Virginia's Economic Forecast, April 2025
A quarterly economic forecast for the Commonwealth of Virginia, created by the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service.
Research
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Demographics
Delivering practical, policy-oriented analysis of census and demographic data.
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Economics
Examining taxes, economic development, workforce data, and flood resilience.
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Energy
Informing policy through research to facilitate solar development in Virginia.
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Survey Research
Providing full-service survey design, data collection, and report preparation.
Featured
Evaluating Well-being Retreats for Nursing Students
The Center for Survey Research (CSR) collaborated with University of Virginia’s Compassionate Care Institute (CCI) to explore the immediate and 30-day impact of wellness retreats, which support self-care and self-compassion, in nursing curricula.
Economic Impact of Federal Job Loss: Slide Presentation
On April 8, 2025, Cooper Center researchers presented slides to the Virginia House of Delegates Emergency Committee on the Impacts of Federal Workforce and Funding Reductions that defined the scope of the issue and offered reduction scenarios.
Shaping the Future of Solar
This report lays out observational case studies of notable examples of public engagement related to solar policy in Virginia.
Why Southwest Virginia’s Population Trends Are Changing in the 2020s
A tightening labor supply will give workers more choice in who they work for, while the persistence of remote work will continue to offer many workers significantly more freedom in where they choose to live. That shift is creating new opportunities for rural regions like Southwest Virginia. With its scenery, mild climate, distinctive culture, and location near the fast-growing triangle formed by Nashville, Raleigh, and Atlanta, the region is well placed to compete for new residents.
Evaluation of the Virginia College Advising Corps
The Center for Survey Research (CSR) conducted a multi-phase, mixed-mode evaluation of the Virginia College Advising Corps (VCAC) to support the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) in planning and developing future directions for post-secondary advising in Virginia.
Sampling the Hard-to-Reach: Examining the Efficacy of Response-Rate Adjusted Stratified Sampling Selection
On May 16, 2025, the Center for Survey Research presented work at the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) Annual Conference in St. Louis, MO, focusing on sampling hard-to-reach populations who are often underrepresented in surveys.
Older Virginians by Region
This blog post examines the demographics of Virginians aged 60 and older across eight regions in the Commonwealth, offering a regional perspective on the needs of this rapidly growing population.
Federal Workforce Briefing #3: 3.20.25
The Cooper Center's third policy briefing on changes to the federal workforce and its relationship to Virginia's economy.
Federal Workforce Briefing #2: 3.11.25
Second policy brief on the impact of federal jobs on Virginia's economy.
Cost of Community Services: Albemarle County
Cooper Center analysis of the Cost of Community Services for land use categories in Albemarle County for FY 2022.
Federal Workforce Briefing #1: 2.27.25
The first Weldon Cooper Center policy briefing on the importance of federal jobs for the Virginia economy.
Reston Community Center (RCC) Community Survey
A survey for the Reston Community Center (RCC) that assesses awareness and support for RCC, determines current and projected program use, explores barriers to RCC participation, and captures preferences to inform consideration of a future community facility.
Farming in Virginia
Million-dollar farms (MDFs) are in comparatively good health and have enabled Virginia—and the U.S. more broadly—to produce more with fewer farms. Meanwhile, the small farms that form the basis of the Commonwealth’s long tradition of agriculture are struggling in an increasingly consolidated agricultural landscape.