Durango Ecomony

Introduction:
The Durango area has many economic as well as quality of life advantages for those in business who are planning an expansion and/or better service to their southwestern markets. Durango has a very well-educated work force and wage levels which are significantly lower than comparable wages in the Denver area. Labor unions have never been a major force in the Durango area.

Durango and La Plata County are located at some distance from the urban areas of the Colorado front range cities and the urban areas of New Mexico and Arizona (see climate/location). However, Durango is very cosmopolitan in its economic and cultural makeup. The area is the center for medical care for northwestern New Mexico, southeastern Utah and southwestern Colorado. In addition, Durango is fortunate to be the location of Fort Lewis College, a fully accredited, four-year, state supported institution of higher learning. The area also attracts well-educated retired persons who add their knowledge and experience to the local resource base. Thus, the community and county are quite sophisticated in atmosphere and human resource base.

What Sectors Employ Durango/La Plata County Workers:
Currently, the retail and service sectors employ the largest shares of employees. The information below provides this information for La Plata County. The concentration of employment in retail trade and services reflects the importance of tourism to the local economy.

Average Annual Wage by Industry

La Plata County 2005 Total Employment	# of Jobs	% of Jobs	#of Owners	Avg. Annual Wage
Agriculture	661	2%	524
Mining & Utilities	603	2%	99	$114,292
Construction	3,610	11%	1030	$30,702
Manufacturing	791	3%	193	$27,826
Transportation/Whse	761	2%	107	$53,376
Retail Trade	3,879	12%	626	$26,428
F, I & RE	2,045	6%	836	$47,749
Services	12,125	42%	2,829	$31,630
Government	5,350	17%	0	$46,645
Total	31,469	100%	6,343

SOURCE: Colorado, Department of Labor and Employment, Colorado Employment and Wages, Annual Averages

The economy of La Plata County is very reliant upon tourism. The impact of tourist spending upon the level of retail sales in the county is great. It should be noted that those businesses that sell at the wholesale level or that produce goods for consumption elsewhere will not be a part of the county's retail sales volume. Some manufacturing and wholesale companies as well as the entire agricultural sector of the county fall into this category.

Retail sales do give an important insight into those sectors which provide the base for sales tax collections. Retail sales provide the city and county, as well as the state, with a significant portion of their tax base.

Durango & La Plata County Economy

Average Annual Wage by Industry