Reports

SDMAC’s annual Military Economic Impact Report (MEIR) highlights the impact of federal defense budgets, veteran benefits, and the military, veterans, and their families on San Diego’s economy. The 2024 MEIR report is a product of the strong relationship between SDMAC and the UC San Diego Rady School of Management.

This report highlights the unique partnership between NAVWAR and the City of San Diego as the Navy is looking to redevelop the 70.3-acre Naval Base Point Loma Old Town Campus, home to NAVWAR.

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SDMAC’s annual Military Economic Impact Report (MEIR) highlights the positive impact of federal defense budgets, veteran benefits, and community involvement by our local military, veterans, and their families on our local economy. Through the partnership formed at the start of 2020, the 2022 MEIR report is a product of the rigorous work of MBA students at the UC San Diego Rady School of Management. Leveraging insights from the frontier of academic research, the team’s data analysts applied tools to calculate the impact of military dollars on the San Diego region.

California currently is one of only nine states that fully tax the pay of its 146,000 military retirees. Many factors affect the decision of members of the Armed Forces regarding where they will live after retirement. Climate, housing costs, where they have been based, and employment opportunities are important. Whether or not a state taxes their military pension benefits is also a factor. Between 2000 and 2016, the nation’s population of military retirees increased by 17%. California, which was one of only five states that saw a reduction in the number of its military retirees, saw a decline of 17%.

This 2018 study analyzed what the impact would be of fully exempting retired military pay from taxes.

SDMAC is a proud founding member of the California Defense Community Alliance, which created the 2021 Military Spouse Employment Report for California. This report highlights the issues that military spouses face in the state of California.

NAVWAR’s economic impact in San Diego.