Outdoorsy has recently released a report detailing cities in the U.S. with the most RV sales per capita. Data used in the report included information pulled from the most recent U.S. Census Bureau Economic Census, released in 2020, as well as the RV Industry Association. To determine the locations with the most RV spending per capita, Outdoorsy said researchers calculated annual sales at RV dealers per person. In the event of a tie, the location with the greater annual sales at RV dealers was ranked higher. To improve relevance, only metropolitan areas with at least 100,000 residents were included. Additionally, metros were grouped into cohorts based on population size: small (100,000–349,999), midsize (350,000–749,999), and large (750,000 or more).
“Unlike other segments of the travel and tourism economy, the market for recreational vehicles has been thriving in the face of COVID-19. Compared to other travel options like flying or staying in a hotel, traveling by RV makes it easier to maintain physical distance and lower the risk of exposure to coronavirus,” the report stated. “Early indications are that the appeal of RVs has continued to grow during the pandemic, and industry experts are anticipating a nearly 25 percent surge in RV shipments in 2021.”
Cities in the report spanned nationwide from Myrtle Beach, S.C. coming in at number 5 on the Midsize Metro Areas list to cities like Holland, Mich., making the top 5 in the top 15 Smaller Metro Areas list. One key finding also, was that Northwestern states have seen the most spending on RVs.
“RV shipments also demonstrate the longer-term increase in demand. Data from the RV Industry Association shows that shipments of RVs have reached all-time highs in recent years,” the report added. “From 1981 to 2020, the number of RVs shipped rose from around 133,000 to 430,000. Remarkably, much of this growth has occurred just since the last recession in 2009. That year, shipment numbers dropped to their lowest levels since 1991 at around 165,000. Between that point and 2020, shipments increased by approximately 160 percent.”
To see the full report, visit here.