UCSB Economic Forecast Project

🎙️ Tomorrow is the day, Santa Barbara!
The 45th Annual Santa Barbara County Economic Summit is Thursday, May 21 at the Granada Theatre. Join us for three can't-miss talks:
📊 Peter Rupert -- How's the Economy?
🤖 Igor Mezic -- AI for Autonomous Everything (AIAE): Where Do We Stand and Where Are We Going?
🌅 Zack Kass -- The Next Renaissance & Societal Thresholds

🎟️ Register now: https://artsandlectures.ucsb.edu/events-tickets/events/25-26/2026-economic-summit/

2026 Santa Barbara County Economic Summit on May 21, 2026 | UCSB Arts & Lectures Artificial intelligence is reshaping industries, workforces, and local economies. The 2026 Economic Summit brings together the region's leading voices to explore what it means for Santa Barbara County and beyond. Presented by UCSB Economic Forecast Project. Get tickets for 2026 Santa Barbara County....

A huge thank you to the Santa Barbara Zoo and our sponsors for making last Friday's Winter Economic Forum a success! On February 13th, we heard from the new UC Santa Barbara Chancellor, Dr. Dennis Assanis; the new president and CEO of the Santa Barbara Zoo, Charles Hopper; and Dr. Peter Rupert.

One takeaway that sparked significant discussion: Peter's data showing that Santa Barbara home prices (indexed at 180.7) have pulled well ahead of personal income growth (148.4) since 2015 — and rents have nearly doubled in that same period, outpacing both California and the national average. For many workers, owning — or even renting — in Santa Barbara is increasingly out of reach.

As Falko Hörnicke at U.S. Bank put it: "I found Peter’s analysis about wage increase and home price/rent development insightful. Certainly an eye opener for many attendees that those two have run in parallel instead of diverging."

If you attended, what stood out to you? Drop your thoughts in the comments below. 💡

Read more about the discussion here: https://efp.ucsb.edu/blog/previous-speaking-engagements/2026-winter-economic-forum