Every Household in Rochester Spends How Much on Entertainment in the Twin Cities?

Word that the Timberwolves expressed interest in possibly locating a minor league team here in the Med City has people talking again about that proposal for a new arena at Mayo Civic Center. But what caught my eye was how much a study said each household in Rochester spends on entertainment in the Twin Cities.

According to this article in the Post-Bulletin, a bigger arena at Mayo Civic Center would hopefully be home to both minor league hockey and minor basketball teams. The article says it could also host other entertainment events, like concerts, that the current Taylor Arena, because if its relatively small size, can't.  The article noted, "When Rochester can't fulfill that hunger for entertainment, studies show people leave the cit and take their money with them. Other research found every household in Rochester spends an average of $5,000 annually on entertainment in the Twin Cities."

Whoa. Each household spends $5,000 on entertainment in the Twin Cities each year?!? I don't know about you, but that figure sounds awfully high. My wife and I head north to the Cities fairly often-- probably a couple times a month-- to get together with family and friends. And while there IS a lot more to do there-- more places to eat or get a drink or see a concert or show, I don't know that we spend even close to that amount.

This month, for example, we made two trips to the cities to go out with friends, and both times we probably spent about $60 on drinks and food. That's $120. Even if you add in the cost of a tank of gas to get up there and back, that's only about $50 more. So that's $170, multiplied by 12 months, which gives you get a grand total of $2,040.

Now, that amount would no doubt be higher on months we've gone to a more expensive event, like the Luke Bryan or Billy Joel concerts we went to last year, or our annual outing to a Twins game. We've also gone to a few plays or shows, too, which would increase that average.

Overall, though, while we actually spend more than I initially thought on entertainment in the Twin Cities, it's still far less than the $5,000 figure those mysterious studies referenced in the article says each Rochester household spends in Minneapolis.

How much do you think your family spends on entertainment in the Twin Cities?