Tallahassee-Leon County’s Economy Is Building Momentum—And the Numbers Show It

SENT ON BEHALF OF THE TALLAHASSEE-LEON COUNTY OFFICE OF ECONOMIC VITALITY

February 04, 2026

Real progress rarely happens overnight. In Tallahassee-Leon County, that progress is becoming easier to see and national data shows we are moving in the right direction.

Independent rankings that track jobs, workforce strength, and market potential all point to the same conclusion: Tallahassee-Leon County is building a solid foundation for long-term success. At the Office of Economic Vitality, we help drive that progress by supporting business expansion, coordinating partners, and strengthening the conditions that attract jobs and investment.

One widely used measure comes from Area Development’s 2025 Leading Metro Locations report, referenced by business leaders and site selectors to identify communities prepared for future growth. The report evaluates 949 metropolitan and micropolitan areas using 24 economic indicators and emphasizes three- and five-year trends, highlighting communities demonstrating steady, sustainable performance.

By those standards, Tallahassee-Leon County performed exceptionally well. In the 2025 rankings, Tallahassee-Leon County placed 16th overall in the nation, ranked second in the South Atlantic Region, and finished fifth among medium-sized metros with populations between 200,000 and 500,000.

Workforce strength tells a similar story. Tallahassee-Leon County ranked 19th out of 411 metro areas for Prime Workforce performance, a measure evaluating workforce competitiveness, growth, and wage gains over one-, three-, and five-year periods. Key indicators include labor force and wage growth and changes in the share of workers in STEM occupations. Tallahassee-Leon County’s strong showing reflects steady workforce growth, rising pay, and an expanding base of high-skill talent helping the region compete nationally.

This progress is fueled in part by Tallahassee-Leon County’s role as a major regional engine for employment. A defining feature of our economic strength is the region’s reach beyond county lines: approximately one-third of workers employed in the Tallahassee-Leon County area—about 33 percent—commute into the region from surrounding counties, underscoring Tallahassee-Leon County’s importance as the employment hub for the broader region.

Looking at total local payroll employment, which counts every job located here regardless of where employees live, growth is clear. In 2025, the Tallahassee-Leon County metropolitan area added approximately 2,100 jobs, highlighting a steady and resilient economy supporting a diverse and expanding workforce. Our national rankings reflect this broad economic vitality, supported by talent drawn from across North Florida and South Georgia to power our healthcare, technology, and innovation sectors.

Real estate investment trends also point upward. The 2026 Emerging Trends in Real Estate® report, produced by PwC and the Urban Land Institute, surveys more than 1,700 real estate professionals across the U.S. and Canada to gauge investment and development prospects. In the latest rankings, Tallahassee-Leon County made one of the largest year-over-year jumps in the Southeast, moving from 69th in 2025 to 33rd in 2026 for overall real estate prospects, an indication of growing confidence in the region’s future.

Taken together, these independent measures tell a consistent story: Tallahassee-Leon County has a stable job base, a growing and skilled workforce, and a market becoming more attractive to employers and investors. And our progress has been steady, measurable, and sustainable.

These rankings matter because they evaluate performance over time—not just a single strong year—helping identify communities building lasting economic strength. For residents, this means more job opportunities, rising wages, and a stronger local economy. For businesses and investors, it signals that Tallahassee-Leon County offers the workforce depth, economic stability, and growth trajectory needed to support long-term investment.

When national data consistently points in the same direction, it confirms what many here already know: Tallahassee-Leon County’s momentum is real, and our community is well positioned for the future.