SCAG Releases 2026 State of the Region Report
SCAG’s “2026 State of the Region” report provides a baseline of conditions in the SCAG region to identify emergent issues and future regional planning needs. The report tracks progress implementing strategies across Southern California related to the four pillars of the Connect SoCal 2024 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy: mobility, communities, environment, and economy.
Southern California has changed in obvious, but sometimes surprising, ways since 2000. Report data reveal statistical nuances behind the region’s slowing population growth, namely that increasing numbers of households and smaller average household sizes are still pressuring the region’s infamously expensive housing market. The region’s demographics are also defined by aging and a more heterogeneous, multiracial population.
The report also reveals a reduced reliance on single-occupancy vehicles, with more trips shifting to public transit, per capita, as the region continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Reduced vehicle traffic could explain steady gains in air quality seen in the report, but there’s still plenty of work ahead on the environment: the report reveals increased energy use due to changes in the economy, and while water use has decreased due to effective implementation of water-saving technology, mounting pressure on state water supplies and the Colorado River demand more progress.
Finally, the region’s economy has shown remarkable resilience through multiple shocks and stressors. Unemployment decreased by half from 2020 to 2024, and the region’s gross domestic product (GDP) continues to rise, accounting for almost half of California’s total GDP. Median household income is also increasing while the region’s poverty rate is decreasing.
The “2026 State of the Region” report was released in conjunction with a SCAG Joint Policy Committee meeting in April, which focused on SCAG activity for the Connect SoCal 2050 Regional Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy. During this meeting, members heard several updates on data collection and inputs for the next plan cycle, along with highlights from the “State of the Region,” to begin laying the groundwork for planning activities that will roll out over the next year.
The “2026 State of the Region” report is presented as a digital collection of StoryMaps to create an immersive experience that makes complex regional data easier to explore, understand, visualize, and share. With this comprehensive assessment, Southern California is prepared to make more informed decisions about the future of the region.