Snowbirds' impact on the local economy.

obgraham wrote:
Here in Arizona, plenty of businesses depend on the snowbirds. Estimated that Canadians alone contribute 1.1 billion to the local economy annually.

Every second car is driven by a bluehair!

You forgot to say "nohairs".

"Q-tips"

John&Joey wrote:
This is written for deep south Texas, but I suspect it is true for many areas. Interesting article, at the end they also makes a case for the slow declining snowbird numbers which many members seem to be noticing and posting on. Note article is 2 years old.

CLICKY

From what I have seen over 50 years living in Az. The aveage Snow birds spends about $100 per month for every thing. They don't like to spend that much, but sleeping out in the desert and eating traped rabbit and snake. That is the cost they can get it down to.
They only go on the hwy when the winds are blown that way.

Snowbirds' impact on the local economy.

'Florida's' income is based on tourism.
Snowbirds are a 'huge' portion of that income.

So YES, Snowbirds have an impact on the local economy.
In Florida's case, an impact on the 'entire' state.

More so than in Texas, where it only affects a
very small local area of a very big state.

I question the $9640.00 average monthly spending and then add the additional "large expenditure" Seems contradictory. $9640 routine monthly and then it appears they are saying $13,400 total.

"The contribution of the 53,000 Winter Texan households to the US/Valley economy was approximately $9640 for routine monthly expenditures and $3730 on major one-time purchases. This amounts to about $13,400 per household creating a direct economic impact of $710 million."

Charlie D. wrote:
I question the $9640.00 average monthly spending and then add the additional "large expenditure" Seems contradictory. $9640 routine monthly and then it appears they are saying $13,400 total.
......snip....

I must be living in another world. Nobody that I know, and I know a lot of Winter Texans, spends $9,000/month. Probably not that much in the whole season while they are in the RGV. These folks really squealed when coffee went from a dime to a quarter in the park hall. (and that is for all day)

The article wrote:
From a high in 2009 when the Winter Texan impact was $803 million, there has been a decline to 2014’s $710 million.

Look at the time frame they are using. 2009 to 2014. . .
Didn't we have an economic event called a "recession" that impacted folks around 2008 / 2009 ?
Retirement accounts were hammered. Recovery now, but the article is, as pointed out, two years old.

Monthly expenses was a poor choice of wording.
They meant normal routine expenses, for the duration.

A big part being overlooked by everyone except OP is the decline in numbers, and the increasing age. Maybe this is unique to the Valley?

I wonder. After reading the replies to my thread about looking for a younger snowbird park, I concluded that park model parks are approaching a decline in demand. If a park is 70% full of park models, I will bet big that it will NOT sell out. IMO those days are gone and the demand will be a problem going forward. Which probably means the parks will go downhill, or transition to something else.

I will add that there are lines to get into the popular RGV restaurants in the summer months almost as long as those in January. They still welcome the Winter Texans, but there are a lot of people in the RGV all year long.