The California Economic Forecast

What The California Economic Forecast does

The California Economic Forecast is a Santa Barbara, California-based economic consulting firm founded in 1989 by Dr. Mark Schniepp as the private consulting arm of the UCSB Economic Forecast Project and incorporated in 2004. It provides regional economic forecasts covering California and all 58 counties, sub-county regions, real estate markets (home prices, home sales, housing development, commercial real estate), economic impact studies, economic policy analyses, expert testimony, and litigation support. Its underlying technology is a proprietary regional economic database and forecasting capability developed over 25+ years of continuous research, supplemented by a long-standing strategic partnership with UCLA Anderson Forecast since 2003 for the Orange County and San Diego County annual forecasts.

The firm's revenue model is professional services-based, comprising four streams: corporate advisory sessions offered in 60, 90, and 120-minute tiers; custom research engagements (including county-level forecast sets for clients such as Caltrans covering 58 counties and Kaiser Permanente covering 25 counties); conference speaking and hosted economic outlook events in seven or more California regions; and a complimentary monthly newsletter (Economic Watch) functioning primarily as a marketing and brand channel. Customers span financial institutions, real estate firms, healthcare organizations, energy companies (Exxon Mobil), commercial real estate brokers (CBRE, Irvine Company, Newhall Land and Farming), government agencies (Caltrans, SCAG, City of Santa Barbara, City of Carpinteria), insurers (Blue Shield of California), and economic development nonprofits.

Operationally the firm is small, with a two-person team (Director plus Senior Economist), operating with a horizontally segmented customer approach targeting any organization with exposure to the California economy. Go-to-market combines direct advisory sales, custom research engagements, multi-region hosted conferences, and content marketing via the firm's website, social channels (Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube), and monthly newsletter, with no disclosed external funding and private, founder-controlled ownership.

Name

The California Economic Forecast

Legal name

The California Economic Forecast

Website

https://californiaforecast.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The California Economic Forecast is a Santa Barbara-based economic consulting firm founded in 1989 that provides regional economic forecasts, real estate forecasts, economic impact studies, and policy analyses covering California and all 58 counties, serving government agencies, financial institutions, real estate firms, healthcare organizations, and energy companies through advisory sessions, custom research, hosted conferences, and a monthly newsletter.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Consulting

NAICS

Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAHALAD

Economic & Macroeconomic Research

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Research, Analytics & Expert Services

SECONDARYBPADAMAJ

Economic Research, Statistics & Policy Advisory

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/International Trade & Economic Development

Keywords

• Economic forecasting services
• Regional economic analysis
• Real estate market forecasting
• Economic impact studies
• Macroeconomic consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Barbara

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Corporate Advisory Services: 60-minute, 90-minute, and 120-minute consulting sessions with macroeconomic presentations and Q&A for organizations with California economy exposure. Customized presentations available for specific industries or regions.
2. Custom Research and Analysis: Customized research projects including economic impact studies, economic policy studies, and regional economic profiles for business and public sector clients. Includes expert testimony and litigation support.
3. Speaking and Conference Presentations: Expert speakers provide insights on California job market, housing market, and overall economic landscape at conferences and events throughout the state.
4. Newsletter (Economic Watch): Complimentary monthly newsletter covering U.S. and California economies, distributed to subscribers via email inbox.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The California Economic Forecast is a full-service economic consulting firm producing regional economic forecasts for California and all 58 counties, real estate market forecasts, economic impact studies, and economic policy analyses. The firm delivers insights through corporate advisory sessions, custom research projects, expert testimony, hosted economic outlook conferences, and a complimentary monthly newsletter.

Product overview

The California Economic Forecast is a full-service economic consulting firm offering a comprehensive suite of forecasting and analysis products. The core offerings include regional economic forecasts for California and all 58 counties, real estate forecasts, economic impact studies, and economic policy analyses. The firm provides Corporate Advisory sessions in various durations (60/90/120 minutes) featuring macroeconomic presentations and strategy consulting. Additional services include hosted Economic Outlook Conferences across multiple California regions, Custom Research reports with expert testimony and litigation support, the monthly Economic Watch Newsletter, and specialized studies such as county-level forecasts, regional economic profiles, and short-term rental impact analyses. The company also produces presentations and public speaking services for business, government, and non-profit groups.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Corporate Advisory Sessions Interactive macroeconomic strategy consulting sessions offered in 60-minute, 90-minute, and 120-minute formats for organizations with exposure to the California economy. Each session pairs a macroeconomic conditions presentation with a Q&A, and customized presentations are available for specific industries or California regions.
• Regional Economic Forecasts Comprehensive economic forecasts for California, all 58 counties, and sub-county regions, providing analysis of economic trends, job creation, and regional performance for business and public sector clients.
• Real Estate Forecasts Forecasts covering home prices, home sales, new housing development, and commercial real estate development across California regions.
• Economic Impact Studies Analysis measuring the economic effects of development projects, policy changes, and sector activities on regional economies, including specialized studies such as oil and gas sector impacts and short-term rental effects.
• Economic Policy Analyses Research and evaluation of economic policies and their potential or actual impacts on the California economy.
• Custom Research Reports Tailored research for business and public sector clients, including expert testimony, litigation support, and specialized economic studies produced as standalone deliverables.
• County-Level Forecast Reports Customized county-level economic forecasts produced for individual clients, such as 58 county-level forecasts for Caltrans and 25 county-level forecasts for Kaiser Permanente.
• Regional Economic Profiles Detailed economic profiles for specific regions and municipalities, such as the City of Carpinteria economic profile, prepared for local government and planning clients.
• Short Term Rental Studies Impact studies examining short-term rentals and their effects on housing supply and community conditions, sold as standalone analytical deliverables.
• Economic Watch Newsletter Monthly complimentary newsletter covering the U.S. and California economies, distributed to subscribers via email inbox.

Quantifiable outcome

• 58 county-level forecasts completed for Caltrans
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• UCLA Anderson ForecastcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003The UCLA Anderson Forecast partnered with California Economic Forecast in 2003. The firm participates with UCLA Anderson Forecast in preparing the annual Orange County Economic Forecast and San Diego County Economic Forecast, which are presented at conferences held in the spring of each year. UCLA Anderson Forecast is a prestigious academic economic forecasting institution, and this partnership validates the firm's expertise and credibility in California economic analysis.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Emerging players

• UC Berkeley Fisher Center for Real Estate and Urban Economics: Academic research center producing California real estate market analyses, housing market forecasts, and urban economic studies — overlapping with the firm's real estate forecasting and economic impact work, though as research output rather than paid advisory.
• California Budget & Policy Center: California-focused economic and fiscal policy research organization producing analyses on state economic conditions, budget, and labor markets — overlapping with the firm's economic policy analyses and California economic outlook content.

Broad incumbents

• Oxford Economics: Global economic forecasting and analysis firm serving enterprise and government clients with macroeconomic outlooks, regional forecasts, and impact studies — a much larger incumbent operating across geographies but providing the same core service category the firm delivers within California.
• S&P Global Market Intelligence: Global provider of economic, industry, and real estate forecasts and data used by enterprises and governments; competes with the firm in regional economic forecasting and CRE market analysis, though at vastly broader scale and with proprietary data products.
• Moody's Analytics: Major provider of economic forecasts, regional data, and real estate market analytics serving financial institutions, governments, and enterprises globally — overlapping with the firm's California regional forecasting and CRE analytics work at much larger scale.

Direct peers

• Beacon Economics: California-based economic forecasting and consulting firm offering regional economic analysis, real estate market studies, and economic impact reports — directly competing with the firm across the same California-centric service lines and client segments.
• Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC): Regional economic forecasting and research organization producing LA County and Southern California economic analyses, real estate market reports, and industry studies — overlapping directly with the firm's core regional forecasting and economic impact study offerings.
• Regional Financial Associates: Regional economic consulting firm specializing in state and metropolitan-area economic forecasts and impact studies for financial institutions, developers, and government clients — comparable in scope and customer profile to the firm's California-focused advisory work.
• UCLA Anderson Forecast: Academic economic forecasting program at UCLA Anderson School of Management; the firm's direct partner since 2003 for co-authored Orange County and San Diego County forecasts. Both organizations produce regional California economic forecasts for similar enterprise and public-sector clients.
• Torrey Mesa Economics: Southern California-based economic consulting firm offering regional economic forecasts, real estate market analyses, and economic impact studies for public and private sector clients — directly comparable in scale, geography, and service mix to the firm.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCEi6W-cCzFaMZ42aX5SeYDg
• Facebookfacebook.com/CaliforniaForecast
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/california-economic-forecast

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 The California Economic Forecast