TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – If Florida were its own country, it would have one of the largest economies in the world, but here\u2019s how Leon County is doing locally.<\/p>\n
The Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce held its annual 2026 Economic Forum on Thursday to discuss Tallahassee\u2019s economy.<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe do pretty well in the apartment side of the house, but not so well on that single-family home. And that\u2019s the American dream. That\u2019s what everybody\u2019s trying to want,\u201d CEO of the Chamber of Commerce Michael Dalby said.<\/p>\n
More Tallahassee news:<\/p>\n
Eddie Gonzalez-Loumiet, the chair of the chamber board, said that the housing costs can be surprising.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf it\u2019s your first home, right? That sticker shock can really deter people from deciding whether they want to move here or to another community,\u201d Gonzalez-Loumiet said.<\/p>\n
See below for live notes on the meeting from WCTV reporter Matt Hoffmann.<\/p>\n
New: We’re about to hear how Tallahassee’s economy is doing, and a forecast for the future. <\/p>\n
It’s the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce’s 2026 Economic Forum. pic.twitter.com\/pgqwcNTAIJ<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Matt Hoffmann (@ByMattHoffmann) April 2, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n Dr. Keith Richard, vice president of research at the Florida Chamber Foundation, said Tallahassee housing affordability and availability<\/a> are getting worse.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The city\u2019s top industries are healthcare, finance and others. However, the Tallahassee area has lost 2,600 jobs from 2024 to 2025.<\/p>\n \u201cOpportunity exists in the marketplace, but it also poses a question about our skilled talent pipeline,\u201d Richard said.<\/p>\n One slide in Richard\u2019s presentation shared that there are 69 people unemployed for every 100 open jobs.<\/p>\n Still, Richard says Tallahassee has a huge talent pool, starting with our two universities, and a desirable quality of life.<\/p>\n Chamber members also heard another interesting tidbit about the Census back in 2020<\/a>. 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.<\/p>\n Tune in to Eyewitness News at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. for the full story. This article will also be updated this evening with all the details.<\/p>\n To keep up with the latest news as it develops, follow WCTV on Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, Nextdoor<\/a> <\/a>and X<\/a> (Twitter<\/a>).<\/p>\n Have a news tip or see an error? Write to us here<\/a>. Please include the article\u2019s headline in your message.<\/p>\n Be the first to see all the biggest headlines by downloading the WCTV News app. Click here<\/a> to get started.<\/p>\n Copyright 2026 WCTV. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n