North County sees economic gains, faces headwinds

2025 SDNEDC Indicators Report shows growth in jobs, remote work, and income, but slow housing, flat population growth and shifting workforce patterns create new economic dynamics

NORTH COUNTY — The region’s economy is made up of dozens of business and industry sectors, along with 64 indicators tracked by the San Diego North Economic Development Council.

The SDNEDC released its 2025 North County Indicators report last week, a data-driven look at North County’s economic health. The report details the people, economy, education, quality of life and industry clusters to provide a robust analysis on the state of the economy.

One big indicator is the region’s population, which has been flat since 2020 thanks to a combination of housing prices and an aging population. The SDNEDC forecasts a flat population growth over the “coming decades,” which presents challenges in education, tax revenue and housing prices, to name a few.

North County boasts a little more than 1 million residents from Poway to Oceanside and includes Valley Center, Fallbrook and Bonsall. The report, though, included all those areas plus the city of San Diego north of State Route 56, which accounts for 154,222 residents.

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