Is there a correlation between an interest and support of the arts with annual income?

Question

Is there a correlation between an interest and support of the arts with annual income?

Answer 1

Probably, especially considering that both correlate with the level of education.

Answer 2

Such a correlation (not an association) is highly probable.  Although I have not worked out the statistics myself many others have done so in the past.   Basically, as income increases so does community involvement.  Involvement in such affairs is likely the result of the purchase of real estate in a given location.  Because one is paying high property taxes (especially if one has high income) one wishes to ascertain how that money is being allocated.  Such individuals commonly desire that the money is allocated to projects that will benefit a large portion of the community and not particular projects.  Therefore, in many cases, high income people desire that tax monies are spent on the arts, e.g., museums, concerts, paintings, community projects, etc.  

High income individuals have also discovered that investing in the arts is a highly profitable enterprise.  [Please recall, several high income people purchased many Impressionistic works long before it became a popular and desirable art form.  Their initial investment of a few hundred dollars culminated into a few million dollars about 50 years later.]

High income individuals, because they have considerable disposable income (income remaining after paying for daily needs and retirement savings) gamble on various types of art work.  Some produce Broadway plays while others purchase works by graffitists.  Usually, the gamble pays off in the long run.  And, provides a living for the starving artist in the short term.

Finally, support of the arts is usually tax deductible.

Answer 3

I would guess there is, although interest in the arts and support of the arts would be very different things with respect to income, depending on what you mean by support.

I think that having a family background in appreciation of the arts is a helping factor.

I suspect the wealthy are far more likely to donate money to the arts in the sense that we tend to think of as "support for the arts".  but I think that people of all economic circumstances are likely to be supportive of the arts if you mean appreciating music, or acting, or drama or artistic efforts.