State of Ventura County report has pluses, minuses
The latest State of the Region report for Ventura County paints a mixed picture.
On the plus side, in 2024 there was a record high of non-farm jobs in the county, housing starts rebounded and homelessness decreased for the second straight year, the report, released Nov. 10, shows.
On the other hand, GDP is stagnant, housing in the county continues to become more unaffordable, and there are widespread socio-economic disparities.
The report is produced every two years by the nonprofit Ventura County Civic Alliance.
Ventura County Supervisor Kelly Long, who attended the report’s release event at the Ventura County Office of Education in Camarillo, said the document is a measure of how the county is doing overall.
“It helps us to make sure, as county supervisors, what policies and ordinances we need to make to really enrich our businesses, our colleges, our families to live in Ventura County,” she told the Business Times.
Other key findings of the report include:
- From 2004 to 2024, Ventura County’s agriculture industry has produced zero growth in total revenue, when inflation is taken into account.
- Consumer spending in the county has slowed, though visitor spending keeps growing.
- Direct employment at Naval Base Ventura County, the largest employer in the county, has stayed mostly flat the last few years.
Long praised the Civic Alliance for compiling the report.
“It gives us the data to really focus on how we can improve the well-being of life in Ventura County,” she said.
