Recently featured in The Durango Herald, we’re proud to announce the second round of the Housing Catalyst Fund aimed at jumpstarting critical housing projects. The La Plata Economic Development Alliance is thrilled to share the latest update on our ongoing efforts to tackle housing challenges in La Plata County.
Economists shed light on the economic landscape during the 32nd Annual Southwest Economic Outlook hosted by Fort Lewis College Katz School of Business and Bank of Colorado. Fort Lewis College economics associate professor Nate Peach highlighted concerns about rising living costs impacting economic sentiments, especially among the youth.
The Alliance, in partnership with Project Moxie, is offering a three-part educational webinar series on workforce housing development. Find out more about this exciting opportunity.
The Pine River Commons is not just a housing project; it’s a testament to the power of collaboration and community-driven initiatives. We invite you to read the full article by Christian Burney in the Durango Herald to learn more about LPEDA’s role in this transformative project.
How is the economy right now in Durango and La Plata County?
Find out the latest on our employment, home construction, tourism, and other key measures of our local economic performance. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us and we can walk you through what the data means.
Economic conditions in La Plata County from Apr 2015 to Apr 2019.
| Summary | ||||
| Improved (+) | 5 | |||
| No Change (o) | 7 | |||
| Declined (-) | 7 | |||
| Improved (Declined) | (2) | |||
| Current | Last Month | Last Year | Change (vs Last Year) | |
| Workforce | ||||
| Labor Force | 32,189 | 31,494 | 32,039 | o |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 2.6 | 3.1 | 2.3 | – |
| Labor Force Participation (%) | 56.6 | 55.4 | 57.1 | o |
| Job Openings | 1,183 | 715 | 924 | + |
| 8 | ||||
| Construction & Housing | ||||
| New Permits (to Date) | 22 | 16 | 71 | – |
| Value of Permits ($,000) (to Date) | 129,829 | 125,008 | 31,095 | + |
| Home Sales | 71 | 56 | 209 | – |
| Average Home Price ($) | 499,750 | 496,764 | 486,673 | + |
| Earnings Needed* ($) | 87,000 | 85,800 | 85,000 | + |
| 8 | ||||
| Travel & Tourism | ||||
| Enplanements | 13,480 | 15,766 | 13,734 | o |
| Lodgers Tax ($) | 55,452 | 43,493 | 61,323 | – |
| Train Visitors | 3,895 | 3,818 | 3,737 | + |
| 8 | ||||
| Gas & Oil | ||||
| New Permits (to date) | 0 | 0 | 52 | – |
| Production (mmcf) | 0 | 17,176 | 23,948 | – |
| 8 | ||||
| Other | ||||
| Sales Tax, Durango ($,000)** | 1,357 | 1,061 | 1,363 | o |
| Commercial Sales ($,000) (to date) | 3,414 | 1,389 | 12,153 | – |
| Foreclosures (to date) | 14 | 11 | 19 | – |
| Energy Use | ||||
| Commercial (mwh) | 57,500 | 55,262 | 52,775 | + |
| Commercial Accounts | 6,508 | 6,481 | 6,461 | o |
Notes:
*”Earnings needed” is the household income necessary to purchase an average-priced home in La Plata County.
**Sales tax for Durango includes Use Tax.
Sources: Employment: Colorado Department of Labor and US Census Construction & Housing: City of Durango, La Plata County, Mortgage-X.com, and the Wells Group Travel & Tourism: City of Durango, Durango Area Tourism Organization (DATO), and Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Gas & Oil: Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission Other: City of Durango (Sales tax and business permits), La Plata County Treasurers Office (Foreclosures), and LPEA (Energy Use) (LPEA data is unaudited)
How is the economy right now in Durango and La Plata County?
Find out the latest on our employment, home construction, tourism, and other key measures of our local economic performance. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us and we can walk you through what the data means.
Economic conditions in La Plata County from Mar 2015 to Mar 2019.
| Summary | ||||
| Improved (+) | 4 | |||
| No Change (o) | 7 | |||
| Declined (-) | 8 | |||
| Improved (Declined) | (4) | |||
| Current | Last Month | Last Year | Change (vs Last Year) | |
| Workforce | ||||
| Labor Force | 31,494 | 31,330 | 31,381 | o |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 3.1 | 3.7 | 2.9 | – |
| Labor Force Participation (%) | 554 | 55.2 | 56.0 | o |
| Job Openings | 715 | 892 | 881 | – |
| 8 | ||||
| Construction & Housing | ||||
| New Permits (to Date) | 0 | 10 | 52 | – |
| Value of Permits ($,000) (to Date) | 125,008 | 118,992 | 18,655 | + |
| Home Sales | 71 | 56 | 148 | – |
| Average Home Price ($) | 499,750 | 496,764 | 476,352 | + |
| Earnings Needed* ($) | 87,000 | 85,800 | 82,900 | + |
| 8 | ||||
| Travel & Tourism | ||||
| Enplanements | 15,766 | 12,944 | 15,201 | o |
| Lodgers Tax ($) | 43,493 | 41,538 | 42,056 | + |
| Train Visitors | 3,818 | 1,307 | 4,676 | – |
| 8 | ||||
| Gas & Oil | ||||
| New Permits (to date) | 0 | 0 | 47 | – |
| Production (mmcf) | 204 | 15,284 | 25,532 | – |
| 8 | ||||
| Other | ||||
| Sales Tax, Durango ($,000)** | 1,061 | 1,207 | 1,046 | o |
| Commercial Sales ($,000) (to date) | 1,389 | 0 | 11,673 | – |
| Foreclosures (to date) | 11 | 9 | 16 | – |
| Energy Use | ||||
| Commercial (mwh) | 55,262 | 52,619 | 56,074 | o |
| Commercial Accounts | 6,481 | 6,484 | 6,415 | o |
Notes:
*”Earnings needed” is the household income necessary to purchase an average-priced home in La Plata County.
**Sales tax for Durango includes Use Tax.
Sources: Employment: Colorado Department of Labor and US Census Construction & Housing: City of Durango, La Plata County, Mortgage-X.com, and the Wells Group Travel & Tourism: City of Durango, Durango Area Tourism Organization (DATO), and Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Gas & Oil: Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission Other: City of Durango (Sales tax and business permits), La Plata County Treasurers Office (Foreclosures), and LPEA (Energy Use) (LPEA data is unaudited)
How is the economy right now in Durango and La Plata County?
Find out the latest on our employment, home construction, tourism, and other key measures of our local economic performance. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us and we can walk you through what the data means.
Economic conditions in La Plata County from Dec 2014 to Dec 2018.
| Summary | ||||
| Improved (+) | 7 | |||
| No Change (o) | 3 | |||
| Declined (-) | 9 | |||
| Improved (Declined) | (6) | |||
| Current | Last Month | Last Year |
Change (vs Last Year) |
|
| Workforce | ||||
| Labor Force | 32,381 | 33,785 | 31148 | + |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 3.7 | 2.7 | 2.6 | – |
| Labor Force Participation (%) | 57.2 | 58.0 | 55.7 | + |
| Job Openings | 832 | 925 | 941 | – |
| 8 | ||||
| Construction & Housing | ||||
| New Permits (to Date) | 268 | 255 | 308 | – |
| Value of Permits ($,000) (to Date) | 156,977 | 139,692 | 200,111 | – |
| Home Sales | 832 | 755 | 863 | – |
| Average Home Price ($) | 495,946 | 494,455 | 449,244 | + |
| Earnings Needed* ($) | 88,400 | 90,500 | 73,700 | + |
| 8 | ||||
| Travel & Tourism | ||||
| Enplanements | 15338 | 15150 | 14448 | + |
| Lodgers Tax ($) | 45,570 | 91,384 | 42,342 | + |
| Train Visitors | 27,594 | 8,615 | 30,115 | – |
| 8 | ||||
| Gas & Oil | ||||
| New Permits (to date) | 99 | 98 | 108 | – |
| Production (mmcf) | 22,887 | 21,115 | 24,884 | – |
| 8 | ||||
| Other | ||||
| Sales Tax, Durango ($,000)** | 1,263 | 1,492 | 1,171 | o |
| Commercial Sales ($,000) (to date) | 34,888 | 32,398 | 35,142 | – |
| Foreclosures (to date) | 60 | 52 | 54 | + |
| Energy Use | ||||
| Commercial (mwh) | 58,505 | 55,673 | 57,696 | o |
| Commercial Accounts | 6,474 | 6,474 | 6,392 | o |
Notes:
*”Earnings needed” is the household income necessary to purchase an average-priced home in La Plata County.
**Sales tax for Durango includes Use Tax.
Sources: Employment: Colorado Department of Labor and US Census Construction & Housing: City of Durango, La Plata County, Mortgage-X.com, and the Wells Group Travel & Tourism: City of Durango, Durango Area Tourism Organization (DATO), and Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Gas & Oil: Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission Other: City of Durango (Sales tax and business permits), La Plata County Treasurers Office (Foreclosures), and LPEA (Energy Use) (LPEA data is unaudited)
How is the economy right now in Durango and La Plata County?
Find out the latest on our employment, home construction, tourism, and other key measures of our local economic performance. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us and we can walk you through what the data means.
Economic conditions in La Plata County from Oct 2014 to Oct 2018.
| Summary | ||||
| Improved (+) | 4 | |||
| No Change (o) | 7 | |||
| Declined (-) | 8 | |||
| Improved (Declined) | (4) | |||
| Current | Last Month | Last Year |
Change (vs Last Year) |
|
| Workforce | ||||
| Labor Force | 32,785 | 33,395 | 32,714 | o |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 2.7 | 2.6 | 2.2 | – |
| Labor Force Participation (%) | 58.0 | 59.2 | 58.7 | o |
| Job Openings | 925 | 1,007 | 1,752 | – |
| 8 | ||||
| Construction & Housing | ||||
| New Permits (to Date) | 227 | 206 | 249 | – |
| Value of Permits ($,000) (to Date) | 119,175 | 103,676 | 148,2740 | – |
| Home Sales | 688 | 630 | 721 | – |
| Average Home Price ($) | 489,559 | 485,870 | 439,964 | + |
| Earnings Needed* ($) | 89,200 | 86,500 | 71,800 | – |
| 8 | ||||
| Travel & Tourism | ||||
| Enplanements | 17,440 | 17,029 | 17,451 | o |
| Lodgers Tax ($) | 142,586 | 125,226 | 149,761 | – |
| Train Visitors | 15,363 | 17,906 | 13,696 | + |
| 8 | ||||
| Gas & Oil | ||||
| New Permits (to date) | 98 | 86 | 103 | – |
| Production (mmcf) | 25,471 | 23,962 | 24,995 | o |
| 8 | ||||
| Other | ||||
| Sales Tax, Durango ($,000)** | 1,651 | 1,477 | 1,631 | o |
| Commercial Sales ($,000) (to date) | 30,315 | 28,730 | 27,558 | + |
| Foreclosures (to date) | 47 | 45 | 49 | + |
| Energy Use | ||||
| Commercial (mwh) | 55,348 | 54,614 | 54,765 | o |
| Commercial Accounts | 6,464 | 6,452 | 6,408 | o |
Notes:
*”Earnings needed” is the household income necessary to purchase an average-priced home in La Plata County.
**Sales tax for Durango includes Use Tax.
Sources: Employment: Colorado Department of Labor and US Census Construction & Housing: City of Durango, La Plata County, Mortgage-X.com, and the Wells Group Travel & Tourism: City of Durango, Durango Area Tourism Organization (DATO), and Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Gas & Oil: Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission Other: City of Durango (Sales tax and business permits), La Plata County Treasurers Office (Foreclosures), and LPEA (Energy Use) (LPEA data is unaudited)
How is the economy right now in Durango and La Plata County?
Find out the latest on our employment, home construction, tourism, and other key measures of our local economic performance. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us and we can walk you through what the data means.
Economic conditions in La Plata County from Sep 2014 to Sep 2018.
| Summary | ||||
| Improved (+) | 7 | |||
| No Change (o) | 4 | |||
| Declined (-) | 8 | |||
| Improved (Declined) | (1) | |||
| Current | Last Month | Last Year |
Change (vs Last Year) |
|
| Workforce | ||||
| Labor Force | 33,395 | 32,872 | 32,196 | + |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 2.6 | 3.1 | 1.9 | – |
| Labor Force Participation (%) | 59.2 | 58.3 | 57.8 | + |
| Job Openings | 1,007 | 1,175 | 1,698 | – |
| 8 | ||||
| Construction & Housing | ||||
| New Permits (to Date) | 204 | 182 | 207 | o |
| Value of Permits ($,000) (to Date) | 102,730 | 94,238 | 104,409 | o |
| Home Sales | 630 | 561 | 644 | – |
| Average Home Price ($) | 485,870 | 480,586 | 438,935 | + |
| Earnings Needed* ($) | 86,500 | 84,800 | 70,800 | – |
| 8 | ||||
| Travel & Tourism | ||||
| Enplanements | 17,029 | 18,648 | 17,373 | + |
| Lodgers Tax ($) | 125,226 | 142,785 | 142,099 | – |
| Train Visitors | 17,906 | 14,001 | 24,164 | – |
| 8 | ||||
| Gas & Oil | ||||
| New Permits (to date) | 86 | 79 | 93 | – |
| Production (mmcf) | 24,500 | 24,901 | 23,984 | + |
| 8 | ||||
| Other | ||||
| Sales Tax, Durango ($,000)** | 1,477 | 1,487 | 1,510 | – |
| Commercial Sales ($,000) (to date) | 28,730 | 22,487 | 26,208 | + |
| Foreclosures (to date) | 45 | 40 | 46 | + |
| Energy Use | ||||
| Commercial (mwh) | 54,614 | 58,867 | 53,138 | + |
| Commercial Accounts | 6,452 | 6,468 | 6,424 | o |
Notes:
*”Earnings needed” is the household income necessary to purchase an average-priced home in La Plata County.
**Sales tax for Durango includes Use Tax.
Sources: Employment: Colorado Department of Labor and US Census Construction & Housing: City of Durango, La Plata County, Mortgage-X.com, and the Wells Group Travel & Tourism: City of Durango, Durango Area Tourism Organization (DATO), and Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Gas & Oil: Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission Other: City of Durango (Sales tax and business permits), La Plata County Treasurers Office (Foreclosures), and LPEA (Energy Use) (LPEA data is unaudited)
