DataTALKS – Office of Economic Vitality

DataTALKS is a series of recorded economic data discussions that provide an inside look into Tallahassee-Leon County’s economic trends using the robust data metrics that the Office of Economic Vitality Research and Analytics Division tracks. DataTALKS is a featured series derived from our quarterly data focus that provides an accessible digital platform by which to communicate economic data to a wide audience.

Annual Economic Review 2025

Annual Economic Review is a 1-year and 5-year retrospective of the same indicators featured in the Quarterly Economic Dashboard. Annual data shows a bigger picture than quarterly measurements and lets …the past give context to the present.
Employment in 2025 averaged 202,000, up 0.9% from 2024 and 10.3% higher than in 2021. Annual average employment rose in each of the past five years. Unemployment claims totaled 2,067 in 2025, up 6.5% from 2024, and 9,696 fewer than in 2021. Unemployment claims have fallen in four of the past five years. Single-family construction permits in Leon County totaled 513 in 2025, only four fewer than in 2024 and down 38% from 2021. Permit activity has increased two of the past five years. The median sales price of a single-family home in the Tallahassee metro area was $340K in 2025, up 3.2% from 2024 and 37.2% higher than in 2021. The median sales price increased each of the past five years. Tourist tax receipts for the Tallahassee metro area came to an all-time high of $10.13 million in 2025, up 2% from 2024, and 45.8% more than in 2021. Tourist tax receipts increased in each of the past five years. Passenger traffic at Tallahassee International Airport totaled 901,994 in 2025, down 6.9% from 2024, and 37.2% more than in 2021. Passenger traffic has increased in four of the past five years, and in eight of the past ten years. The unemployment rate in 2025 averaged 4.1%, up from 3.5% in 2024 and down from 4.4% in 2021. The annual average unemployment rate decreased or stayed the same in three of the past five years. The average weekly wage in 2025 was $1,210, up 4.2% from 2024 and 22.2% more than in 2021. In the past five years the mean year-to-year increase in average weekly wage has been 5.4%. Mortgage foreclosures in Leon County totaled 311, 110 more than in 2024 and 180 more than in 2021. The annual average over the past decade was 317. The office vacancy rate in 2025 was 5.2%, up from 4.3% in 2024 and down from 6% in 2021. The office vacancy rate fell in three of the past five years, and in six of the past ten years. The industrial vacancy rate in 2025 was 3.8%, up from 2.5% in 2024 and up from 1.2% in 2021. The industrial vacancy rate fell in two of the past five years, and in six of the past ten years. The labor force of 207,445 in 2025 was down 0.4% from 2024 and 6.6% higher than in 2021. Labor force increased in four of the past five years, and in eight of the past ten years. Taxable sales came to $6.58 billion in 2025, down 1% from 2024 and 9.7% higher than in 2021.Show More

Annual Economic Review 2025

DataTALKS: Applied Sciences & Innovation

The Applied Sciences and Innovation target industry comprises various management occupations, computer and mathematical occupations, architecture and engineering occupations, life, physical, and social science occupations, post-secondary teachers, and technical and …scientific representatives. Almost 18,000 are employed locally in these occupations, up from 15,000 a decade ago [+15%]. After the 2008-2009 US recession, it took 14 years for Applied Science and Innovation employment locally to recover to its prior level [2008 to 2022]. More recently, from 2021 to 2024, employment increased 18% [+2,600]. Annual employment growth has been positive in 17 of the past 24 years, and is projected to add another 500 jobs over the next five years [+0.6% per year].
Research facilities for Applied Sciences and Innovation concentrate on energy, power, and electrification [FSU Center for Advanced Power Systems, Applied Superconductivity Center], materials science and advanced materials [MagLab, High Performance Materials Institute (HPMI), FAMU Center for Plasma Science and Technology], aerospace, robotics and engineering [Florida Center for Advanced Aero-Propulsion, Center for Intelligent Systems, Control, and Robotics (CISCOR)], life sciences and health [Institute of Molecular Biophysics, FSU College of Medicine], climate and environmental science [Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies (COAPS)], and innovation, commercialization, and research infrastructure [FSU Research Foundation, FSU IGNITE, FDOT Structures Research Center]. The R&D constellation at Innovation Park employs over 1,500.
R&D expenditures at FSU and FAMU have increased from about $300 million in 2014 to over $500 million by 2024. Between 2020 and 2024, federally financed R&D expenditures at FSU and FAMU in all fields averaged around $220 million per year. R&D expenditures for the National Science Foundation at FSU and FAMU accounted for an average of 31% of the total; Health and Human Services, 24%. Since 2020, federally financed R&D has accounted for 50% of total R&D expenditures at FSU and FAMU.Show More

DataTALKS: Professional Services & Information Tech

Professional Services [$3.1B in 2024], along with Information Tech [$1.6B in 2024], together typically account for 17-18% of Tallahassee’s Gross Regional Product [2024=$4.7B]. Professional Services and Information Tech is an …eclectic mix of Targeted Industries that includes: legal services, architectural and engineering services, software and data processing, management and environmental consulting, advertising, and more. Industries and consumers together spent over $6.3 billion on Professional Services & Information Tech in 2024 (11% of total $59.8B), with 65% [$4.1B] of demand met within the Tallahassee region and 35% [$2.2B] coming outside the region. Around 20,000 people in the Tallahassee metro area work in occupations directly related to Professional Services and Information Tech (10% of 2025 total, up from 8% in 2004), with a 2025-2030 projected growth rate of 7% [to 21K], compared to 2% for all occupations. Business and Financial Operations, Computer and Mathematical occupations, and Office jobs together account for 55% of the occupations in Professional Services and Information Tech (across 2,700 businesses). Due in part to its role as Florida’s capital, the Tallahassee metro area has the most lawyers per capita of any of Florida’s 22 metro areas. And it also has the most accountants and auditors per capita, the most PR specialists, and environmental scientists. Tallahassee ranks second for veterinary technicians per capita and for information security analysts. It’s fourth in project management specialists per capita, and fifth in software developers. Since 2020, jobs in this Target Industry have increased by 38%, having stagnated (-7%) after the 2008 recession. This sector draws entrepreneurs: around 8% of those working in Professional Services and Information Tech are self-employed, compared to only about 4.5% self-employed overall. Since 2020, Professional Services jobs have accounted for 82% of the sector. The job growth rate for Professional Services and Information Tech in recent years has been consistently higher than the overall private sector growth [annual average growth of 5.2%, compared to 2.1% for private sector]. The rate of job growth in Professional Services is typically higher than that of Information Tech [8 of 10 recent years], and year-to-year growth rates in the past ten years varied by 11 percentage points for Professional Services compared to 20 percentage points for Information Tech.Show More

Annual Economic Review 2024

Annual Economic Review is a 1-year and 5-year retrospective of the same indicators featured in the Quarterly Economic Dashboard. Annual data shows a bigger picture than quarterly measurements and lets …the past give context to the present.

Employment in 2024 averaged 200,900, up 2.7% from 2023 and 13.2% higher than five years ago in 2020. Annual average employment rose in four of the past five years. Unemployment claims totaled 1,940 in 2024, down 2.2% from 2023, and 33,133 fewer than in the record high year of 2020. Unemployment claims have fallen in four of the past five years. Single-family construction permits in Leon County totaled 517 in 2024, down 25% from 2023 and down 24% from 2020. Permit activity has increased three of the past five years. The median sales price of a single-family home in the Tallahassee metro area was $329,000 in 2024, up 1.9% from 2023 and 32.8% higher than in 2020. The median sales price increased each of the past five years. Tourist tax receipts for the Tallahassee metro area came to an all-time high of $9.93 million in 2024, up 5.2% from 2023, and $5.5 million more than during the economic interruptions of 2020. Tourist tax receipts increased in four of the past five years. Passenger traffic at Tallahassee International Airport came to 968,403 in 2024, up 12.8% from 2023, and 590,343 more than in 2020. Passenger traffic has increased in four of the past five years, and in eight of the past ten years. Unemployment in 2024 averaged 3.5%, up from 3.2% in 2023 and down from 6.2% in 2020. The annual average unemployment rate decreased or stayed the same in three of the past five years. The average weekly wage in 2024 was $1,161, up 6.5% from 2023 and 25% more than in 2020. In the past five years the mean year-to-year increase in average weekly wage has been 5.9%. Mortgage foreclosures in Leon County totaled 201, 53 fewer than in 2023 and 47 more than in 2020. The annual average over the past decade was 359. The office vacancy rate in 2024 was 4.4%, down from 5% in 2023 and down from 5.5% in 2020. The office vacancy rate fell in four of the past five years, and in six of the past ten years. The industrial vacancy rate in 2024 was 2.9%, up from 1.6% in 2023 and up from 1.9% in 2020. The industrial vacancy rate fell in three of the past five years, and in seven of the past ten years. The labor force of 208,204 in 2024 was up 1.7% from 2023 and 9.8% higher than in 2020. Labor force increased in four of the past five years, and in eight of the past ten years. Taxable sales came to over $6.6 billion in 2024, up 2.4% from 2023 and 33.8% more than in 2020.Show More

DataTALKS: Manufacturing & Transportation/Logistics

Manufacturing, along with Transportation & Warehousing, together accounted for 5% of Tallahassee’s Gross Regional Product in 2024. Manufacturing and Transportation/Logistics transactions came to almost $3.7B in 2024, or 5.4% all …sales in the Tallahassee metro area. Leading sectors included: transportation equipment, chemicals, and machinery. Some 8,215 people in the Tallahassee metro area work in occupations directly related to Manufacturing and Transportation/Logistics, with a 2030 projected growth rate of 10%, compared to 2% for all occupations. Transportation and material moving, production, and office jobs together account for 75% of the occupations in Manufacturing and Transportation/Logistics. The job growth rate for Manufacturing and Transportation/Logistics combined has been more vigorous than the overall private sector growth, with Transportation/Logistics typically higher than Manufacturing, while year-to-year growth fluctuates more for Transportation/Logistics than Manufacturing. Manufacturing productivity (value added, or GDP per employee] exceeds overall private sector productivity by more than 40%. In the past decade, merchandise exports from the Tallahassee metro area have increased 81% (average annual growth rate of 8%). Exports in 2023 were the highest for the Tallahassee metro area in records going back to 2005 (nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation). Major manufactured exports include: machinery, transportation equipment, and computer and electronic products. Machinery, transportation equipment, and computer and electronic products accounted for 63% of exports. Commercial industrial space increased by over 740K sq. ft. (8%) in the past decade. In 2024, the total building area in Leon County for all warehouse uses was 32% higher than what it was in 2014. Total bills of lading have increased tenfold in the past five years. An increase in bills of lading may indicate a rise in shipping activities or transactions, influenced by changes in customer demand, economic conditions, or improvements in logistics efficiency.Show More

DataTALKS: Home Game Attendance

Since 2022, home game attendance at Tallahassee’s two universities has averaged 920,097, with Florida State accounting for around 89%, and Florida A&M, 11%. Total season attendance averaged 550,115 for football, …148,723 for baseball, 120,593 for men’s basketball, and 43,298 for women’s basketball. Football typically accounts for around 60% of reported home game attendance; basketball, 20%; baseball, about 15% percent; and other sports, 5%. After football, average attendance per game is highest for men’s basketball and baseball.
A typical football season generates about $55 million in direct spending by visitors outside Leon County, with $47.8M from Florida State home games and $7.3M from Florida A&M home games. Home football games result in an estimated $102 million economic impact for Leon County per season.
Fourth Quarter (October to December) visitors to Leon County usually spend the most money per person, which therefore has the greatest economic impact per visitor. Hospitality-related businesses, such as restaurants, bars, hotels and motels, typically make up about 18% of taxable sales in Leon County. Taxable sales for these hospitality-related businesses exceeded $1.02B in 2023. Over the past decade, annual sales in the hospitality sector have increased around 48%, up from $690M in 2013. Leon County’s hospitality sector has two distinct busy seasons: Fall (students return & football season) and Spring (representatives return & Legislative session). Fourth Quarter sales are highest, followed by the First Quarter. Sales typically are highest in the month of October, with March a close second. In October 2023, taxable sales in hospitality came to $100 million, 21.4% of Leon County’s taxable sales for that month. October is the busiest month simultaneously for restaurants, bars, and hotels and motels. For restaurants, sales in October are about 9% higher than the average for the other 11 months. October restaurant sales year-over-year have increased in 16 of the past 20 years. For bars, average sales in October are around 30% higher than the average for the other 11 months. For hotels and motels, occupancy since 2021 is only about 5% higher in October than the average for the other 11 months. But October stays usually generate the highest amount of Revenue per Available Room, around 30-40% higher than the average of the other 11 months. Tourist Development tax receipts, a proxy measure for hotel room rental activity, are often highest in the Fourth Quarter. The Fourth Quarter averages about 12% more passengers at the airport compared to the rest of the year, with October typically the busiest month at the airport.Show More

Annual Economic Review 2023

Tallahassee-Leon County’s Annual Economic Review is a 1-year and 5-year retrospective of the same 13 indicators featured in the Quarterly Economic Dashboard: employment, unemployment claims, new single-family construction permits, median …single-family home sales price, tourist tax receipts, airport passengers, unemployment rate, average weekly wage, mortgage foreclosures, office vacancy rate, industrial vacancy rate, labor force, and taxable sales.

Employment in 2023 averaged nearly 196K, up 2.4% from 2022 and 5% higher than five years ago in 2019. Annual average employment rose in four of the past five years. Unemployment claims totaled just under two thousand in 2023, down 4.1% from 2022, and 29 hundred fewer than in 2019. Unemployment claims have fallen in four of the past five years. Single-family construction permits in Leon County totaled 692 in 2023, up 34% from 2022 and 3% more than in 2019. Permit activity has increased four of the past five years. The median sales price of a single-family home in the Tallahassee metro area was $323K in 2023, up 4.3% from 2022 and 42% higher than in 2019. The median sales price increased each of the past five years. Tourist tax receipts for the Tallahassee metro area came to an all-time high of $9.45 million in 2023, up 7.6% from 2022, and 28% more than in 2019. Passenger traffic at Tallahassee International Airport came to 858,680 in 2023, up 4.6% from 2022 but down 0.7% from 2019. Except for 2020, passenger traffic has increased from the prior year each year since 2015. Unemployment in 2023 averaged 3.1%, unchanged from 2022 and down from 3.3% in 2019. The annual average unemployment rate decreased in three of the past five years. The average weekly wage in 2023 was $1,090, up 5.8% from 2022 and 25.3% more than in 2019. In the past five years the mean year-to-year increase in average weekly wage has been 5.2%. Mortgage foreclosures in Leon County totaled 254, three more than in 2022 and 181 fewer than in 2019. The annual average over the past decade was 421. The office vacancy rate in 2023 was 5%, down from 5.6% in 2022 and down from 6.1% in 2019. The office vacancy rate fell in three of the past five years. The industrial vacancy rate in 2023 was 1.6%, unchanged from 2022 and 0.7 points lower than in 2019. The industrial vacancy rate fell in three of the past five years, and in seven of the past ten years. The labor force of 202,182 in 2023 was up 2.4% from 2022 and 4.9% higher than in 2019. Labor force increased in four of the past five years. Taxable sales came to $6.49 billion in 2023, up 1.5% from 2022 and up 21.5% from 2019.Show More

DataTALKS: Health Care Industry

Health Care and Social Services accounted for about 9% of Tallahassee’s Gross Regional Product in 2022 [$2.04B], ranking third after Government [$5.07B] and Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services [$2.41B]. Major …health care components include Ambulatory Health Care Services [4.5%] Hospitals [2.8%], and Nursing and Residential Care Facilities [0.7%]. Health care transactions were estimated at over $3.5 billion in 2022, accounting for over 6% of all sales in the Tallahassee metro area, led by General Medical and Surgical Hospitals [2.0%] and Offices of Physicians [1.2%]. Over 19,000 people in the Tallahassee metro area work in occupations directly related to Health Care and Social Services, with an overall 2024-2029 projected growth rate of 8%, compared to 4% for all occupations. During 2018-2022, availability of physicians was nearly 10% higher in Leon County than statewide. Leon County is consistently among the top quartile of 67 counties statewide in physicians per capita. Leon County typically ranks either first or second statewide in availability of Family Practice Physicians per capita. The Tallahassee metro area has 1,309 Health Care (Target Industry) establishments as of 2022, with Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities [NAICS 62412] accounting for 27%. These establishments have 26,444 jobs as of 2024, with General Medical and Surgical Hospitals [NAICS 62211] accounting for 28% of jobs. Health Care Target Industry employment is projected to grow 8% by 2029. During 2018-2022, availability of hospital beds in Leon County was on average 31% higher than Florida’s. Over the past decade Leon County has consistently ranked among the top ten counties statewide for the most hospital beds per capita. In 2023, building area in Leon County for hospitals, clinics, and nursing facilities was triple what it was in 2013. Major medical facilities built in the past decade include the Mustian Surgery Tower, the VA Outpatient Clinic, CHP Clinic and Medical Office, Centre Pointe Health & Rehab. Center Expansion, Care Point Health and Wellness Center, American Health Imaging, Florida Cancer Specialists, Capital Regional Medical Center ER, and North Monroe Free Standing ER. Over the next decade, persons ages 65 and older are projected to account for 56% of the population change in the Tallahassee metro area [17.6K of 34K]. The additional medical facility infrastructure is timely, since people 65 and older account for 37% of US health care expenditures but only 17% of the population.Show More

Annual Economic Review 2022

Annual Economic Review is a 1-year and 5-year retrospective of the same indicators featured in the Quarterly Economic Dashboard. Annual data gives a wider context than quarterly updates, enabling the …evaluation of long-term strategic objectives.

Employment in 2022 averaged over 194K, up 4.4% from 2021 and 5.6% higher than in 2018. Annual average employment rose in four of the past five years. Unemployment claims totaled 2,068 in 2022, an 82.4% decrease from 2021, and 3,418 fewer than in 2018. Unemployment claims have fallen in three of the past five years. Single-family construction permits in Leon County totaled 515 in 2022, down 37.8% from 2021 and 14.5% lower than in 2018. Permit activity has increased in three of the past five years. The median sales price of a single-family home in the Tallahassee metro area was $310K in 2022, up 13.3% from 2021 and 44.2% higher than in 2018. The median sales price increased each of the past five years. Tourist tax receipts for the Tallahassee metro area came to an all-time high of $8.78 million in 2022, up 26.3% from 2021, 30.7% more than in 2018, and 19% higher than the previous all-time high in 2019. Before the economic interruptions of 2020, tourist tax receipts had increased each year since 2010. Passenger traffic at Tallahassee International Airport came to 819,143 in 2022, up 24.6% from 2021 and 1.3% more than in 2018. Except for 2020, passenger traffic has increased from the prior year each year since 2015. Unemployment in 2022 averaged 3%, down 1.3 points from 2021 and down from 3.6% in 2018. The annual average unemployment rate decreased in four of the past five years. The average weekly wage in 2022 was $1,030, up 4% from 2021 and 21.5% more than in 2018. In the past five years, the mean year-to-year increase in average weekly wage has been about 4.4%. Mortgage foreclosures in Leon County totaled 251, 120 more than in 2021 and 121 fewer than in 2018. The annual average over the past decade was 513. The office vacancy rate in 2022 was 6%, down from 6.4% in 2021 and up from 4.1% in 2018. The office vacancy rate rose in three of the past five years. The industrial vacancy rate in 2022 was 1.6%, up 0.4 points from 2021 and 4.6 points lower than in 2018. The industrial vacancy rate fell in three of the past five years and in eight of the past ten years. The labor force of 200,844 in 2022 was up 3% from 2021 and 5% higher than in 2018. Labor force increased in four of the past five years. Taxable sales came to nearly $6.4 billion in 2022, up 6.6% from 2021 and up 27.3% from 2018.Show More

DataTALKS: Accommodation & Food Services industries

Accommodation and Food Services typically contribute $400 million per year to Leon County’s gross domestic product, accounting for about 4-5% of GDP. Total sales by hotels and restaurants in Leon …County topped $1 billion in 2022, up 62% from $644M in 2012, and more than double the $456M of twenty years ago. Of the two, restaurants usually account for over 80% of sales. Hotel and restaurant sales make up about 10% of overall sales in Leon County, up from 8% in the early 2000s.
Over the past two decades, employment in Accommodation and Food Services has risen from 11K to about 17K, with an average annual employment growth rate of around 2.5% per year. Of the two, Food Services accounts for 90% of employment. About 36% of Accommodation and Food Services employees in Leon County are ages 18-24; 21% of the local population is in that age group, due in part to 65K full- and part-time college students in Leon County.
As of 2022, there were 802 establishments in Accommodation and Food Services, 337 more than 20 years ago, growing by about 15 per year from 465 in 2002. Food Services accounts for about nine out of ten establishments of the two. And taken together, they average close to two dozen employees per establishment.
Leon County averages about 670 restaurants so far during the decade of the 2020s, up from 620 in the 2010s, from 490 [+36%] in the 2000s, and from 390 [+71%] in the 1990s. Total seating capacity has dropped since 2020. The average restaurant has 95 seats, similar to the average capacity of the mid-2010s.
Leon County averages 66 hotels and motels to date in the 2020s, up from 64 in the 2010s, 61 in the 2000s, and 55 in the 1990s. Total rooms average 6,225 in the 2020s, up 7% from 5,794 in the 2010s, and 15% more than in the 2000s. The average number of rooms per hotel or motel has increased over the past two decades. Room occupancy has averaged around 62% in the past few years, similar to the mid-2010s.
The US Small Business Administration’s 7(a) and 504 loans are small-business loans issued by banks and guaranteed by the US government. SBA 7(a) loan are for working capital for inventory, to finance real estate, and refinancing current business debt. SBA 504 loans are for long-term, fixed-rate financing up to $5M for major fixed assets. During 2010-2022, 7(a) Program loans to hotels & motels in Leon County came to $32.9M. 7(a) loans to restaurants totaled $38.7M at that time. These loans to hotels & motels, and restaurants combined, accounted for 41% of the 7(a) loans made to Leon County businesses since 2010. From 2001 through 2022, the 504 loans to hotels & motels in Leon County came to $26.7M; 504 loans to restaurants, $20.9M. The 504 loans to hotels & motels, and restaurants combined, accounted for 40% of all 504 loans since 2001.Show More

DataTALKS: Tallahassee & Florida

The Office of Economic Vitality’s Business Intelligence Division presents DataTALKS: Tallahassee & Florida. Florida has over 22 million inhabitants, 97% of whom live in one of its 22 metropolitan statistical …areas (MSAs). The Tallahassee MSA (Gadsden, Jefferson, Leon, and Wakulla counties) has a population of 393,000, ranking 12th among the 22 metro areas. Leon County has 76% of the metro area population; the City of Tallahassee, 51%. Tallahassee’s population growth rate of 2.1% per year in the 1990s was about the same as Florida’s, but slowed to 0.4% per year in the 2010s, while Florida’s was 1.4% per year during the 2010s.
About 18% (70K) of the Tallahassee metro population consists of college-age students (ages 18 to 24), with an enrollment of ~65K in local post-secondary institutions. Only 9% of Florida’s population is ages 18 to 24.
The student population affects household composition: 57% of Tallahassee’s households are family households, while statewide the rate is 65%.
Tallahassee’s labor force grew by 3.7% during 2016-2021, while Florida’s increased by 4.8%. During 2020-2021, Tallahassee’s private sector employment increased by 5%, while the increase was 5.4% statewide, though at that time the annual average unemployment rate for Tallahassee was 2.4 points lower than the statewide rate.
The local college student population also affects measurements of income. Per capita personal income in Tallahassee was 16% lower than statewide, while median family income in Tallahassee was 2.6% higher than statewide.
During 2017-2022, the average annual growth in new housing unit permits was higher for the Tallahassee metro area than statewide. From 2021 to 2022, the median price of a single-family home increased 13% locally and 16% statewide. The homeownership rate for the Tallahassee metro area was around 59% (due in part to the college student population), while statewide the rate was 67%.
Real GDP per Private Sector Employee increased by 5% in Tallahassee during 2017-2021, and by 9% statewide. During 2012-2021, exports from Tallahassee increased by 76%, while Florida’s overall exports decreased by 16%. The annual growth rate in new business formations during 2016-2021 in the Tallahassee metro area exceeded Florida’s rate in all but one year.Show More

Annual Economic Review 2021

Annual Economic Review is a 1- and 5-year retrospective of the same 13 indicators featured in the Quarterly Economic Dashboard. Annual data gives wider context than quarterly updates, allowing long-term objectives to come into focus.