The next decade of
Sunshine City growth.
A live, interactive economic and target industry analysis for the City of St. Petersburg — built by House Strategies Group as the companion to our RFP 26-157 response.
City Population
263.6K
+6.5% since 2014
Total Jobs (City)
139.4K
+11.7% since 2019
Median HHI
$67.5K
+22% since 2019
Unemployment
3.4%
Below FL avg of 3.7%
A decade later
The 2014 Grow Smarter Initiative needs a 2026 refresh — and the data is ready to lead.
Twelve years after the City and EDC adopted the original five target clusters, the labor market, climate environment, and innovation landscape look fundamentally different. Some clusters are still running. Others have stalled. New ones have emerged.
This portal previews the analytical lens HSG will bring to the refresh — driven by federal-grade methodology, AI-enhanced data synthesis, and deep Tampa Bay roots.
2014 clusters viable
3 of 5
HSG-recommended clusters
7
Stakeholder touchpoints planned
129+
2014 Cluster Status · 2024 LQ
Grow Smarter — a decade in
Marine & Life Sciences
5,650 jobs · LQ 1.62
Specialized Manufacturing
4,900 jobs · LQ 0.71
Financial Services
11,200 jobs · LQ 1.07
Data Analytics & Decision Support
3,800 jobs · LQ 0.86
Creative Arts & Design
5,200 jobs · LQ 1.31
HSG Recommended
Seven target clusters for St. Petersburg's next chapter
Four refined, three new — each tied to data, anchor employers, and a clear implementation pathway. The full justification, KPIs, and policy recommendations live in the cluster page.
Marine, Life & Climate Sciences
LQ 1.62 · highest research density per capita in FL gulf coast
Financial Services & FinTech
Raymond James 8,500+ FTE; HQ-grade financial cluster anchor
AI, Data & Decision Sciences
Fastest-growing white-collar cluster in MSA; 22% job growth 2019-2024
Creative Arts, Design & Cultural Tourism
Tourism + creative class = 18% of city employment
What's in the portal
Four pillars · one engagement
Six phases · 16 weeks
HSG's engagement architecture
Federal-grade rigor with municipal sensitivity. Every phase has named deliverables, defined cadences, and clear City decision gates.
See full project planDiscovery & Data Foundation
Weeks 1-3City-led kickoff & charter · Authoritative data ingest (BLS QCEW, ACS, FL DEO LMS, EMSI) · …
Economic & Market Assessment
Weeks 3-7Location quotient analysis (city, county, MSA) · Workforce demographics, capabilities, underemployment · …
Stakeholder Engagement
Weeks 4-10129+ interviews, focus groups, surveys · Public input portal (this site, post-award) · …
Benchmarking & Best Practices
Weeks 6-11Peer-city deep dives (7+ cities) · Strategy and incentive scan · …
Synthesis & Recommendations
Weeks 10-14Refined and new target-cluster definitions · Implementation roadmap & KPIs · …
Final Report, Presentation & Public Forum
Weeks 14-16Comprehensive final report (with full appendix) · Public forum presentation · …
Why House Strategies Group
A federal-grade firm with Tampa Bay roots
Tampa Bay headquartered
HSG operates from Tampa with a Washington, DC office. Local presence, local stakeholder access, and Florida-qualified team.
AI-enhanced delivery
HSG pairs traditional analytics with AI-augmented data synthesis. Faster turnaround, deeper triangulation, full transparency log.
Public-sector pedigree
USDA, HUD, VA, Navy, State Department — federal compliance experience translated to municipal economic strategy.
2014 plan literacy
HSG read the original Grow Smarter strategy back-to-front. Recommendations build on what worked, refine what struggled.
Stakeholder-first analytics
129+ touchpoints across employers, small business, education, healthcare, and the public. Equity dialogues with South St. Pete CRA.
Implementation-ready output
Final report includes a 24-month implementation roadmap, KPI baselines, and a public-private partnership architecture.
Let's talk
Ready to discuss
RFP 26-157?
Reach out to the HSG team for a 30-minute capability briefing, a deeper data walkthrough, or to share supplemental materials ahead of the May 21 submission.