SACRAMENTO—A new study, Greater Sacramento Fostering Innovation and Ambition, offers pre- and post-pandemic insights around the region's growing economy and real estate demand. Cushman & Wakefield, with support from the Greater Sacramento Economic Council, published the report.

"This report illustrates Sacramento's value proposition in terms of providing a low-cost, high-skill pool of talent but also a quality of life that cannot be replicated anywhere in the state," says Ron Thomas, executive managing director at Cushman & Wakefield, who spearheaded this year's report. "Sharing a talent pool with the San Francisco Bay Area, our region boasts over 79,000 employees possessing in-demand technical skills sought by top tech and life science firms, while our regional educational institutions continue to produce some of the industry's top talent. Greater Sacramento continues to emerge as a hub for innovation in several key industries including life science, technology and healthcare."

The report reveals that there are more than 384,000 students enrolled in a four-year university within a 100-mile radius of Sacramento, and of the region's 79,000 skilled employees, nearly 13% attended California State University Sacramento and more than 10% attended UC Davis. Greater Sacramento also ranks second in the West region as a percentage of employees having a four-year science, technology, engineering and math degree, ranking only behind Seattle.