We often overlook the immense size of Southern California’s economy.

For example, my trusty spreadsheet reviewed a recently released accounting of county-level gross domestic product for 2024. The region had six of its seven counties is among the nation’s 100 largest county economies, according to this broad measure of business output.

Contemplate Southern California’s combined GDP of $2 trillion for 2024. That’s half of the statewide $4 trillion GDP and 7% of the nation’s $29 trillion.

On a state level, Southern California’s GDP ranks between New York’s $2.3 trillion and Florida’s $1.7 trillion. Yes, the region’s economic heft is bigger than California’s arch-rival, Florida.

On a global scorecard, Southern California’s GDP is sized between Brazil and South Korea.

Then contemplate growth. Looking back to 2001, the oldest figures in this county dataset, Southern California’s GDP has grown by $1.29 trillion or 174%.

That growth, not adjusted for inflation, is slightly below the average pace of business expansion compared with the nation’s other large county economies.

Those 95 counties had a combined GDP of $13.84 trillion, up $9 trillion since 2001, or 187%.

Counting counties

So how do local counties rank among these 100 large business environments?

– Los Angeles: $1 trillion GDP in 2004 (No. 2 of the 100), roughly the size of Pennsylvania or Switzerland. Up $614 billion in 23 years (No. 2), or 158% growth (No. 60).

– Orange: $352 billion (No. 9), roughly the size of South Carolina or the Czech Republic. Up $222 billion in 23 years (No. 9)  or 171% (No. 49).

– San Diego: $332 billion (No. 10), roughly Oregon or Chile. Up $217 billion in 23 years (No. 10)  or 189% (No. 41).

– San Bernardino: $138 billion (No. 36), roughly New Mexico or Slovakia. Up $96 billion in 23 years (No. 35) or 230% (No. 24).

– Riverside: $135 billion (No. 41), roughly New Mexico or the Dominican Republic. Up $98 billion (No. 33) in 23 years or 269% (No. 10).

– Ventura: $70 billion (No. 77), roughly Alaska or Turkmenistan. Up $41 billion (No. 84) or 143% (No. 73).

And Southern Californians, don’t forget Imperial County. This modest farming hub bordering Arizona and Mexico is a $13 billion economy that’s the nation’s 353rd largest. It grew by $9 billion, or 254%, since 2001.

Nationally speaking

The biggest county economies, outside of Los Angeles, were New York ($1 trillion); Harris, Texas – that’s Houston – at $593 billion; Cook, Illinois – Chicago – at $546 billion; and King, Washington – Seattle – at $477 billion.

By the way, California had the most counties among the top 100 GDP producers with 14. North of the Southern California’s six big metros are Santa Clara ($438 billion), San Francisco ($268 billion), San Mateo ($217 billion), Alameda ($183 billion), Sacramento ($136 billion), Contra Costa ($97 billion), Fresno ($64 billion) and Kern ($63 billion).

Then came New York with eight counties in the top 100, Florida and Texas each had seven, and Maryland, Massachusetts and New Jersey had five.

And the five fastest growers among the top 100 since 2001? Three counties in Texas – Denton at 599%, Collin at 584%, and Travis at 353%, California’s San Mateo at 379% and North Carolina’s Wake at 327%.

Jonathan Lansner is the business columnist for the Southern California News Group. He can be reached at jlansner@scng.com

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