Frequently Asked Questions
Bringing together economic insight, business expertise, and public policy experience
Beacon Economics provides economic consulting services including economic forecasting, economic impact analysis, fiscal impact studies, revenue forecasting, tax revenue forecasting, housing market analysis, labor market research, demographic analysis, Community Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) consulting, short-term rental (STR) studies, and public policy advisory services. Learn more about our practice areas.
Economic consulting helps organizations make informed business, investment, planning, and policy decisions using economic research, forecasting, and market analysis. Organizations hire Beacon Economics for economic consulting services related to economic forecasts, economic impact reports, housing studies, labor market trends, CEDS planning, STR policy analysis, and strategic planning.
Yes. Beacon Economics provides economic forecasting services for cities, counties, regional agencies, utilities, ports, developers, investors, and businesses. Beacon Economics forecasts are fully customized to regional economic conditions. Learn more about our economic and revenue forecasting services.
Beacon Economics provides forecasting services for local governments, transportation agencies, utilities, unions, public-sector organizations, and private-sector organizations. Beacon Economics’ forecasting services may include sales tax forecasting, property tax forecasting, cargo forecasting, transient occupancy tax forecasting, utility revenue forecasting, and long-range fiscal planning. Learn more about our economic and revenue forecasting services.
Tax revenue forecasting helps entities estimate future revenues based on economic conditions, consumer spending, housing activity, tourism trends, and employment growth. Beacon Economics tax forecasting services help support budgeting, fiscal sustainability, capital planning, and long-term financial decision-making. Learn more about our economic and revenue forecasting services.
An economic impact analysis measures how a project, business, policy, development, or investment affects jobs, wages, tax revenue, economic output, and regional economic activity. Beacon Economics provides economic impact analysis services for infrastructure projects, broadband expansion initiatives, real estate developments, universities, tourism initiatives, destination management organizations (DMOs), entertainment venues, music festivals, attractions, nonprofits, and more. Learn more about our economic impact analysis services.
Fiscal impact analysis measures how a project, policy, or development affects government revenues, taxes, public expenditures, infrastructure costs, and long-term fiscal conditions. Beacon Economics provides fiscal impact analysis services for cities, counties, developers, utilities, economic development organizations as well as private-sector clients. Learn more about our economic impact analysis services.
Yes. Beacon Economics provides Community Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) consulting services for counties, municipalities, regional economic development organizations, public agencies, and community stakeholders seeking long-term economic growth and resilience planning. Learn more about our community and economic development services.
Accordion Content
A Community Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) is a long-term economic development planning framework focused on economic growth, workforce development, infrastructure investment, business competitiveness, and regional resilience. Beacon Economics helps organizations develop data-driven CEDS plans supported by economic research, demographic analysis, and regional economic forecasting. Learn more about our community and economic development services.
Yes. Beacon Economics conducts short-term rental (STR) studies and STR economic impact analyses for cities, counties, tourism agencies, and policymakers evaluating rental platform activity, vacation rentals, housing supply, tourism economics, and transient occupancy tax revenues. Our STR studies are fully customized to the client and region. Learn more about our housing, land use, and real estate consulting services.
A Beacon Economics short-term rental study may include STR market analysis, tourism impacts, transient occupancy tax analysis, housing vacancy rates, workforce housing analysis, economic impacts, regulatory scenario analysis, and policy recommendations. Learn more about our housing, land use, and real estate consulting services.
Yes. Beacon Economics helps local governments evaluate short-term rental policies by analyzing tourism demand, housing availability, neighborhood conditions, tax revenues, economic activity, and regulatory tradeoffs. Learn more about our housing, land use, and real estate consulting services.
Because every engagement differs in scope, timeline, and analytical requirements, pricing is customized for each project. We work closely with clients to develop proposals tailored to their specific objectives, deliverables, and level of support needed. Please contact us at [email protected] to discuss your project and receive a customized estimate.
Beacon Economics provides economic consulting services for both public and private-sector clients; industries include technology, real estate, housing, infrastructure, transportation, tourism, healthcare, utilities, higher education, manufacturing, economic development, and public-sector planning.
Yes. Beacon Economics provides housing market analysis, demographic analysis, affordability studies, real estate market analysis, land use analysis, workforce housing analysis, and economic consulting services for residential and commercial real estate projects. Learn more about our housing, land use, and real estate consulting services.
Yes. Beacon Economics supports regional economic development planning through economic research, demographic analysis, commute shed analysis, labor market analysis, industry cluster analysis, infrastructure evaluation, CEDS consulting, and long-term strategic economic planning. Learn more about our regional and sub-regional economic analysis.
Beacon Economics combines rigorous economic research with practical business, fiscal, and public policy insight. Beacon Economics focuses on narrative building while delivering actionable economic analysis that supports real-world planning, investment, economic development, tourism management, and policy decisions. Learn more.
Yes. Beacon Economics provides public policy consulting services related to housing policy, economic development, workforce trends, tourism economics, infrastructure investment, land use planning, short-term rental policy, fiscal sustainability, and long-term economic strategy. Learn more about our public policy analysis.
Beacon Economics uses both publicly available data, proprietary data, and client provided data; including but not limited to: labor market data, housing market data, Census information, tourism data, tax revenue data, demographic trends, economic indicators, proprietary forecasting models, and client operational data to support economic consulting and economic research projects.
Yes. Beacon Economics specializes in translating complex economic research into clear insights for executives, elected officials, boards, investors, stakeholders, and community audiences.
Yes. Beacon Economics provides expert witness services, litigation support consulting, economic damages analysis, fiscal analysis, market analysis, and expert economic testimony for legal and regulatory matters. Our economists are available to provide clear and effective public testimony as well as prepare documentation for litigation purposes. Learn more about our litigation support and expert witness services.
Yes. Beacon Economics customizes economic consulting services based on project goals, geography, industry conditions, stakeholder priorities, available data, timeline, and strategic objectives.
Yes. Beacon Economics provides keynote speakers, economic outlook presentations, market briefings, policy presentations, board strategy sessions, conference presentations, and economic updates for public and private sector audiences. Dr. Christopher Thornberg is known for keynote speeches, moving narrative analysis, and thought-provoking presentations. Beacon Economics’ research managers are also available to present on research topics and regional economics. Learn more about our speaking practice.
Beacon Economics speakers regularly present on economic forecasting, state economy, housing markets, labor markets, inflation, interest rates, economic development, tourism economics, short-term rentals, tax revenue forecasting, fiscal outlooks, demographic trends, and regional economic conditions. Each presentation is customized to the client, audience, industry, and regional preference. Learn more about our speaking practice.
Organizations typically begin working with Beacon Economics by discussing project goals, economic research needs, timeline, geography, stakeholder priorities, available data, and deliverables. Beacon Economics serves as a dedicated partner to design a custom project that meets the client’s needs.
Beacon Economics works with the client to determine the timeline necessary for each project. Some projects may span multiple years, whereas other projects may be ready in a matter of weeks.
Clients across a variety of industries, both in the public and private sector, trust Beacon Economics to deliver custom projects that have the power to effectuate change. Good decisions and good policies start with the correct narrative – a narrative rooted in rigorous and nuanced analysis. Over the last two decades, Beacon Economics’ has built and maintained a reputation as one of the most respected economic research organizations in the nation.
Practice Areas
Delivering In-Depth Insight and Customized Strategies Across an Extensive Spectrum of Economic Domains.
Community and Economic Development
Beacon Economics applies data to drive decision making around sustainability, economic growth, and equity.
Litigation Support and Expert Testimony
Working for both plaintiffs and defendants, Beacon Economics brings its reputation for analytical excellence and objectivity to bear on every client’s case.
Housing, Land Use, and Real Estate Advisory
Beacon partners with civic and business leaders to advance actionable solutions to community housing and real estate market challenges.
Economic, Fiscal, and Social Impact Analysis
Used by public and private sector leaders, Beacon’s economic, fiscal, and social impact analyses accurately illustrate the benefit of events, investments, policies, and institutions.
Economic and Revenue Forecasting
Beacon is a leader in delivering accurate, rigorously constructed economic outlooks for geographic regions, public revenue, and occupations and industries.
Regional and Sub-Regional Analysis
Beacon’s regional economic analysis provides a data-driven understanding of how a local economy is performing.