–submitted by Ellsworth Brown
Zach Brandon opened his presentation by giving a snapshot of Greater Madison in 1999 and then made some comparisons to where things stand in 2024 before ultimately projecting out to 2050.
He delivered a master statistical, fast-passed, data-driven storyline that mapped fifty years of actual and projected changes.
As an example, a house in Madison was advertised for $173,000. The same house today is listed at $461,000. Epic’s MyChart was in development. Epic’s current annual revenue is valued at $5 billion in 16 countries and MyChart is now the dominant entry point for all medical records.
Madison now ranks third in concentration of software developers and was one of 12 places to receive funding through the Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs program. Coincidentally, its housing market, even inadequate, and Madison’s amenities help rank the city among the top 20 best places to live that are also technology hubs—no wildfires, hurricanes, or major flooding. It is well-positioned with respect to current climate changes. New rapid transit buses help linear expansion throughout Dane County. Moreover, the addition of key jobs creates a multiplier of complementary services and additional residents.
And so to “Outsight: 2050” . . . For work and living, Millennials’ influx has been followed by Gen Z. Madison ranked 9th in the country, according to data released in 2023, in Gen Z net migration. Brandon uses an estimated projection for Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area 2050 population at 1,000,000, a potential increase of 300,000.
Brandon’s presentation is complex but easily followed in the video recording: https://youtu.be/PFzrZ_WjTU4.
Rotary Club of Madison, Wisconsin 