Written by Ben Bryk with Vero Premier Properties a signature division of Coldwell Banker Global Luxury
The Florida Chamber Foundation just unleashed its 2026 Florida Economic Outlook Report, and if you live, work, invest, or even vacation in Florida, you need to see this.
Bottom line up front: Florida is forecast to beat the entire United States again in 2026 — and the experts are calling it “sustained outperformance,” not a lucky year.
Here’s the stuff that actually matters.
1. Florida has been lapping the nation for 4 straight years
Average annual growth advantage: +2.3 percentage points over the U.S.
2026 verdict: still ahead… just by a slightly smaller (but still very real) margin.
2. Unemployment rate that basically refuses to lose
- Below national average continuously since September 2020
- 2026 projection: locked in at 4.2% – 4.3%
That’s not “holding steady.” That’s winning while everyone else is sweating inflation, layoffs, and recession whispers.
3. Housing: from crazy to… actually healthy?
After the post-pandemic rocket ride:
- Median listing prices → stabilizing
- Sales volume → ticking back up
The report calls it “market normalization” — translation: no crash, no more insane bidding wars every weekend, just a market that’s finally breathing again.
Official quotes worth screenshotting
Mark Wilson (President & CEO, Florida Chamber):
“Florida continues to prove that long-term, disciplined and diversified economic strategy works.”
Sheridan Morby (Senior Research Economist):
“Slower growth does not signal concerns. It reflects a stabilizing economy that is built for long-term success.”
They’re not hyping a bubble. They’re describing a foundation that’s finally mature enough to keep growing without red-lining.
Who this matters to right now
- Business owners & entrepreneurs → lower risk of recession whiplash, strong labor pool
- Job seekers & remote workers → jobs stay plentiful, cost of living pressure eases a bit
- Homebuyers → prices no longer sprinting away every month
- Investors → state still ranked #1 economy in America by CNBC → continued capital flow
So is 2026 the year Florida finally “slows down” to everyone else’s speed?
According to the people who crunch the actual numbers… no.
It’s just shifting from sprint → strong steady run — while most of the country is still trying to catch its breath.
Read it, then come back and tell me:
Are you doubling down on Florida in 2026… or starting to look elsewhere?
Drop your take below — bullish, bearish, or somewhere in between
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