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.

The State Fair of Texas employed over 4,400 people last year. | Photo by FTWtoday

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.

The Big Texas Youth Livestock Auction has an impact far bigger than this guy's horns — *and that's saying something.* | Photo by FTWtoday

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.

So many things to see at the State Fair of Texas. | 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.