TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – If Florida were its own country, it would have one of the largest economies in the world, but here’s how Leon County is doing locally.
The Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce held its annual 2026 Economic Forum on Thursday to discuss Tallahassee’s economy.
The Florida Chamber Foundation painted a good but not great picture, as the raw GDP numbers here in Tallahassee are good, but the price of a starter home has jumped by $100,000 since 2020.
“We do pretty well in the apartment side of the house, but not so well on that single-family home. And that’s the American dream. That’s what everybody’s trying to want,” CEO of the Chamber of Commerce Michael Dalby said.
More Tallahassee news:
Eddie Gonzalez-Loumiet, the chair of the chamber board, said that the housing costs can be surprising.
“If it’s your first home, right? That sticker shock can really deter people from deciding whether they want to move here or to another community,” Gonzalez-Loumiet said.
See below for live notes on the meeting from WCTV reporter Matt Hoffmann.
New: We’re about to hear how Tallahassee’s economy is doing, and a forecast for the future.
It’s the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce’s 2026 Economic Forum. pic.twitter.com/pgqwcNTAIJ
— Matt Hoffmann (@ByMattHoffmann) April 2, 2026
Dr. Keith Richard, vice president of research at the Florida Chamber Foundation, said Tallahassee housing affordability and availability are getting worse.
He said Tallahassee has had 5,100 startups in the last several years, and by GDP, the city is the 17th highest behind Escambia County.
The city’s top industries are healthcare, finance and others. However, the Tallahassee area has lost 2,600 jobs from 2024 to 2025.
“Opportunity exists in the marketplace, but it also poses a question about our skilled talent pipeline,” Richard said.
One slide in Richard’s presentation shared that there are 69 people unemployed for every 100 open jobs.
Still, Richard says Tallahassee has a huge talent pool, starting with our two universities, and a desirable quality of life.
Chamber members also heard another interesting tidbit about the Census back in 2020. The Florida Chamber says Florida was actually undercounted, and that means Leon County has about $300 million less in federal tax money than it should have.
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