BRC Census Population Analysis, 2013-2018

Sociodemographic Characteristics

BRC Population, Past Burning Man Experience, Age, Ethnicity, Education, Income, and Creative Self-Identities

BRC Population

From https://burningman.org/timeline/

Past Burning Man Experience

Percent Virgins

2013: 38.6%  2014: 35.1%  2015: 35.8%  2016: 39.3%  2017: 36.2%  2018: 31.7%

Number of Burns Attended

Error bars indicate the upper and lower bounds of the 95% confidence intervals.

2013   2014   2015   2016   2017   2018
Percent MoE +/- %   Percent MoE +/- %   Percent MoE +/- %   Percent MoE +/- %   Percent MoE +/- %   Percent MoE +/- %
Virgin 38.6 1.0   35.1 1.0   35.8 1.0   39.3 1.4   36.2 1.2   31.7 1.2
1 18.4 0.8   14.0 0.6   20.9 1.0   19.1 1.0   19.1 1.0   19.4 1.0
2 10.9 0.6   13.1 0.8   12.2 0.8   11.6 0.8   10.4 0.6   11.8 0.8
3-4 14.6 0.8   13.7 0.8   11.1 0.6   13.0 0.8   14.8 0.8   14.2 0.8
5-7 8.2 0.4   12.3 0.8   10.7 0.8   8.8 0.6   10.3 0.6   10.1 0.6
8-10 5.0 0.4   6.3 0.6   4.7 0.4   4.2 0.4   4.3 0.4   6.1 0.6
11+ 4.2 0.4   5.5 0.6   4.6 0.4   4.0 0.4   4.8 0.4   6.6 0.6

Past Burning Man Experience

Years Since First Burn

Error bars indicate the upper and lower bounds of the 95% confidence intervals.

2013   2014   2015   2016   2017   2018
Percent MoE +/- %   Percent MoE +/- %   Percent MoE +/- %   Percent MoE +/- %   Percent MoE +/- %   Percent MoE +/- %
Virgin 38.6 1.0   38.1 1.0   35.8 1.0   39.3 1.4   36.2 1.2   31.7 1.2
1-2 22.4 0.8   14.2 0.8   25.8 1.0   23.8 1.2   22.1 1.0   23.1 1.0
3-4 14.1 0.6   14.6 0.8   11.5 0.6   12.8 0.8   14.7 0.8   14.1 0.8
5-7 10.5 0.6   13.9 0.8   12.0 0.8   11.2 0.8   12.3 0.6   12.0 0.8
8-11 7.6 0.6   9.8 0.8   8.1 0.6   6.8 0.6   7.6 0.6   9.3 0.6
12-15 5.0 0.4   6.7 0.6   4.1 0.4   3.2 0.4   3.5 0.4   4.8 0.4
16+ 1.8 0.2   2.7 0.4   2.9 0.4   2.9 0.4   3.6 0.4   5.0 0.4

Because many Burners attend repeatedly, but not every year, the random sampling form and online survey both ask respondents to indicate each of the year(s) they have attended Burning Man.

Age

Median Age

2013: 33  2014: 34  2015: 33  2016: 34  2017: 34  2018: 35

Age Range

Error bars indicate the upper and lower bounds of the 95% confidence intervals.

2013   2014   2015   2016   2017   2018
Percent MoE +/- %   Percent MoE +/- %   Percent MoE +/- %   Percent MoE +/- %   Percent MoE +/- %   Percent MoE +/- %
0-19 2.4 0.6   1.4 0.4   1.2 0.4   1.3 0.6   1.1 0.4   0.8 0.4
20-24 8.8 0.6   7.0 0.6   6.9 0.6   5.5 0.8   4.0 0.4   3.9 0.6
25-29 23.0 0.8   22.6 0.8   24.7 1.0   23.7 1.2   22.6 1.0   20.1 1.0
30-34 21.3 0.8   20.6 0.8   23.8 1.0   22.6 1.2   24.1 1.0   24.3 1.0
35-39 13.9 0.6   14.5 0.8   14.9 0.8   14.7 1.0   16.8 0.8   17.0 0.8
40-49 15.7 0.6   17.2 0.8   14.0 0.6   15.4 1.0   15.4 0.8   16.0 0.8
50-59 10.0 0.6   10.5 0.6   9.3 0.6   10.6 0.8   9.9 0.6   10.8 0.6
60-69 4.4 0.4   5.3 0.4   4.6 0.4   5.3 0.6   5.1 0.4   5.6 0.4
70+ 0.6 0.2   0.9 0.2   0.8 0.2   1.1 0.2   1.1 0.2   1.4 0.2

Ethnicity

Error bars indicate the upper and lower bounds of the 95% confidence intervals.

* "Middle Eastern or North African" was first added as an option in the 2017 online survey, which may have resulted in decreases in the "White/Caucasian (non-Hispanic)" and "Other or Multiple" categories in 2017-18.

2013   2014   2015   2016   2017   2018
Percent MoE +/- %   Percent MoE +/- %   Percent MoE +/- %   Percent MoE +/- %   Percent MoE +/- %   Percent MoE +/- %
White/Caucasian (non-Hispanic) 82.9 0.8   81.1 0.8   80.2 1.0   79.1 1.2   77.1 1.0   76.6 1.0
Other or Multiple 9.1 0.6   9.7 0.6   9.5 0.6   9.4 0.8   9.3 0.6   9.4 0.6
Asian 3.7 0.4   3.9 0.4   4.2 0.4   5.7 0.6   5.6 0.6   5.8 0.6
Hispanic/Latino 3.0 0.4   4.1 0.4   5.1 0.6   4.3 0.6   4.9 0.6   5.4 0.6
Middle Eastern or North African* NA NA   NA NA   NA NA   NA NA   1.6 0.4   1.2 0.2
Black 0.9 0.2   0.7 0.2   0.7 0.2   1.1 0.2   1.0 0.2   1.0 0.2
Native American 0.5 0.2   0.4 0.2   0.4 0.2   0.4 0.2   0.5 0.2   0.5 0.2

Self-Identification as a Person of Color

Error bars indicate the upper and lower bounds of the 95% confidence intervals.

2013   2014   2015   2016   2017   2018
Percent MoE +/- %   Percent MoE +/- %   Percent MoE +/- %   Percent MoE +/- %   Percent MoE +/- %   Percent MoE +/- %
No 83.6 0.8   84.3 0.8   84.7 0.8   83.7 1.0   84.7 0.8   83.4 1.0
Yes 7.3 0.6   7.7 0.6   7.8 0.6   9.1 0.8   9.5 0.6   10.5 0.8
Sometimes 9.1 0.6   8.0 0.6   7.5 0.6   7.2 0.8   5.8 0.6   6.1 0.6

Highest Education Achieved*

Error bars indicate the upper and lower bounds of the 95% confidence intervals.

* The precise wording of this question in the online survey has changed several times to include or exclude questions about specific certifications, but these changes were not expected to have (and do not appear to have had) a material effect on participant responses.

2013   2014   2015   2016   2017   2018
Percent MoE +/- %   Percent MoE +/- %   Percent MoE +/- %   Percent MoE +/- %   Percent MoE +/- %   Percent MoE +/- %
None 0.9 0.2   0.4 0.2   0.6 0.2   0.3 0.2   0.6 0.2   0.3 0.2
High School 5.5 0.6   4.5 0.4   5.2 0.6   4.7 0.6   4.9 0.6   4.6 0.6
Some College 20.1 0.8   18.5 0.8   16.8 0.8   14.5 1.0   14.9 0.8   14.8 0.8
Associate Degree 5.5 0.4   5.6 0.4   5.4 0.6   4.6 0.6   4.5 0.4   4.7 0.4
Bachelor’s Degree 42.6 1.0   42.6 1.0   44.0 1.0   43.1 1.4   43.3 1.2   42.7 1.2
Graduate Degree 24.1 0.8   27.0 0.8   27.5 1.0   31.4 1.2   30.3 1.0   31.4 1.0
Only Other 1.3 0.2   1.4 0.2   0.5 0.2   1.4 0.4   1.4 0.2   1.4 0.2

Income

Median Personal Income

2013: $51,100  2014: $53,900  2015: $54,900  2016: $60,000  2017: $60,700  2018: $64,700

Personal Income*

Error bars indicate the upper and lower bounds of the 95% confidence intervals.

* This question was asked slightly differently in 2013-14, 2015-16, and 2017-18. However, in all years the question explicitly asked for personal income before taxes in the previous calendar year so these changes were not expected to have (and do not appear to have had) a material effect on participant responses.

2013   2014   2015   2016   2017   2018
Percent MoE +/- %   Percent MoE +/- %   Percent MoE +/- %   Percent MoE +/- %   Percent MoE +/- %   Percent MoE +/- %
None 3.9 0.6   3.5 0.4   3.3 0.4   2.9 0.6   3.0 0.4   3.2 0.4
$1-7,499 5.9 0.6   5.2 0.4   5.2 0.6   4.7 0.6   3.8 0.4   3.3 0.4
$7,500-14,999 7.9 0.6   7.5 0.6   6.8 0.6   5.8 0.6   6.3 0.6   5.7 0.6
$15,000-24,999 9.7 0.6   9.6 0.6   9.4 0.6   8.5 0.8   8.4 0.6   7.9 0.6
$25,000-34,999 9.6 0.6   9.7 0.6   9.6 0.6   8.6 0.8   8.6 0.6   8.6 0.6
$35,000-49,999 12.1 0.6   11.8 0.6   12.4 0.8   12.5 1.0   12.3 0.8   11.0 0.8
$50,000-74,999 17.0 0.8   17.0 0.8   17.0 0.8   17.1 1.0   17.5 0.8   17.4 0.8
$75,000-99,999 12.6 0.6   12.2 0.6   12.5 0.8   12.3 0.8   12.9 0.8   12.6 0.8
$100,000-149,999 11.9 0.6   13.1 0.6   12.9 0.8   15.2 1.0   14.1 0.8   15.3 0.8
$150,000-299,999 7.0 0.4   7.6 0.6   8.1 0.6   8.8 0.8   9.4 0.6   10.2 0.6
$300,000+ 2.3 0.2   2.7 0.4   2.9 0.4   3.4 0.4   3.6 0.4   4.8 0.6

Income

Median Household Income

2015: $89,400  2016: $94,200  2017: $94,900  2018: $101,700

Household Income (for the Previous Calendar Year)*

Error bars indicate the upper and lower bounds of the 95% confidence intervals.

* The plot above and table below exclude a small number of participants who indicated being a member of a household, but who chose not to disclose their household income. For participants indicating no household membership, personal income and household income are considered to be identical.

2015   2016   2017   2018
Percent MoE +/- %   Percent MoE +/- %   Percent MoE +/- %   Percent MoE +/- %
None 1.4 0.2   0.9 0.4   1.3 0.2   1.0 0.2
$1-7,499 2.1 0.4   2.4 0.4   2.0 0.4   1.4 0.2
$7,500-14,999 3.7 0.4   2.7 0.4   3.3 0.4   3.2 0.4
$15,000-24,999 5.1 0.6   5.2 0.6   4.5 0.6   4.8 0.6
$25,000-34,999 6.1 0.6   5.8 0.6   5.4 0.6   5.3 0.6
$35,000-49,999 9.1 0.6   8.9 0.8   9.3 0.8   7.6 0.6
$50,000-74,999 14.5 0.8   14.5 1.0   14.0 0.8   13.4 0.8
$75,000-99,999 14.1 0.8   12.5 0.8   12.7 0.8   12.6 0.8
$100,000-149,999 18.9 0.8   19.8 1.0   19.3 1.0   20.1 1.0
$150,000-299,999 17.9 0.8   19.3 1.0   18.7 0.8   20.0 1.0
$300,000+ 7.3 0.6   8.0 0.8   9.4 0.6   10.6 0.8

Creative Self-Identities

Self-Identification as an Artist, Maker, or Craftsperson*

Error bars indicate the upper and lower bounds of the 95% confidence intervals.

* This question was modified in the 2018 online survey to alter include "Maker" and "Craftsperson" as answer options in addition to "Artist." Additional changes to the formatting for this question in the online survey make direct comparison impossible, so the plot above and table below represent 2018 data only.

2018
Percent MoE +/- %
None of These, but Creative 39.4 1.4
Artist 31.0 1.2
Maker 29.8 1.2
Craftsperson 23.6 1.2
None of the Above 13.1 1.0

Creative Self-Identities

Financial Compensation for Creating/Making Art*

Error bars indicate the upper and lower bounds of the 95% confidence intervals.

* This question has been asked intermittently in the online survey over the last few years, however changes made in 2018 make direct comparison between years impossible. The plot above and table below represent 2018 data only.

2018
Percent MoE +/- %
Never 71.3 1.2
Yes - Rarely 11.1 0.8
Yes - Sometimes 10.3 0.8
Yes - Often 2.2 0.4
Yes - Main Source of Income 5.2 0.6

Next: Sociodemographic Characteristics: Residence in the Default World, Language, Political Perspectives, Spiritual Perspectives