By: The Pottawatomie County Economic Development Corporation (PCEDC) | 7.22.26
Q2 stats for Pottawatomie County show an anticipated summer-time boost in home sales, and continued sales tax growth. The number of building permits issued in the county outpaced permits issued in 2025; this pattern follows from the first quarter. In addition, the workforce numbers for both Pottawatomie and Riley counties remained steady. Generally, the indicators point to positive growth for the county throughout the first half of the year.
Download a printer-friendly version of the Q2 report.
Pottawatomie County Employment & Workforce
Pottawatomie county’s workforce has remained strong throughout the first half of the year, with no large surprises in the workforce estimates for Q2. Finishing the quarter with a labor force (those working or looking for work) of over 13,000 and the vast majority of those employed, Pottawatomie County’s unemployment June rate is lower than the state average rate (4.1% when not seasonally adjusted). This indicates both a strong workforce and good availability of work for those in the area.
The Census Bureau’s OnTheMap tool allows for analysis that sheds some light on where workers live and work in the area; this is helpful since it can be expected that a number of people are commuting between surrounding areas (particularly Riley county), and contributing as consumers in multiple retail markets along the way. Indeed, the numbers suggest significant inflow and outflow of workers/residents in Pottawatomie County. Note, however, that the following chart data is from a few years past (2023):
Pottawatomie County Sales Tax and Retail Sales Data
Sales and use taxes collected in Q2 of 2026 so far total to over $1,456,000, representing around $71,000 of growth when compared to the same quarter last year. Overall, as of the end of June, the 2026 sales tax total was $2,979,927, which comes out to a $115,577 increase over Q1-Q2 of 2025.
Pottawatomie County Housing Trends
The summer months are generally strong for home sales, so the Q2 boost Pottawatomie County experienced is to be anticipated. However, as of the end of Q2 2026, the number of homes sold is around 19% higher than those sold by this time in 2025; if this pattern continues, the county could see significantly more sales this year.
Along with strong home sales numbers, the county is experiencing boosted building permit issuances. Q2 wrapped up with 111 total building permits issued. 47 of these were for dwellings, which totals to 11 more from the end of Q2 2025. While many of the building permits issued are for “other” permits, which may be smaller projects on private property, these permits also indicate a level of economic confidence from their builders, and could generate investment in local supplies and/or labor.
National & Global Concerns
Solar Power Generation Outpacing Coal for the First Time
According to a recent Sherwood news article, Solar has now become third-largest source of electricity geneartion in the US, behind natural gas and nuclear. This puts solar generation ahead of coal, and comes as new funding is being invested into the coal market by the current administration. While coal generation has been on the decline, it was just a few decades ago when coal was the largest source of energy in the country. Now, with solar electricity just inching past coal electricity generation, it seems that renewable fuel sources could be starting to gain a long-sought foothold, and solar power-based goods and services may become more prevalent in the coming years.
How are Americans Using AI?
AI has been used by over half of Americans – but what are they using AI for, aside from just trying out the new tech? According to recent stats presented by USAFacts, the data is showing that the leading use of AI is to find factual information, which is perhaps unsurprising given the integration of AI in search tools and the capabilities of chat-based models. Notably, although perhaps unsurprisingly, “assiting with work projects” and “assisting with schoolwork” also made the list of uses at 20.9% and 11.7%, respectively, underscoring the need for business and education leaders alike to develop approaches and policies regarding AI use.
Download a printer-friendly version of the Q2 report.
