The Rural Renaissance: Doubling Florida’s GDP in our 31 Rural Counties

As we look to the future of Florida’s economy, it’s increasingly clear that investing in our 31 rural counties is key to unlocking our full potential and realizing our Florida 2030 Blueprint goal of ensuring rural county share of Florida gross domestic product doubles by 2030.

The Florida Chamber Foundation’s research brief, The Rural Renaissance: Doubling Florida’s GDP in our 31 Rural Counties, analyzes and reveals how rural counties have outpaced their non-rural counterparts in economic growth and are poised for even greater expansion…with the right focus and investments.

Read the full research brief:

Key findings from this brief on the economic potential of rural Florida:

  • Florida’s 31 rural counties experienced 56.6% GDP growth from 2018 to 2023, surpassing non-rural areas.
  • Targeted investments in infrastructure, broadband, AgTech, and manufacturing will help accelerate growth.
  • Strategic development in rural regions is essential to achieving the Florida 2030 Blueprint goal of doubling the rural share of Florida’s GDP.

For questions about this brief or to learn more about the Florida Chamber Foundation’s ongoing efforts to double rural county share of Florida’s GDP, contact Dr. Keith Richard at krichard@flchamber.com.

A special thanks to the Florida Chamber Foundation’s Community Development Partnership Council for driving this research and our mission forward. To support the Florida Chamber Foundation’s ongoing efforts to generate action-oriented research to advance progress towards our Florida 2030 Blueprint goals, please contact Dr. Keith Richard at krichard@flchamber.com

There’s more to discover from the Florida Chamber Foundation. We invite you to explore our other resources and tools below:

    • Get involved in the movement on rural economic growth in Florida: Register today for the Chamber Foundation’s 2025 Florida Transportation, Growth and Infrastructure Solution Summit on December 3, 2025 in Orlando. Register now.
    • TheFloridaScorecard.org – view hundreds of state and county level metrics reflecting Florida’s economic progress in becoming a top 10 global economy by 2030

© Copyright 2025 | Florida Chamber of Commerce | All Rights Reserved.
The Florida Chamber Foundation is a 501(c) (3) charitable organization that focuses on research and initiatives to make our state a leading place in the world to live and work. The Florida Chamber Foundation does not lobby or conduct any political activities whatsoever.

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