Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) Revenue Benchmarks
The average recreational and vacation camps (except campgrounds) business in the United States generates $1.2M in annual revenue, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB 2021). There are 2,673 recreational and vacation camps (except campgrounds) businesses in the U.S., employing 19,025 workers with an average profit margin of 5.0%. The average employee in this industry earns $34K per year (Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW 2023).
What Does a Recreational and Vacation Camps Business Actually Do?
Overnight and day camps for kids, families, and specialty audiences — sports camps, arts camps, tech camps, faith-based camps, therapeutic camps. Seasonal business dominated by summer months.
Who buys: Parents (through kids), family retreats, corporate team-building, specialty groups.
Average Revenue
$1.2M
per year
Profit Margin
5.0%
industry average
Revenue / Employee
$166K
per year
Total Businesses
2,673
in the US
Est. Owner Income
$59K
small business avg
Labor Cost
32.0%
of revenue
Avg Employee Wage
$34K
per year (BLS)
Market Saturation
0.8
firms per 100K people
How Much Do Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) Charge?
Recreational camps charge per session (kids) or per stay (family), with premium rates for specialty programs.
| Service | Typical range |
|---|---|
Day camp (per week) | $150–650/week |
Overnight camp (per week) | $800–2,500/week |
Specialty camp (arts, tech, sports) | $1,200–4,500/week |
Family retreat week | $2,000–6,000/family/week |
Ranges based on industry rate surveys and typical published pricing. Actual quotes vary by city, business size, and job complexity.
Complete recreational and vacation camps business plan
A 12-section data-backed business plan for a recreational and vacation camps (except campgrounds) business — executive summary, market analysis, competitive landscape, revenue model, 3-year financial projections, operations, marketing, staffing, funding request. Pre-populated with real Census, IRS, and BLS data on this industry. Free to view.
Cost Structure — Where Every $100 in Revenue Goes
Approximate P&L breakdown for the recreational and vacation camps (except campgrounds) industry. Labor share and net profit are grounded in Census SUSB and IRS SOI data. Other lines are split using sector-typical ratios.
| Category | Per $100 revenue | Per typical business | What's in it |
|---|---|---|---|
Food & beverage costs | $35 | $410K | Ingredients, food, beverages, disposables — the raw cost of what's served. |
Wages & benefits | $32 | $378K | Payroll for all employees at the business (owner comp not included for small owner-operators). |
Rent & facilities | $13 | $149K | Rent or mortgage on business location plus utilities tied to the space. |
Marketing & advertising | $3 | $37K | Google/Meta ads, SEO, print, referral fees, event sponsorships. |
Other operating costs | $13 | $149K | Utilities, cleaning, licenses, credit-card processing, kitchen equipment depreciation, insurance. |
Net profit | $5 | $59K | What remains for the owner or shareholders after all business expenses. |
Directionally accurate for a typical business in the industry. Individual businesses vary widely — a franchise may run a very different cost mix from an independent, and older established businesses often have lower labor share than newer ones.
Average Revenue by Business Size
Industry Dynamics (Census BDS 2023)
New Business Rate
10%
openings/year
Closure Rate
8.81%
closings/year
Net Job Growth
+5.24%
annual
Businesses Closed
467
in 2023
Firm Count Trend
Should You Start a Recreational and Vacation Camps Business?
Startup Cost
$100K – $500K
Break-Even
61 months
5-Year Survival Rate
40.0%
Related Industries
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does a recreational and vacation camps (except campgrounds) business do?
- Overnight and day camps for kids, families, and specialty audiences — sports camps, arts camps, tech camps, faith-based camps, therapeutic camps. Seasonal business dominated by summer months. Parents (through kids), family retreats, corporate team-building, specialty groups.
- How much do recreational and vacation camps (except campgrounds) charge?
- Recreational camps charge per session (kids) or per stay (family), with premium rates for specialty programs. See the pricing table above for typical rates by service type.
- How much does the average recreational and vacation camps (except campgrounds) make per year?
- The average recreational and vacation camps (except campgrounds) business generates $1.2M in annual revenue, based on U.S. Census Bureau data (SUSB 2021). After expenses, the estimated owner profit is $59K per year at a 5.0% profit margin.
- How many recreational and vacation camps (except campgrounds) businesses are there in the US?
- There are 2,673 recreational and vacation camps (except campgrounds) businesses operating in the United States, employing a total of 19,025 workers.
- How much does it cost to start a recreational and vacation camps (except campgrounds) business?
- Startup costs for a recreational and vacation camps (except campgrounds) business typically range from $100K to $500K, with a 5-year survival rate of 40.0%.
- What is the average salary in the recreational and vacation camps (except campgrounds) industry?
- The average employee in the recreational and vacation camps (except campgrounds) industry earns $34K per year, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data (QCEW 2023).
Industry Growth & Survival
The recreational and vacation camps (except campgrounds) industry is actively growing — adding jobs at a net rate of 5.2% per year. New establishments are opening faster than existing ones close (10.0% entry vs 8.8% exit), indicating healthy demand.
Approximately 63% of recreational and vacation camps (except campgrounds) businesses survive their first 5 years. This is above the national average (~50%), making it a relatively safe industry to enter. In 2023, 467 firms in this industry closed permanently.
Employment & Wages
The average employee in the recreational and vacation camps (except campgrounds) industry earns $34,469/year. This is below the national average of ~$65K — typical for this sector. With 3,259 establishments employing 38,385 people, the typical business has about 12 employees.
Industry Trend (2000–2023)
The recreational and vacation camps (except campgrounds) industry has grown 17% since 2000 (from 5,023 to 5,859 firms).
See full historical statistics →Compare Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) revenue with other industries: