May 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 14

RESEARCH
The 2021 Agency Performance Review
By Melissa May

ata is a vital tool when telling the park and recreation story.
The ability to connect community impact to the needed financial resources is key when addressing stakeholders and elected
officials. Those points are made even stronger when you can
compare your agency with its peers.
The
2021
NRPA
Agency
Performance Review (2021 APR)
(nrpa.org/APR), our annual review
of data and insights for U.S. park
and recreation agencies, allows for
just that. The report summarizes
the key findings from NRPA Park
Metrics (nrpa.org/ParkMetrics),
our benchmarking tool that assists
park and recreation professionals
in the effective management
and planning of their operating
resources and capital facilities.
The 2021 APR represents data

provided through the Park Metrics
Agency Performance Survey by
nearly 1,000 unique park and recreation agencies across the United
States. While the report paints a picture of " the typical " park and recreation agency, you can learn even
more by examining the data by population, jurisdiction type, region,
agency staffing and budgets thanks
to interactive charts and graphs.
Key findings from the 2021 APR
include:
Park Facilities
* Residents per Park - There is
typically one park for every 2,227
residents.
* Acres of Parkland per 1,000
Residents - The typical park and
recreation agency has 9.9 acres
of parkland for every 1,000 residents in the jurisdiction.
* Outdoor Park and Recreation
Facilities - An overwhelming
majority of park and recreation
agencies have playgrounds (94.4
percent) and basketball courts
(87.4 percent) in their portfolio
of assets.
* Miles of Trails - The typical
park and recreation agency man-

The infographic from the 2021 Agency
Performance Review highlights key data
and insights for U.S. park and recreation
agencies.
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Parks & Recreation

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ages or maintains 12 miles of
trails for walking, hiking, running and/or biking.
* Indoor Park and Recreation Facilities - A majority of agencies
offer community centers and recreation centers; 2 in 5 agencies
offer senior centers.
Programming
* Programming Offered by Park
and Recreation Agencies - Key
programming activities include
themed special events, social
recreation events, team sports,
fitness enhancement classes, and
health and wellness education.
* Targeted Programs for Children, Older Adults and People
With Disabilities - Eighty-three
percent of agencies offer summer camp for their communities'
younger residents.
Responsibilities of Park and
Recreation Agencies
* Key Responsibilities - Top roles
include operating and maintaining
parks and indoor facilities,
providing recreation programming
and services, and conducting
jurisdiction-wide special events.
* Other Responsibilities - Operating, maintaining or contracting
golf courses or tourism attractions
and managing large performance
outdoor amphitheaters lead the list
of other agency responsibilities.
Staffing
* Staffing - The typical park and recreation agency has a payroll of 44.3
full-time equivalent staff (FTEs).

http://www.nrpa.org/APR http://www.nrpa.org/ParkMetrics

May 2021 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of May 2021 - Parks & Recreation