Our State of the Economy Remains Strong
Building on the record-breaking commercial construction activity of 2024—totaling $3.166 billion—the South Bend Region’s economy has maintained strong momentum in 2025. Significant investments are driving growth across diverse sectors, including industrial projects, healthcare, education, commercial developments, residential housing and tourism. Labor force participation rates continue to rise, reflecting a growing number of residents who are either employed or actively seeking work.
Looking forward, projected population growth over the next decade—especially among prime working-age individuals—will ensure a robust talent pipeline for new and expanding employers. Regional commuter patterns further underscore the area's workforce strengths, with nearly 90,000 people traveling in and out of St. Joseph County daily. This demonstrates a broad, mobile labor pool well-equipped to support the region's expanding employment demands.
Our economy is on a positive trajectory: diversified, resilient and primed for sustained growth.
Top Projects
- AWS Data Center Campus, $11B
- Beacon Patient Tower at Memorial Hospital, $232M
- South Bend International Airport Updated Airfield Project, $105M
- Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) Infrastructure Project (SR2 & Larrison), $52M
- Multifamily Housing & Mixed-Use Projects (16 projects across the county), $1B
As the Lead Economic Development Organization (LEDO) for St. Joseph County, we are the go-to resource for business retention, expansion and attraction. We're the key convener of regional economic development partners and data, driving economic activity in collaboration with our partners from the state, county, cities, utilities, education, transportation and workforce.
Our economic development team of Chamber President & CEO Jeff Rea and Director of Economic Development Alyson Herzig is available to deliver insightful presentations on economic and workforce trends to your board of directors or senior management. For more information, contact Alyson Herzig at 574.400.4048.
Summary of Resources & Tools
Economic Data Dashboard
Data visualization tool that brings data to life! It includes Census and Bureau of Labor Statistics information while also displaying long-term trends, comparisons, cost of living, educational attainment by post-secondary institution and degree/certificates, 30-day job hiring trends and more. You can download the various data sets to include in your own reporting. View
Economic Profile
Economic snapshot of St. Joseph County and beyond delivered as a flipbook with the option to download. View population, labor force, top employers, cost of living, household income, taxes, top industries, GDP, education, transportation and other key data points in the eight-page piece. View
Lightcast
Global leader in labor market analytics for business, government and education. The platform provides an unparalleled combination of labor market data and economic analysis to facilitate fact-based decision making. With this software, we are able to provide members with customized analysis upon request. Reach out to Alyson Herzig.
IMPLAN Modeling
Used to construct quantitative models to analyze the economic impact of business decisions. The software combines the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis' Input-Output Benchmarks with other data to provide insight into direct, indirect and induced effects of industry changes.
ZoomProspector
Commercial site selection/GIS planning software. Site selectors and businesses can research, analyze and drill down into our site data with an unparalleled range of analytical tools. Check out our commercial sites here
