A new citywide business survey shows that Coral Gables enjoys strong approval from its commercial base, with nine in 10 local employers calling the city an excellent or good place to do business. The findings, based on a statistically significant sample of 110 businesses, offer the city its first data-driven benchmarking in more than a decade and will guide upcoming development priorities.

“This survey marks the first statistically significant benchmarking effort of its kind for our business community in over a decade,” said Belkys Pérez, the city’s economic development director. “Conducted in spring 2025, it gathered responses from 110 business owners and managers and provides key insights into local economic conditions. The results will play a vital role in future economic development planning and are being used as supporting data in our application for the Community of Excellence Award.”

The 2025 National Business Survey of Coral Gables was administered in partnership with Polco/National Research Center and included online responses across a range of industries, company sizes, and geographic areas within the city. It paints a largely positive picture—with caveats tied to affordability, infrastructure, and staffing.

High marks on business climate

Among respondents:

• 89% rated Coral Gables as an excellent or good place to do business, surpassing the national benchmark of 78% .
• 88% rated the overall quality of life in the city as excellent or good, higher than the national average.
• 83% rated the city’s overall economic health positively, 10 points above the benchmark.

Nearly nine in 10 respondents felt the city was either “somewhat” or “very” supportive of business growth. 83% expressed satisfaction with Coral Gables’ permitting process, compared to just 66% nationally.

“The results show that Coral Gables is viewed very positively by its business community,” Pérez noted. “Key strengths included the city’s support for business growth, workforce readiness, job creation, and communication with the business sector.”

More than half (56%) of respondents described their own company’s financial situation as “excellent,” and another 34% said “good.” Only 10% reported a poor or failing outlook for their businesses .

‘The results will play a vital role in future economic development planning and are being used as supporting data in our application for the (National League of Cities’) Community of Excellence Award.’

Belkys Perez (Above), Coral Gables Economic Development director

Workforce, hiring outlook

Workforce readiness was another area of relative strength. 69% of business owners rated the availability of qualified employees as excellent or good, while 75% approved of educational institutions’ preparedness of the workforce—a rating well above national norms.

Despite broader labor market tightening, 55% of Coral Gables businesses said they plan to hire new staff in the next six to 12 months . Among those not hiring, the top reasons cited were lack of qualified applicants, high salary expectations, and broader cost pressures.

A majority (57%) said it was “somewhat” or “very difficult” to hire new employees, echoing concerns voiced by regional employers in Greater Miami.

Communication, city services

Communication and transparency between the city and business leaders earned high ratings. 83% of businesses gave positive marks to city communications with the business community, and 87% were satisfied with access to city leadership and staff when needed.

Satisfaction with city services and responsiveness also exceeded national averages in categories such as zoning, code enforcement, and planning.

When asked how likely they would be to recommend Coral Gables as a place to do business, 86% responded positively. Similarly, 91% said they were at least somewhat likely to keep their business in Coral Gables for the next five years.

Areas for improvement

Not all findings were upbeat. Survey respondents repeatedly flagged affordability concerns and infrastructure shortfalls, particularly around housing and parking:

• 79% of businesses said housing affordability for workers was a serious or moderate concern.
• 69% cited parking availability as a significant challenge, especially in and around downtown Coral Gables.
• 62% said the general cost of living in Coral Gables posed a barrier to business recruitment and retention .

Pérez acknowledged these realities. “Areas for continued focus include affordable workforce housing, parking availability, and cost of living.”

Among written comments submitted by participants, many praised the city’s aesthetics and customer foot traffic but emphasized frustration with what one respondent called “the everyday challenge of parking for both employees and clients.” Another noted that Coral Gables was “a beautiful city but increasingly out of reach for younger workers.”

Strategic next steps

According to the report, the survey will serve as a foundational document for the city’s upcoming economic development strategic update. Pérez said her team will use the data to identify high-impact initiatives, including employer-assisted housing strategies, downtown parking solutions, and small business outreach.

The city also plans to incorporate the findings into its submission for the National League of Cities’ Community of Excellence Award, which recognizes best practices in economic vitality, planning, and public-private collaboration.

In the cover memo accompanying the report, Economic Development Director Belkys Pérez emphasized the value of the survey in guiding long-term planning. “This survey provides important benchmark data that will inform future strategic economic development initiatives,” she wrote. “It is the first statistically valid business survey conducted by the City and offers a baseline from which we can measure progress over time.”

Long-term benchmarking, engagement

The survey’s release marks a return to data-driven planning for Coral Gables, which has not conducted a statistically significant business poll of this type in over ten years. Officials expect to repeat the exercise every two to three years to track progress.

The city has also signaled that it will hold follow-up roundtables with business leaders in partnership with the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce and the Business Improvement District, in order to deepen engagement on the topics surfaced in the survey.

Next steps also include a deeper dive into minority- and women-owned business experiences, as well as the perspectives of home-based businesses and commercial startups, which were underrepresented in the 2025 sample.

As Coral Gables continues to compete with regional peers like Miami Beach and Brickell for talent and investment, city leaders see the survey as both a mirror and a map. The consensus among business owners is clear: Coral Gables enjoys a strong brand and engaged leadership—but sustaining growth will depend on addressing the pressures of price, space, and workforce access.