Region-wide Issues
Welcome to Northwest Colorado! All five counties in the Northwest
Colorado region share similarities, yet each has unique
social, economic and environmental challenges and
opportunities. Each county has written a profile to
describe their communities, interests and unique aspects
to help you understand the place we call home. The
counties of Grand, Jackson, Moffat Rio Blanco and Routt
comprise the area of Northwest Colorado. The social,
economic and environmental components of each county
vary greatly and demonstrate the unique qualities of
their communities including citizens, jobs, wages,
recreation, environment, geography, and civic aspects.
Economy
The economic opportunities in Northwest
Colorado include significant natural resources for
recreation, tourism and energy exploration and
development. Energy exploration and development and
agriculture have long been part of our economy, while
the recreation and tourism are a newer and growing
industry. The construction industry fluctuates with the
economic shifts and changes in the incoming population
and demographics. In the past twenty years, the
healthcare and education sectors have also grown to be
able to care for and educate the region’s residents. Our
community colleges of Colorado Mountain College and
Colorado Northwestern Community College provide a
transition to four year college education and a variety
of technical and trade certificate programs, which
assist workforce development.
Workforce
In our region, there is a great deal of
interdependence between counties, noted by the movement
of people to live, work and play. The economic sectors
may rely on neighboring counties for workforce. Often
workers in the region’s smaller towns or counties may
not possess the appropriate skills necessary to fill the
jobs within their own county. This impacts
transportation on our highways. Families may also feel
the effects of this because caregivers, parents and
wage-earners are living and working miles apart.
Regional Challenges
Our regional challenges include a higher
cost of living, especially in the resort areas, long
commuter travel times due to the distance between jobs
and an “affordable community,” and the fact that we
might live in one community and work elsewhere. Access
to healthcare is a challenge related to income and cost
of living and the ability of communities to provide
important services. Another regional challenge—and
opportunity—is the population shifts in each county,
such as the influx of the baby boomer generation and the
out migration of our population ages 18 - 40. Each of
our communities is challenged by the ability to adapt to
these changes.
Northwest Colorado’s nonprofit
organizations are a community asset. They provide
services for people and promote the overall “health” of
our communities in the areas of social, recreation,
education, healthcare and general well-being. Our
continued ability to communicate and cooperate will
determine the future of our corner of Colorado.
For additional information, please go to the
regional needs assessments and community indicator
reports below.
Yampa Valley Partners:
2009-2010 Community Indicator Report
The Grand Foundation:
2009 Grand County Needs Assessment
Jackson County Nursing Services:
2006 County Needs Assessment
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