Director, Tom Bradshaw 

Note #82 

July 2003 

Demographic Characteristics of Arts Attendance, 2002 

By Bonnie Nichols 

As the most comprehensive national survey on arts participation, the Survey of Public 

Participation in the Arts (SPPA) reports that, in 2002, 39 percent of American adults, 

about 81 million people, attended a jazz or classical music concert, went to an opera, 

musical, play, or ballet, or visited an art museum. This note examines the demographic 

characteristics of 2002 arts attenders. 

Table 1 shows 2002 arts attendance rates by demographic group (sex, race and ethnicity, 

age, income, and education). Table 2 reports how the demographic groups are distributed 

among all arts attenders. And Table 3 compares 1992 and 2002 demographic distribution 

rates for the “benchmark” arts activities, defined as jazz, classical music, opera, musicals, 

plays, ballets, and art museums. 

Synopsis 

Similar to patterns found in past SPPAs, the 2002 survey shows that women generally 

had higher attendance rates, particularly at musicals (20 percent), arts and crafts fairs 

(39.2 percent), and ballet performances (5.1 percent). In 2002, women were almost 70 

percent of all ballet goers, and about 60 percent of adults attending musicals, plays, and 

arts and crafts fairs. Previous SPPAs showed higher percentages of men attending jazz 

concerts. But that no longer seems to be the case. In 2002, jazz attendance rates for men 

and women were virtually the same (10.7 percent and 10.8 percent, respectively). 

Non-Hispanic whites had the highest participation rates in most SPPA activities, 

including classical music (13.7 percent), musicals (20.1 percent), and plays (14.2 

percent). Non-Hispanic African Americans had the highest attendance rate at jazz 

concerts (12.7 percent), and people of other races, non-Hispanic, had the highest rate for 

visiting art museums (32.7 percent). 

1 
Like the adult population as a whole, arts attenders grew older between 1992 and 2002. 

For example, the median age of adults visiting art museums increased by 5 years to reach 

45, and the median age for those attending opera in 2002 was 48, up from 45 in 1992. 

With a median age of 49, classical music attenders were the oldest participants. Jazz 

concertgoers, whose median age increased by 6 years between 1992 and 2002, were still 

the youngest arts attenders, typically 43 in 2002. 

For many of the benchmark arts activities tracked by the SPPA, fewer 2002 participants 

were young, ages 18-34. For example, in 1992, 14.8 percent of those attending ballet 

were 18-24. By 2002, this share dropped to only 8.8 percent of all ballet goers. Over the 

same 10-year period, more attenders were between the ages of 45 and 64. In 1992, 15.2 

percent of jazz attenders were 45-54; by 2002, the fraction of jazz attenders in this age 

category grew to 24.4 percent. 

Participation rates are consistently higher for those with college and graduate school 

training. As an illustration, 22 percent of college graduates went to a classical music 

concert in 2002, a rate 5 times higher than the rate recorded for high school graduates. 

Though not as precipitous, attendance rates also rise with income. In 2002, for example, 

17 percent of the adult population went to a musical, compared to 29 percent for those 

with incomes of $75,000 or more. 

Sex 

With the exception of jazz, women had the highest arts participation rates in 2002, a 

pattern also found in past surveys. For example, 20 percent of woman attended a musical 

in 2002, vs. 14 percent of men. Women also had significantly higher attendance rates at 

arts and crafts fairs (39.2 percent vs. 27 percent of men) and ballet (5.1 percent vs. 2.5 

percent of men). In the past, higher percentages of men attended jazz concerts. But, the 

2002 SPPA reports that attendance rates for jazz were almost the same for men and 

women (10.7 percent and 10.8 percent, respectively). 

This male and female parity in jazz attendance is also shown in the distribution of jazz 

attenders shown in tables 2 and 3. In 1992, men were 53.8 percent of all jazz attenders, 

even though they were only 47.9 percent of the adult population. In 2002, however, the 

proportions of jazz attenders between men and women were virtually the same as the 

adult population as a whole. Men were 47.9 percent of the adult population and 47.7 

percent of jazz attenders; women were 52.1 percent of the adult population and 52.3 

percent of all jazz concertgoers. However, this even representation was not generally 

found in the other arts events tracked by the SPPA. For example, in 2002, women were 

68.9 percent of all ballet attenders (up from 62.9 percent in 1992), and approximately 60 

percent of adults attending musicals and plays. 

2 
Race and Ethnicity 

Overall, non-Hispanic whites had the highest arts attendance rates in 2002. Of the 

benchmark activities, non-Hispanic white attendance rates were highest for musicals 

(20.1 percent) and plays (14.2 percent). Non-Hispanic African Americans had the 

highest attendance rate for jazz (12.7 percent), and adults of other races, non-Hispanic, 

reported the highest attendance at art museums (32.7 percent). 

Though non-Hispanic whites were 72.9 percent of the adult population in 2002, 

distribution rates for this group exceeded 80 percent for most of the arts activities tracked 

by the survey, including ballet (88.3 percent), and classical music and opera 

(approximately 86 percent). Non-Hispanic African Americans were 11.5 percent of the 

population, but 13.5 percent of the estimated 22.2 million jazz concertgoers. Hispanics 

were underrepresented in all the arts activities tracked by the SPPA. However, this group 

was 9.7 percent of other-dance attenders, only 1.3 percentage points below their 11 

percent share of the population. 

Though attendance by race and ethnicity is generally disproportionate, it is important to 

note that race, in-and-of itself, is not a good predictor of arts attendance. NEA-sponsored 

research shows that other demographic variables, such as age, income, and particularly 

education, are significantly better at predicting whether people will attend an arts event.1 

Age 

Between 1992 and 2002, the SPPA shows that the median age of the adult population 

increased from 42 to 45. The median age of opera attenders also went up by 3 years, 

while the median for those attending musicals and plays grew by 2 years. Median age 

increased by 4 years for ballet, pushing it to 44; and increased by 5 years, reaching 45, 

among adults visiting art museums. At a median of 49 years, classical music 

concertgoers were the oldest of those attending the benchmark activities. And, though 

the median age of jazz concertgoers increased by 6 years, more than any other benchmark 

activity, jazz still attracted the youngest attenders, typically 43 years old in 2002. 

1

 Richard A. Peterson, Pamela C. Hull, and Roger M. Kern, Age and Arts Participation: 1982-1997 

(National Endowment for the Arts, Research Division Report #42), Chapter 4. 

3 
Median Age of Arts Attenders, 1992 and 2002

 Category Median Age 

in 1992 

Median Age 

in 2002 

Change, 1992-2002 

SPPA respondents 42 45 +3 

Jazz 37 43 +6 

Classical music 45 49 +4 

Opera 45 48 +3 

Musicals 43 45 +2 

Plays 44 46 +2 

Ballet 40 44 +4 

Art museums 40 45 +5

 Source: Survey of Public Participation in the Arts, 1992 and 2002. 

The 2002 SPPA shows a similar age pattern found in previous surveys—arts participation 

tends to gradually rise for people in their mid 30s to early 60s, then falls rapidly when 

people are well into their 60s and older. Of the 11 arts activities shown in Table 1, the 

highest participation rates are shown for people in the 45-54 and 55-64 age categories. 

For example, 15.6 percent of adults ages 55-64 attended a classical music concert in 

2002, a rate twice as high as adults ages 18-24, and more than 6 percentage points greater 

than people 75 and older. Almost 20 percent of people ages 55-64 went to a musical in 

2002, vs. the 14.8 percent rate for the 18-24 age group and the 10.1 percent for people 75 

and older. 

In terms of the age distribution of arts attenders between 1992 and 2002, the share of 

attendance by young adults ages 18-34 declined in many of the art categories listed, 

including classical music, opera, ballet, and art museums. In 1992, for example, people 

ages 18-24 were 13 percent of the adult population and 14.8 percent of ballet attenders. 

In 2002, the 18-24 age group was again 13 percent of the population, but only 8.8 percent 

of ballet attenders. 

Over the 10-year period, the fraction of the adult population ages 25-34 declined 4.9 

points. At the same time, the share of ballet attenders in this age category fell from 23.5 

percent to 16.3 percent, a drop of 7.2 points. The SPPA also shows a 7.1 percentagepoint decline in the 25-34 share of art museum attendance. People in this age group were 

25.2 percent of museum visitors in 1992 and 18.1 percent in 2002. However, this decline 

in share of all adult museum attenders put the group in line with its share of the adult 

population in 2002, which was 17.9 percent. This pattern is also shown in the 

distribution of jazz attendance. In 1992, 29 percent of jazz attenders were 25-34. In 

2002, the share declined to 18 percent, virtually the same as the age group’s fraction of 

the adult population. 

Between 1992 and 2002, the proportion of the adult population ages 45-64 increased, as 

did their arts attendance. For example, as ballet lost ground with young adults, the share 

of ballet attenders ages 45-54 increased. In 1992, 16 percent of the 8.7 million ballet 

4 
attenders were 45-54. By 2002, 25.1 percent of the 8 million ballet goers in that year 

were 45-54, a gain of 9.1 percentage points. Between 1992 and 2002, similar gains in the 

proportion of attenders 45-54 years are shown for jazz and art museum attendance. 

In 2002, adults 75 and older were 7.5 percent of the adult population (up from 6.6 percent 

in 1992). But, relative to all attenders, the proportion of people in this age category was 

below 7.5 percent in all arts categories, including jazz, where they were 2.7 percent of 

attenders, and plays, were they represented 3.3 percent of the total. Their representation 

was stronger for classical music, where they were 6.2 percent of concertgoers. 

Education 

Arts attendance rates rise significantly with education. For any activity listed in Table 1, 

attendance rates were substantially higher for those with college and graduate school 

education. For example, the 2002 opera attendance rate for college graduates was 6.4 

percent, a rate 8 times higher than the 0.8 percent attendance rate for high school 

graduates. College graduates also had classical music and ballet attendance rates about 5 

times higher than high school graduates. Attendance rates were highest for people with 

graduate school training. More than 37 percent of people with this high level of 

schooling attended musicals, and nearly 57 percent visited art museums. 

Reading literature was the most popular activity measured by the SPPA—in 2002 almost 

half of all adults read literature. College graduates and those with graduate education had 

rates of 63.1 percent and 74.3 percent, respectively. Though lower than the national 

average, reading literature was also popular among high school graduates (37.7 percent) 

and those with some high school training (23.4 percent). 

The high arts participation rates of the college educated are also reflected in the 

distribution of arts attendance. As shown in tables 2 and 3, college graduates and people 

with graduate school education were over represented at all arts activities. For example, 

in 2002, college graduates were 17.5 percent of the adult population (up from 14.1 

percent in 1992), but 35.6 percent of those attending opera and 33.2 percent of classical 

music attenders. Those with graduate school training were 8.5 percent of the population 

in 2002, but 29.2 percent of those attending opera, and 27.7 percent of ballet attenders. 

Those without college training were underrepresented at all arts activities. In 2002, for 

example, high school graduates were 31 percent of the adult population, but they were 

only 7.9 percent of opera attenders and 10.2 percent of those attending ballet. Of the 

benchmark activities, the distribution rate for high school graduates was highest for jazz 

concerts—15.3 percent of all attenders. 

Income 

Although participation rates rise as income rises, it’s not as precipitous an increase as was 

the case with education. In 2002, for example, 26.5 percent of all adults visited an art 

museum. Among those with incomes of $75,000 or more, however, the attendance rate 

5 
was 44.6 percent—more than 18 percentage points higher than the overall average. A 

similar pattern is found in attending historic parks —those in the highest income category 

of $75,000 and more had an attendance rate of 50.9 percent, which is more than 19 points 

higher than the average rate of 31.6 for all adults. 

Those with incomes below $30,000 were underrepresented at arts events. People with 

incomes of $20,000 to $29,999 were 12.1 percent of the adult population in 2002, but 

were only 5.9 percent of those that went to plays, and 6.1 percent of all opera and musical 

attenders. People earning middle incomes, $40,000 to $49,999, were 8.5 percent of the 

population in 2002, a rate reasonably close to the share of arts attenders in this income 

range. For example, those earning $40,000 to $49,999 were 8.5 percent of those 

attending plays, and 8.2 percent of adults attending jazz concerts and visiting art 

museums. High-income attenders were over represented. In 2002, people with $75,000 

or more in income were 22.2 percent of the adult population, but 40.8 percent of adults 

attending opera and 41.4 percent of ballet goers. 

Survey Background 

The 2002 SPPA was the fifth national arts participation survey sponsored by the 

Research Division of the National Endowment for the Arts. The U.S. Bureau of the 

Census conducted the 2002 SPPA as a supplement to the Current Population Survey; 

earlier SPPAs conducted in 1982 and 1992 were part of the bureau’s National Crime 

Survey. The 1997 SPPA was a stand-alone telephone survey conducted by the Westat 

Corporation, an independent survey organization. The 1997 SPPA cannot be compared 

to the 2002 SPPA or earlier surveys due to differences in sampling methodology. 

For more information about the 2002 SPPA see Research Division Note #81, “2002 

Survey of Public Participation in the Arts,” which is available on the agency’s web site at 

www.arts.gov. The complete 2002 SPPA dataset can be downloaded from the Cultural 

Policy and the Arts National Data Archive website at www.cpanda.org, or ordered from 

the U.S. Census Bureau, Customer Services Center at 301-763-INFO (4636). 

6 
Table 1. 2002 Arts Attendance Rates by Demographic Group 

Group Adult 

Population 

(in millions) Jazz 

Classical 

Music Opera Musicals Plays Ballet 

Other 

Dance 

Art 

Museum 

Historic 

Park 

Arts/ 

Crafts 

Fair 

Read 

Literature 

All Adults 

Sex

205.9 10.8% 11.6% 3.2% 17.1% 12.3% 3.9% 6.3% 26.5% 31.6% 33.4% 46.7% 

Male 98.7 10.7% 10.3% 2.8% 14.0% 10.3% 2.5% 5.0% 24.6% 30.5% 27.0% 37.6%

 Female 

Race and Ethnicity

107.2 10.8% 12.7% 3.5% 20.0% 14.2% 5.1% 7.5% 28.2% 32.5% 39.2% 55.1% 

Hispanic 22.7 6.2% 5.5% 1.8% 6.9% 6.2% 1.6% 5.6% 16.1% 17.2% 20.3% 26.5%

 Non-Hispanic White 150.1 11.4% 13.7% 3.8% 20.1% 14.2% 4.7% 6.9% 29.5% 36.0% 38.0% 51.4%

 Non-Hispanic African American 23.7 12.7% 4.5% 1.1% 10.3% 7.1% 1.5% 4.2% 14.8% 17.8% 19.7% 37.1%

 Non-Hispanic Other 

Age

9.5 7.3% 10.3% 2.5% 11.9% 10.0% 2.3% 5.1% 32.7% 30.4% 25.8% 43.7% 

18-24 26.8 10.5% 7.8% 2.0% 14.8% 11.4% 2.6% 6.2% 23.7% 28.3% 29.2% 42.8%

 25-34 36.9 10.8% 9.0% 3.0% 15.4% 10.7% 3.5% 5.9% 26.7% 33.3% 33.5% 47.7%

 35-44 44.2 13.0% 10.7% 2.8% 19.1% 13.0% 4.9% 7.0% 27.4% 35.8% 37.2% 46.6%

 45-54 39.0 13.9% 15.2% 4.0% 19.3% 15.2% 5.1% 8.0% 32.9% 38.0% 38.8% 51.6%

 55-64 25.9 8.8% 15.6% 4.2% 19.7% 13.8% 3.3% 6.0% 27.8% 31.6% 35.1% 48.9%

 65-74 17.6 7.6% 12.5% 4.0% 16.6% 13.0% 3.3% 5.4% 23.4% 24.2% 31.1% 45.3%

 75+ 

Education

15.5 3.9% 9.5% 1.8% 10.1% 5.4% 2.2% 3.0% 13.4% 12.8% 15.7% 36.7% 

Grade school 11.6 0.9% 1.5% 0.2% 1.6% 1.1% 0.4% 2.2% 4.5% 6.3% 8.4% 14.0%

 Some high school 20.1 2.7% 1.9% 0.8% 4.1% 3.7% 0.8% 1.7% 7.7% 11.4% 14.0% 23.4%

 High school graduate 63.8 5.3% 4.5% 0.8% 9.1% 5.7% 1.3% 3.4% 14.2% 20.2% 25.7% 37.7%

 Some college 56.9 12.2% 11.5% 2.8% 19.4% 12.7% 3.9% 7.3% 29.0% 36.5% 38.2% 52.9%

 College graduate 36.1 19.4% 21.9% 6.4% 30.2% 22.5% 7.2% 9.9% 46.6% 51.2% 49.3% 63.1%

 Graduate school 

Income

17.4 24.0% 34.1% 10.9% 37.6% 31.8% 12.9% 14.8% 58.6% 56.8% 51.9% 74.3% 

Under $10,000 14.4 5.1% 6.7% 1.3% 7.6% 5.3% 1.5% 2.7% 12.4% 14.1% 19.7% 32.1%

 $10,000 to $19,999 22.7 5.4% 5.2% 1.6% 8.2% 5.4% 1.9% 3.8% 14.0% 14.9% 21.4% 37.5%

 $20,000 to $29,999 25.0 6.3% 6.3% 1.6% 8.6% 6.0% 2.4% 3.8% 16.2% 20.8% 24.5% 37.5%

 $30,000 to $39,999 24.2 10.9% 10.3% 2.6% 13.6% 10.0% 2.8% 6.1% 23.3% 28.6% 33.2% 44.1%

 $40,000 to $49,999 17.6 10.3% 12.9% 2.4% 16.1% 12.2% 3.6% 5.8% 25.3% 32.7% 34.6% 47.9%

 $50,000 to $74,999 34.7 11.2% 12.4% 3.4% 21.5% 14.0% 4.3% 7.5% 30.4% 39.1% 40.3% 52.3%

 $75,000 or more 45.8 18.2% 19.9% 5.8% 29.3% 21.8% 7.2% 10.1% 44.6% 50.9% 46.5% 60.8%

 Not reported 21.5 9.1% 8.9% 3.1% 14.7% 11.5% 2.9% 5.1% 20.7% 22.3% 25.9% 39.8% 

Source: 2002 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts 

July 2003 

Research Division 

National Endowment for the Arts 
Table 2. 2002 Distribution of Arts Attenders by Demographic Group 

Group Adult

Population 

(in millions) 

Adult 

Population 

(percent) 

Jazz Classical 

Music 

Opera Musicals Plays Ballet Other 

Dance 

Art 

Museum 

Historic 

Park 

Arts/Crafts 

Fair 

Read 

Literature 

Total number of attenders 

(in millions) 

Sex

205.9 100% 22.2 23.9 6.6 35.2 25.3 8.0 13.0 54.6 65.1 68.8 96.2

 Male 98.7 47.9% 47.7% 42.7% 42.4% 39.2% 40.0% 31.1% 38.0% 44.5% 46.4% 38.8% 38.6%

 Female 

Race and Ethnicity

107.2 52.1% 52.3% 57.3% 57.6% 60.8% 60.0% 68.9% 62.0% 55.5% 53.6% 61.2% 61.4% 

Hispanic 22.7 11.0% 6.3% 5.2% 6.2% 4.4% 5.6% 4.5% 9.7% 6.7% 6.0% 6.7% 6.3%

 Non-Hispanic White 150.1 72.9% 77.0% 86.2% 86.3% 85.4% 84.1% 88.3% 79.0% 81.2% 83.1% 82.9% 80.3%

 Non-Hispanic African American 23.7 11.5% 13.5% 4.5% 3.9% 6.9% 6.6% 4.4% 7.6% 6.4% 6.5% 6.8% 9.1%

 Non-Hispanic Other 

Age

9.5 4.6% 3.1% 4.1% 3.6% 3.2% 3.7% 2.7% 3.7% 5.7% 4.4% 3.6% 4.3% 

18-24 26.8 13.0% 12.7% 8.8% 8.2% 11.3% 12.0% 8.8% 12.8% 11.6% 11.7% 11.4% 11.9%

 25-34 36.9 17.9% 18.0% 14.0% 17.0% 16.1% 15.6% 16.3% 16.7% 18.1% 18.9% 18.0% 18.3%

 35-44 44.2 21.5% 25.9% 19.9% 19.0% 24.0% 22.6% 27.3% 23.8% 22.2% 24.4% 23.9% 21.4%

 45-54 39.0 18.9% 24.4% 24.9% 24.0% 21.4% 23.4% 25.1% 24.0% 23.5% 22.8% 22.0% 20.9%

 55-64 25.9 12.6% 10.3% 17.0% 16.7% 14.5% 14.1% 10.8% 11.9% 13.2% 12.6% 13.2% 13.2%

 65-74 17.6 8.5% 6.0% 9.3% 10.8% 8.3% 9.0% 7.3% 7.3% 7.6% 6.6% 8.0% 8.3%

 75+ 

Education

15.5 7.5% 2.7% 6.2% 4.3% 4.4% 3.3% 4.3% 3.6% 3.8% 3.1% 3.5% 5.9% 

Grade school 11.6 5.6% 0.5% 0.7% 0.4% 0.5% 0.5% 0.6% 2.0% 1.0% 1.1% 1.4% 1.7%

 Some high school 20.1 9.8% 2.5% 1.6% 2.5% 2.3% 2.9% 2.0% 2.6% 2.8% 3.5% 4.1% 4.9%

 High school graduate 63.8 31.0% 15.3% 12.1% 7.9% 16.4% 14.3% 10.2% 16.6% 16.6% 19.8% 23.9% 25.0%

 Some college 56.9 27.6% 31.3% 27.5% 24.5% 31.3% 28.5% 27.4% 31.8% 30.2% 31.9% 31.6% 31.3%

 College graduate 36.1 17.5% 31.6% 33.2% 35.6% 30.9% 32.0% 32.1% 27.3% 30.8% 28.4% 25.9% 23.7%

 Graduate school 

Income

17.4 8.5% 18.9% 24.9% 29.2% 18.5% 21.8% 27.7% 19.7% 18.7% 15.2% 13.1% 13.4% 

Under $10,000 14.4 7.0% 3.3% 4.1% 2.9% 3.1% 3.0% 2.7% 3.0% 3.3% 3.1% 4.1% 4.8%

 $10,000 to $19,999 22.7 11.0% 5.5% 5.0% 5.6% 5.3% 4.8% 5.4% 6.6% 5.8% 5.2% 7.1% 8.9%

 $20,000 to $29,999 25.0 12.1% 7.1% 6.6% 6.1% 6.1% 5.9% 7.5% 7.3% 7.4% 8.0% 8.9% 9.7%

 $30,000 to $39,999 24.2 11.8% 11.9% 10.5% 9.7% 9.3% 9.5% 8.5% 11.3% 10.3% 10.7% 11.7% 11.1%

 $40,000 to $49,999 17.6 8.5% 8.2% 9.5% 6.5% 8.0% 8.5% 7.9% 7.8% 8.2% 8.9% 8.9% 8.8%

 $50,000 to $74,999 34.7 16.9% 17.5% 18.1% 18.1% 21.2% 19.1% 18.7% 20.0% 19.3% 20.9% 20.3% 18.9%

 $75,000 or more 45.8 22.2% 37.6% 38.3% 40.8% 38.0% 39.4% 41.4% 35.5% 37.5% 35.9% 31.0% 29.0%

 Not reported 21.5 10.4% 8.8% 8.0% 10.2% 9.0% 9.7% 7.8% 8.4% 8.2% 7.4% 8.1% 8.9% 

Source: 2002 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts 

July 2003 

Research Division 

National Endowment for the Arts 
Table 3. Comparison of 1992 and 2002 Distribution of Arts Attenders by Demographic Group 

Group Adult Population

 (in millions)

1992 2002 

Jazz

1992 2002 

Classical

 Music

1992 2002 

Opera

1992 2002 

Musicals

1992 2002 

Plays

1992 2002 

Ballet

1992 2002 

Art 

Museums 

1992 2002 

Adult population and total number 

of attenders (in millions) 

185.8 205.9 19.7 22.2 23.2 23.9 6.1 6.6 32.3 35.2 25.1 25.3 8.7 8.0 49.6 54.6

Distribution Rates: 

Sex

 Male 47.9% 47.9% 53.8% 47.7% 44.1% 42.7% 46.4% 42.4% 41.5% 39.2% 43.6% 40.0% 37.1% 31.1% 47.5% 44.5%

 Female 

Age

52.1% 52.1% 46.2% 52.3% 55.9% 57.3% 53.6% 57.6% 58.5% 60.8% 56.4% 60.0% 62.9% 68.9% 52.5% 55.5% 

18-24 13.0% 13.0% 13.8% 12.7% 10.7% 8.8% 10.7% 8.2% 11.6% 11.3% 12.7% 12.0% 14.8% 8.8% 14.0% 11.6%

 25-34 22.8% 17.9% 29.0% 18.0% 18.5% 14.0% 18.9% 17.0% 21.0% 16.1% 20.6% 15.6% 23.5% 16.3% 25.2% 18.1%

 35-44 21.4% 21.5% 25.6% 25.9% 21.3% 19.9% 21.7% 19.0% 22.8% 24.0% 22.1% 22.6% 22.5% 27.3% 23.9% 22.2%

 45-54 14.9% 18.9% 15.2% 24.4% 20.1% 24.9% 19.2% 24.0% 19.2% 21.4% 19.0% 23.4% 16.0% 25.1% 16.4% 23.5%

 55-64 11.4% 12.6% 8.9% 10.3% 14.0% 17.0% 14.0% 16.7% 12.6% 14.5% 12.6% 14.1% 11.8% 10.8% 10.6% 13.2%

 65-74 9.8% 8.5% 6.0% 6.0% 11.0% 9.3% 12.1% 10.8% 9.5% 8.3% 9.7% 9.0% 8.7% 7.3% 7.5% 7.6%

 75+ 

Education

6.6% 7.5% 1.4% 2.7% 4.5% 6.2% 3.4% 4.3% 3.3% 4.4% 3.3% 3.3% 2.7% 4.3% 2.6% 3.8% 

Grade school 7.7% 5.6% 0.5% 0.5% 1.1% 0.7% 1.4% 0.4% 1.3% 0.5% 1.0% 0.5% 1.0% 0.6% 1.1% 1.0%

 Some high school 10.0% 9.8% 2.2% 2.5% 2.3% 1.6% 2.5% 2.5% 2.9% 2.3% 2.7% 2.9% 3.0% 2.0% 2.7% 2.8%

 High school graduate 37.4% 31.0% 19.7% 15.3% 19.4% 12.1% 16.1% 7.9% 25.4% 16.4% 21.6% 14.3% 16.9% 10.2% 22.9% 16.6%

 Some college 21.1% 27.6% 28.2% 31.3% 23.6% 27.5% 21.4% 24.5% 25.8% 31.3% 24.9% 28.5% 27.2% 27.4% 27.2% 30.2%

 College graduate 14.1% 17.5% 26.9% 31.6% 25.8% 33.2% 23.9% 35.6% 23.9% 30.9% 24.2% 32.0% 27.3% 32.1% 24.5% 30.8%

 Graduate school 9.7% 8.5% 22.5% 18.9% 27.7% 24.9% 34.8% 29.2% 20.7% 18.5% 25.6% 21.8% 24.5% 27.7% 21.6% 18.7% 

Sources: Survey of Public Participation in the Arts, 1992 and 2002. 

July 2003 

Research Division 

National Endowment for the Arts