San Diego County last year saw its GDP rise 1.4% to $261.7 billion — bigger than half the states in America.

In data released Wednesday by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, the U.S. gross domestic product grew 2.9% to $22.7 trillion — by far the largest in the world.

Slower GDP growth was common across the U.S. in 2023 in the bureau’s delayed data, but followed major gains during and after the pandemic. For instance, San Diego’s GDP rose 7.3% in 2021 and 3.1% in 2022.

GDP is the value of goods and services produced by the county’s economy less the value of goods and services used up in production. The bureau uses real values, which takes into account inflation and is part of the reason it takes longer to calculate data.

San Diego County had the 10th largest GDP in the nation. Los Angeles County was the biggest at $802 billion. Nearby Orange County was ninth at $273 million. Petroleum County, Montana, had the lowest at $17 million.

Alan Gin, economist at University of San Diego, said America’s Finest City is often overshadowed by Los Angeles County, and many people forget how strong the local economy is.

“San Diego is a big player,” he said.

Gin said it’s important to remember GDP isn’t just manufacturing but services as well, from hotel stays to gyms. He said San Diego’s diversified economy — military, tourism, biotech — is a reason for its staying power.

San Diego County also had the 10th biggest GDP of all U.S. counties in 2022 and 2021. It was ninth in 2020.

While San Diego County might not top the U.S. list, it still is bigger than the gross national product of many nations, including Greece ($234 billion), Hungary ($190 billion), Morocco ($142 billion) and Ecuador ($118 billion).

Another way to look at it: The GDP in San Diego County is more than 25 entire states. San Diego’s GDP of $261.7 billion outpaces all of Louisiana ($249 billion), Alabama ($245 billion), Utah ($225 billion), Kentucky ($224 billion) and more.

San Diego County is the fifth-largest county in America so one might be tempted to think our GDP should be higher. Counties with smaller populations but with outsized GDPs are more a reflection of outliers rather than anything negative about San Diego, said Eduardo Velasquez, senior director of research and economic development at the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp.

For instance, Santa Clara County — home to Silicon Valley — had the fifth-largest GDP in 2023, but is only the 18th most populated county in the U.S.

Velasquez said San Diego benefits from a lot of innovation across tech and biotech but it’s also got blue collar and service jobs, which creates a broader economic mix.

“The reason we have such a large regional GDP is the type of companies and types of industries that have high pay associated with it,” he said. “It’s what is really making those numbers pop.”

California was, by far, the state with the largest GDP at $3.2 trillion, followed by Texas at $2 trillion and New York at $1.8 trillion. The economic might of the Golden State has been a big topic this week as Gov. Gavin Newsom is leading a special legislative session in Sacramento this week to combat what he calls potential “federal overreach” by the incoming Trump administration.

In 2023 across the U.S., real GDP increased in 2,357 counties, decreased in 734 counties, and was unchanged in 23 counties. Seven California counties saw GDP drop: Yolo County, down 0.9%; Sutter County, down 0.8%; Sierra County, down 2.4%; San Luis Obispo County, down 0.4%; San Joaquin County, down 0.6%; San Benito County, down 2%; and Glenn County, down 1.3%.

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Biggest GDP by U.S. County

2023 numbers, in order by largest

1. Los Angeles: $802 billion2. New York: $797 billion3. Harris: $430 billion4. Cook: $428 billion5. Santa Clara: $390 billion6. King: $389.4 billion7. Maricopa: $311 billion8. Dallas: $305 billion9. Orange: $273 billion10. San Diego: $261 billion

Source: U.S. Department of Commerce

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