Drop a few hundred bucks on concert tickets? That’s just the cost of living your best life in 2024, according to new spending data that shows Americans have completely rewired their entertainment budgets over the past decade.
Fresh analysis from Ticket-Compare.com crunched federal consumer expenditure records spanning 2014 to 2024, tracking how all 50 states and D.C. allocate dollars toward live entertainment from arena shows to club gigs. The verdict? Every single state is spending more—sometimes a lot more—on getting out and experiencing entertainment in person.
Leading the pack is Virginia, where residents dropped an average of $446 per person on live entertainment in 2024. That’s nearly $200 more per capita than Virginians were spending a decade ago, marking the sharpest climb anywhere in the country. Hawaii, California, Missouri, and Massachusetts round out the top five in per capita live entertainment spending.
So what’s behind Virginia’s dominance? Think strong median incomes, easy access to major metro areas, and a steady stream of big-name tours rolling through.
Meanwhile, the states bringing up the rear tell a different story. Mississippi clocked in at just $25 per person annually on live entertainment—the nation’s lowest. Kansas, West Virginia, Louisiana, and Iowa similarly lag behind.
While Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour shattered records, hip-hop acts are commanding serious ticket prices too. Travis Scott’s Circus Maximus tour was the highest grossing tour for a solo rapper, according to Billboard, and Drake and 21 Savage’s “It’s All a Blur” tour became one of the highest-grossing rap tours ever in 2023.
Industry watchers have labeled this spending pattern “funflation”—the willingness to eat steeper costs for experiences that deliver emotional payoff and social capital.
“Younger consumers are the engine behind this shift. Millennials and Gen Z are consistently spending money on memorable experiences rather than material possessions,” said the company’s PR representative, Prism PR CEO Rick Pendrick. “Live events aren’t just nights out—they’re content goldmines for social feeds. In effect, they are not only attending, they are also performing for their followers.”
Despite hand-wringing over affordability, the numbers suggest Americans aren’t backing down. The data captures spending through pre-pandemic normalcy, COVID shutdowns, and the post-pandemic rebound—and the trajectory is consistently upward.
Key National Findings:
- Since 2014, live entertainment spending increased in all 50 states and D.C.
- California ranks No.1 for total spending at $12.7 billion
- Virginia ranks No. 1 per capita, with residents spending an average of $446, 18-times higher than the lowest spending state, Mississippi, at just $25.
- Average concert prices rose from $96 in 2019 to $128 in 2025.
For more details, visit Ticket-Compare.com to explore the full state-by-state breakdown.