City of Grand Junction Gains in List of Best Performing Cities

The city rose 56 places based on economic growth

ColoradoBiz Staff //February 27, 2019//

City of Grand Junction Gains in List of Best Performing Cities

The city rose 56 places based on economic growth

ColoradoBiz Staff //February 27, 2019//

 

The City of Grand Junction jumped up 56 places overall in the “Best Performing Cities 2018” report released last month by the Milken Institute. Out of the 201 small cities in the U.S. that were ranked, Grand Junction made one of the largest gains by moving from 187th to 131st place.

“We’re thrilled to see such massive gains for Grand Junction,” says Robin Brown, executive director of the Grand Junction Economic Partnership (GJEP). “This proves that our efforts are working and we are headed in the right direction.”

The list is an annual ranking that looks at economic growth in large and small metropolitan statistical areas. The report considers job creation, wage gains and technological developments to evaluate relative growth, noting that advancements in the tech industry are directly related to the most successful regions. The report is released by the Milken Institute, a world-renowned nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank that conducts data-driven research to support global, economic expansion and job creation. The ranking considers wage growth, high-tech GDP concentration and diversity of industries.

Grand Junction ranked 28th in job growth from 2016 to 2017 and 63rd in the 12-month period from August 2017 to August 2018. It ranked 22nd in high-tech GDP growth from 2016 to 2017; previously it ranked 176th in the period between 2012 to 2016.

GJEP recently hired a business development manager who will focus on growing tech and advanced industries across Mesa County. A master plan is underway to develop the local tech industry and Grand Junction will be hosting the first-ever TechStars Startup Week West Slope this upcoming June. “In five years, I see us breaking into the top 25,” says Brown.

 

About the Grand Junction Economic Partnership:
The Grand Junction Economic Partnership (GJEP) works to enhance the economic vitality and quality of life in Colorado’s Grand Valley by supporting high-impact capital investment and job creation.Visit www.gjep.org for more information.