introduction&overview
In survey after survey, the emerging truth about Weld County is that it is one of Colorado’s economic cornerstones and the future looks very robust. Those surveys are also backed up by economic studies that paint a picture of Greeley, Evans and Windsor among the fastest growing places, not just in Colorado but also in the United States. In the last few years the median home price has shot up, wages have steadily increased and local oil and gas extraction has helped transform the state as one of the nation’s top energy producers. A decade ago, Greeley, Evans and Windsor were still fighting through the Great Recession but the region has roared back with unprecedented economic activity. For those who are new to the area, they are arriving in a time of unprecedented economic growth in the region, and for longtime residents the transformation has been stunning. New restaurants, new businesses and new commercial and manufacturing jobs are powering the regional economy, but the foundations have always been strong. 6
GoWest | 2019
Just consider some of the recent findings by outside groups when it comes to the regional economy and lifestyle: • Personal income of Greeley-area residents saw a 4.3% increase from 2016 to 2017; • Greeley jobs grew 5.6% to 106,600 in December 2017 from 100,900 in December 2016, according to seasonally-adjusted data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Greeley ranked sixth in the U.S. for its long-term job growth. From 2012 to 2017, Greeley jobs grew nearly 22% to 106,600 in December 2017 from 87,400 in December 2012. • Weld County was rated the No. 2 county in Colorado for incoming investments based off several criteria: gross domestic product, business growth percentage, new building permits and federal funding. The company assigned a score on a 1-100 scale. Weld was ranked just below Denver for investment activity.
