Florida Trend: Miami-Dade Economic Profile

Miami isn’t just growing — it’s leading. Florida Trend’s 2025 Miami-Dade Regional Economic Profile paints a picture of a region on the rise, fueled by economic growth, real estate development, infrastructure investment, growing businesses, and a thriving arts & nonprofit sector.

For the past two decades, Schwartz Media Strategies, one of the state’s largest full-service, independent communications firms, has played a pivotal role in building brands, amplifying voices, and crafting narratives that are moving Miami and fueling Florida.

Florida Trend’s economic snapshot underscores what we already know: Miami has evolved from a lifestyle destination into a serious player in the global economy. Beyond getting a glimpse at some of the city’s critical sectors, Florida Trend also spotlights the business leaders shaping the market – amounting to a holistic view of where the region is going and who’s making it happen.

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Greater Miami has all the attributes growing businesses need to thrive: a sophisticated economy connected to hemispheric and global markets; a pro-business regulatory and tax climate; a world-class educational system helping prepare an abundant, diverse and skilled workforce; and unmatched cultural and lifestyle amenities. By Jeff Zbar.

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Greater Miami | Overview

Success in the Sunshine

Employers in need of upskilled talent discover education is the lynchpin to future success. The Academic Leaders Council is driving ambitious Talent Development Goals that aim to have 65% of residents, especially those in underserved areas, hold college degrees by 2040. Achieve Miami’s Teacher Accelerator Program seeks to bolster the ranks of educators.

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Professional Services | Banking & Finance

A Global Address for Growing Business

Driven by innovation and global connectivity, Miami has established itself as a world-class destination for businesses seeking growth and expansion.

For growing businesses, the plethora of community, national and international banks means that access to capital is a constant need that’s being addressed with a global sophistication, says Jorge Gonzalez, Vice Chairman & CEO of City National Bank of Florida.

The influx of capital has stimulated job creation, infrastructure development and overall economic vitality, significantly boosting minority-owned enterprises and small- to medium-sized businesses across South Florida, notes Calixto Garcia-Velez, President & CEO of Banesco USA.

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Real Estate

Growth — From the Ground Up

If Miami-Dade County’s real estate market can be described in a single word, it might be, “transformative.”

Throughout the county, formerly moribund streets, blocks, parcels and entire neighborhoods have been central to the county’s continued residential, commercial and industrial rejuvenation. Even before the pandemic, the region’s real estate markets were enjoying robust growth. It hasn’t abated.

Development dots every corner of the county. Steps from the Brightline downtown Miami station, the $6 billion Miami Worldcenter, from brothers Nitin and Dev Motwani’s Merrimac Ventures is a mixed-use re-envisioning of development on 27 acres assembled over almost two decades. It brings residential, office, The Crosby hotel, and retail, including one of the nation’s largest Apple Stores.

Tapping major transportation corridors and logistics networks, expanding work-force, and strong economic momentum, industrial development is booming.

Making Paradise Affordable

Public-private partnerships can bring life to neighborhoods, especially as land grows scarce between the Atlantic Ocean and Everglades, says Arnaud Karsenti, managing principal of Miami-based developer 13th Floor Investments. Partnerships, increasingly including transit-oriented developments, can maximize underused property for housing and infrastructure to benefit the public and private sectors alike.

Homes for Tomorrow’s Growth

Mast Capital has numerous multifamily projects underway across the state, including garden rental apartments. ZOM Living, one of the top multifamily development firms in the country has developed more than 24,000 apartment units and has several multifamily and senior housing projects underway. Among its $2 billion. In current projects across varying price points, Cymbal DLT is building Laguna Gardens, an attainable luxury apartment community underway in Miami Gardens.

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Community & Culture

A Commitment to Community and Culture

A commitment to culture and its nonprofit the community can be seen throughout Miami-Dade County.

The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts since 2006 has brought some 300 artistic and cultural events to the community, including 100 learning experiences each year for 80,000 children. And in the Miami Design District, the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami showcases local, emerging and under-recognized artists.

Nonprofits here are part of a $2.1 billion sector, and impact the quality of individual lives and the role greater society can play. The Miami Foundation is part of a growing philanthropy movement across the region, in both the dollar amounts and number of people giving, says President and CEO Rebecca Fishman Lipsey.

“We’re seeing generosity become a core part of how our community rises in Miami,” she says. “It’s our responsibility to make sure all of the neighborhood-based heroes with context and expertise on the ground have what they need too.”

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People to Know

This curated list highlights leaders across industries who are shaping the region’s growth — from real estate and finance to healthcare, tech, law, logistics, and more.

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As one of the state’s largest full-service, independent communications, digital marketing and public affairs firms, Schwartz Media Strategies has helped solidify Florida’s position as the most active destination for inbound migration and economic development.

“Phrases like ‘global’ and ‘world-class’ have become everyday descriptors for Miami. By shaping the narrative of our region’s most influential companies, we don’t just elevate brands — we help position Florida as a global leader in innovation, business, and culture.” — Tadd Schwartz, President, Schwartz Media Strategies.