What Beacon Economics does

Beacon Economics is an independent economic research and consulting firm headquartered in Los Angeles, California, founded in 2007 and operating as a private LLC with 11–50 employees. The firm delivers customized data-driven economic analysis to government agencies, businesses, and non-profits, organized across seven practice areas: community and economic development, housing/land use/real estate advisory, economic and revenue forecasting, litigation support and expert testimony, economic/fiscal/social impact analysis, regional and sub-regional analysis, and public policy analysis. Service delivery is anchored by PhD-level economists, most prominently Principal Christopher Thornberg, and participation in the Wall Street Journal's quarterly Economic Forecasting Survey alongside 70+ peer economists.

The firm's core technology stack is econometric modeling layered on authoritative public data feeds — the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Census Bureau Foreign Trade Division, and BEA — converted into three recurring publications: The Beacon Outlook (quarterly U.S. and California leading indicators), the Beacon Employment Report (monthly California labor market analysis), and the California Trade Report (monthly import/export trends). A content-marketing layer, the "No Nonsense Economics" blog, and an active social presence extend reach, while keynotes delivered by senior economists at industry conferences (e.g., the High Desert Economic & Real Estate Symposium) function as a demand-generation channel for the consulting practice.

Beacon generates revenue through three streams: custom professional services engagements (quote-based, multi-year contracts for advisory, forecasting, and impact studies), subscription access to recurring publications, and fee-based keynote speaking. The firm serves named clients across California including the Temecula Valley and Los Angeles Area Chambers of Commerce, the East Bay Regional Park District, the Sonoma County Economic Development Board, Pepperdine University, and Coldwell Banker Commercial, with a horizontal segmentation approach spanning government, real estate, banking and finance, legal, manufacturing, logistics, energy/utilities, education, and creative industries. Strategic partnerships — notably with Pepperdine University's School of Public Policy for joint California policy research — reinforce positioning as an independent, institutionally credible economic intelligence provider.

Name

Beacon Economics

Legal name

Beacon Economics LLC

Website

https://beaconecon.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Beacon Economics is an independent Los Angeles-based economic research and consulting firm delivering econometric forecasting, impact analysis, and expert testimony to government agencies, businesses, and non-profits across California and the U.S.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Research and Consulting

akta.pro primary industry

Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom) (BPAHALAE)

Keywords

• Economic research consulting
• Economic forecasting services
• Revenue forecasting advisory
• Litigation economic analysis
• Regional economic impact

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Economic Advisory Services: Consulting engagements providing community and economic development, housing and real estate advisory, economic and revenue forecasting, litigation support and expert testimony, and public policy analysis to government agencies and businesses.
2. Research Publications: Revenue generated through subscription-based access to economic reports and forecasts including The Beacon Outlook, Beacon Employment Report, and California Trade Report.
3. Speaking and Public Engagement: Fee-based keynote presentations and speaking engagements at conferences, corporate events, and government forums delivering customized economic analysis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Beacon Economics provides independent economic research and consulting services to governments and businesses. Its offerings include subscription-based economic publications (The Beacon Outlook, Beacon Employment Report, California Trade Report), a commentary blog (No Nonsense Economics), and fee-based consulting engagements covering community and economic development, housing and real estate advisory, economic and revenue forecasting, litigation support and expert testimony, impact analysis, regional analysis, public policy analysis, and customized public speaking.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Beacon Outlook Quarterly economic outlook delivering analysis of leading indicators driving the U.S. and California economies, including GDP growth, employment, housing and commercial real estate markets, taxable sales, and international trade. Sold via subscription to businesses, government agencies, and individuals seeking independent economic intelligence.
• Beacon Employment Report Monthly report linking proprietary econometric predictions to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and state labor market department data to identify important changes in employment across industries and regions. Distributed by subscription.
• California Trade Report Monthly analysis of U.S. Census Bureau Foreign Trade Division data, identifying trends in California's import/export industry and potential effects on the state's economy. Distributed by subscription.
• Community and Economic Development Consulting Consulting service helping communities develop economic strategies, workforce development programs, and revitalization plans. Sold as a custom engagement to government agencies and organizations.
• Housing, Land Use, and Real Estate Advisory Advisory service analyzing housing markets, land use policies, and real estate trends for developers, governments, and investors. Engaged on a project basis.
• Economic and Revenue Forecasting Forecasting service providing projections for economic indicators, tax revenues, and demographic trends for government and business planning. Delivered as custom engagements, often under multi-year contracts.
• Litigation Support and Expert Testimony Expert economic analysis and testimony delivered by PhD economists for legal proceedings, regulatory hearings, and dispute resolution. Sold to law firms and parties involved in litigation or regulatory matters.
• Economic, Fiscal, and Social Impact Analysis Comprehensive impact assessments evaluating economic, fiscal, and social effects of policies, projects, and business decisions. Delivered as custom engagements to public and private clients.
• Regional and Sub-Regional Analysis Analysis of economic conditions, trends, and projections for specific regions, metropolitan areas, and sub-regional markets. Sold as custom engagements to government and business clients.
• Public Policy Analysis

Quantifiable outcome

• Analysis cited by major institutions including University of California system for $82 billion economic impact studies
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pepperdine University School of Public PolicycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing joint research partnership conducting economic impact analyses on California policy issues. Collaborated on studies including Palisades and Eaton wildfire recovery analysis, rent affordability in California and New York, and fast food industry employment impacts.
• Coldwell Banker CommercialminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-hosts the Annual High Desert Economic & Real Estate Symposium with Coldwell Banker Commercial, featuring Beacon Economics speakers for regional economic discussion.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• RAND Corporation: RAND Corporation conducts economic, fiscal, and social impact analyses for governments and nonprofits — directly comparable to Beacon's Economic, Fiscal, and Social Impact Analysis practice and Public Policy Analysis engagements with California state agencies and regional bodies.
• Moody's Analytics: Moody's Analytics delivers macroeconomic forecasts, regional econometric models, and subscription-based economic research to banks, governments, and corporates — overlapping heavily with Beacon's econometric forecasting and California sub-regional models, but operating at far greater global scale.
• S&P Global Market Intelligence: S&P Global Market Intelligence (including IHS Markit) provides macroeconomic and industry research, trade data analytics, and subscription forecasts — directly comparable to Beacon's California Trade Report and quarterly outlooks, but as part of a much wider financial-data portfolio.
• Brookings Institution: Brookings produces independent economic and policy research, public policy analysis, and economic commentary — directly comparable to Beacon's Public Policy Analysis practice and its positioning as an independent, non-institutionally-aligned research voice.

Emerging players

• Trading Economics: Trading Economics delivers subscription-based economic indicators, forecasts, and historical data for ~200 countries — covering employment, trade, GDP, and housing indicators that overlap directly with Beacon's Employment Report and California Trade Report, but as a pure data product vs. Beacon's custom research depth.

Direct peers

• The Conference Board: The Conference Board produces leading economic indicators, GDP forecasts, employment analytics, and economic outlook publications — directly overlapping with Beacon Outlook, Beacon Employment Report, and The Conference Board also offers executive events and member-driven advisory like Beacon's practice areas.
• Oxford Economics: Oxford Economics is a global economic research and forecasting consultancy that delivers custom economic analysis, industry research, and subscription publications — directly comparable to Beacon's combination of syndicated reports (Beacon Outlook) and bespoke advisory engagements. Same business model and customer overlap (corporate strategy, government, real estate).
• Euler Hermes / Allianz Trade: Allianz Trade (formerly Euler Hermes) provides global trade economics research, country/regional trade analytics, and export-import forecasting — directly overlapping with Beacon's California Trade Report and its trade flow analytics for government and business clients.

Regional players

• Chapman University Economic Forecast: Chapman University publishes the Chapman University Economic Forecast focused on Southern California (Orange County) — the same regional economic research niche Beacon addresses across broader Southern California and statewide. Comparable in scale, customer base (regional government, real estate), and product (subscription forecast).
• UCLA Anderson Forecast: UCLA Anderson Forecast is a regional economic forecasting group publishing California and U.S. economic projections — overlapping directly with Beacon's California-focused publications (Beacon Outlook, Beacon Employment Report). Academic affiliation differentiates funding model, but the use case, customer base, and subject matter are nearly identical.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BeaconEconomics
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC5nAEtsWFc1NEvjeNtKf8gg
• Facebookfacebook.com/Beacon-Economics-103244124700
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/beacon-economics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Beacon Economics