The 2024 Iowa State Fair’s attendance was the highest in the event’s 170-year history, and it logged the largest economic impact, contributing $172 million to the state’s GDP and $97 million in personal income.

According to a study released Tuesday by the economic research think tank Common Sense Institute Iowa, State Fair attendees spent a total of $78.1 million in this year’s fair, with a total attendance of 1,182,682, exceeding the record set in 2019.

The study compared the Iowa State Fair’s economic impact on Iowa with another big revenue driver that’s reportedly been impacting economies worldwide over the past 1½ years: Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.

The Iowa State Fair’s 2024 contribution to Iowa’s GDP surpassed that of Swift’s two Denver, Colo., shows in July 2023, which generated $140 million for the Centennial State’s economy, according to a CSI Colorado report released at the time.

The international pop star’s concert tour has made headlines in recent months for the economic influence it brings with it to cities and countries globally. Swift’s swing through the United Kingdom was expected to give the country’s economy a $1.2 billion boost this year, according to a story from CNBC.

Attendance levels for the Iowa State Fair have held between 1 million and 1.2 million people over the past decade, but, including overall attendance, the 11-day event set four attendance records in 2024.

Aug. 10 set the all-time single-day attendance record at 128,732, topping the previous record of 128,298 set in 2022. The 115,048 attendees on Aug. 11 set the record for first Sunday attendance, previously set in 2023. Aug. 13 broke the Tuesday attendance record with 105,384, up from 102,953 in 2019.

Common Sense Institute Iowa says the upward trend in attendance has led to the Iowa State Fair’s revenue strength over the last nine years as well as a greater contribution to state and local government coffers through taxes and fees.

“Operating revenues have almost doubled since 2015. While attendance has fluctuated within a
range of about 140,000 attendees within this timeframe, revenues have trended up. Nominal
revenue has grown by an average of 10% annually since 2015. Spending per attendee
averaged just over $30 between 2015 and 2023, or about $36 in inflation-adjusted 2024
dollars,” the report says. “Higher personal incomes, inflation, a greater willingness to spend discretionary income at the fair, or other factors could explain the persistent increase in revenue despite fluctuating attendance. Regardless, fair spending continues to trend up.”

The report used data from the Iowa state auditor’s office to show that taxes and fees paid on gross sales of food, merchandise and alcohol to the state by fair vendors rose from $6.164 million in 2021 to $8.158 million in 2024. Taxes paid to the local government have gone up from $267,000 in 2021 to $351,000 this year.

According to the report, the combined number of workers employed by the Iowa State Fair and the concessionaires and exhibitors, approximately 2,600, has been steady since 2021 while total wages have risen from $8.245 million to $10.483 million.