The creative sector’s economic impact in Northeast Florida is more than $2 billion dollars a year. That figure comes from a study by the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville. It shows 27,000 people are working in creative fields in the seven-county area.
From 2010 to 2013, creative-industry jobs grew 6 percent. Sound engineering showed the most growth, up 32 percent. And the profession employing the most people is photography, with more than 3,200 working in the field.
The same study measured the economic impact of 21 nonprofit organizations that received cultural grants from the city. The $2.4 million Jacksonville spent on cultural grants generated more than $70 million—or more than $29 for every dollar invested.