Bluegrass -- U.S. Audience Up, Analyzed

Here's a quick link to the IMBA bluegrass consumer's survey for 2008, as reported by Cybergrass.

The survey reports that bluegrass listeners and consumers increased 15% from 17,280,000 in 2007 to 19,870,000 in 2008. This increase surpasses the total U.S. population growth of 1%. Overall, 63% of bluegrass listeners and consumers are over age 45, and there is 14% growth among listeners/consumers between the ages of 18 and 34.

The data deal only with the United States, apparently, but there are some fascinating bits and pieces.

Current Simmons research data also shows that:

• 56% of bluegrass fans are employed full time and 52% are happy with their standard of living.
  
  
• As compared to the average American consumer over age 18, we are more likely to eat at Cracker Barrel (89% more likely), O’Charley’s (76% more likely), and Shoney’s (116% more likely).
  
  
• 68% of bluegrass fans are happy with their life as it is, 59% consider themselves optimists, and 76% like to “just enjoy life.”
  
  
• Bluegrass listeners/consumers are 76% more likely to shop for antiques and 79% more likely to play a musical instrument than the average American consumer over age 18.
  
  
• 14,624,000 (74%) bluegrass listeners/consumers are willing to volunteer their time for a good cause.
  
  
• 1,056,000 bluegrass listeners/consumers purchased 20 or more CDs (all genres) in the past year, while 1,669,000 purchased 20 or more downloads.
  
  
• 23% of bluegrass fans bought music online last year, while 15% bought music in a record/CD/tape store.
  
  
• 6,350,000 (32%) bluegrass fans own a portable mp3/digital media player, while 2,338,000 (12%) own a satellite radio.
  
  
• 13,774,000 (69%) attended a movie in the last six months, while 15,361,000 (77%) have traveled domestically in the past year.
  
  
• Bluegrass fans are 10% less likely than the average American consumer over age 18 to have a valid passport – only 33% have one.