Central Florida's nonprofit arts and cultural groups are a $165 million industry, a new economic-impact study shows -- one that supports 5,661 jobs and makes more than $20 million each year in taxes for local and state governments.

'We found that the arts are like chocolate,' said Terry Olson, Orange County's director of arts and cultural affairs. 'We've always known that we love them, but now we're delighted to find they are good for us, too.'

The study, to be presented this morning to the board of directors of Myregion.org, a regional-planning think tank, focused only on nonprofits and excluded for-profit companies such as TV or recording industries. The arts-advocacy group Americans for the Arts conducted the survey as part of a nationwide initiative.

Myregion.org paid most of the $15,500 cost of the survey's local segment, with the rest provided by Orange County, Orlando and Winter Park.

Margot Knight, United Arts of Central Florida's president, chaired the Myregion committee that sponsored the survey.

'Sometimes the arts are perceived as taking from the economic pool,' Knight said. 'This shows in black and white that the arts give back.'

Included in the survey were seven Central Florida counties -- Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Seminole and Volusia -- and 87 nonprofit arts and cultural organizations. Each arts group submitted detailed financial information for the 2005 fiscal year.

The chief finding is that the region's arts groups generated about $165 million in economic activity -- $77.6 million spent by the groups themselves and $87.7 million spent by audience members at arts events. The groups supported 5,661 full-time-equivalent jobs, paid $111.7 million in household income to local residents and delivered about $20.7 million in local and state government revenue.

Compared to other regions, though, Central Florida's share is small, and it reflects the relative youth of the area and its cultural community.

Local audiences also spent less attending arts events (on parking, dinner and the like) than did median audiences nationwide -- reflecting, Knight said, the service-economy jobs of many local residents. A Central Floridian spent an average of $21.94 per event, apart from the cost of admission, while the average audience member nationwide spent $27.79.

But across the country and in Central Florida, non-local audiences who traveled to an event spent more than twice as much as local ones. Arts and cultural travelers spend more than other travelers and stay longer, the study said.

Americans for the Arts has conducted similar studies every five years, though this is the first time Central Florida has participated. Nationally, the new study shows $166.2 billion in economic impact -- an increase of 24 percent since 2002. Arts groups across the country supported 5.7 million full-time jobs, or 850,000 more than five years earlier. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer pointed to the new numbers as one way to justify the support the city gives United Arts and other cultural organizations.

'It shows that, yes, there is a return,' Dyer said. 'It also helps us in the discussion of the importance of the community venues,' a reference to the proposed performing-arts center and arena and renovated Citrus Bowl.

'We have our own studies, but here's some independent verification' that the arts have an economic impact, he said.