Eagle County Economic Indicators

Here you’ll find up-to-date information regarding the health of the Vail Valley economy. Detailed annual reports are available at the bottom of this page, along with links to a number of special reports.

Information includes sales tax data, local employment information, real estate performance and more.

Scroll below to review the three-year quarterly performance of several key economic indicators.

COVID Impacts Business Survey – Round 1
Surveyed from 3/26/20 – 3/31/20
203 total responses, 158 complete

COVID Impacts Business Survey – Round 2
Surveyed from 4/28/20 – 5/6/20
126 total responses, 104 complete

Colorado and US Economic Overview (8/22/20: CO-based Business and Economic Research)

Eagle County Community Profile (August 2020: NWCCOG Economic Development District)

Economy Overview Eagle County CO

Vail Economic Indicators Grid Summer 2017

Northwest Colorado Council of Governments: Eagle County Economic Overview

Three-year Quarterly Performance through Q2, 2019

Eagle County Retail Sales and Sales Tax

  • Sales tax collections peak in the first quarter and are at their lowest point in the second quarter.
  • First and second quarter 2019 sales tax is up from the previous two years.
  • Retail sales in 2018 were higher in each quarter than 2017.

Size of Labor Force and Unemployment Rate

 

  • The size of the labor force is substantially higher during the first quarter than in any other quarter.
  • The unemployment rate varies by quarter and has increased in the first two quarters of 2019 compared to the same quarters in 2018.
  • The spikes in the labor force in the first quarter of each year reflect a sizable seasonal population that is employed during the height of the tourist season, but do not remain within the county year-round.
  • Overall, the unemployment rate has remained quite low since quarter 3 of 2016, with exception of quarter 4 of 2018.  The size of the labor force has been consistently growing over this time period, with each quarter showing growth when compared to the same quarter in the previous year.

Eagle County Economic Stress

 

  • Economic Stress is at its minimum at values around zero to slightly positive.
  • High positive values indicate situations where the number employed is growing faster than the size of the labor force, producing labor pool shortages over time.
  • High negative values indicate situations where the size of the labor force is growing faster than the number becoming employed, increasing unemployment rate over time.
  • Economic stress has been relatively low since the last quarter of 2016, indicating a good balance between the size of the labor force and the number of individuals who are employed. However, stress was relatively high in the last quarter of 2018 and the first quarter of 2019.

Eagle County Real Estate Performance - Total Dollar Volume and Number of Transactions

 

  • Dollar volume and number of transactions are at their lowest point in the first quarter of each year.
  • Quarters that show that the number of transactions is well above total dollar volume indicates situations where there are a disproportionately high number of transactions that had a relatively low sale price.
  • Quarter 2 2018 performance was better than the same quarter in 2016, but the number of transactions was slightly lower than quarter 2 2017 and dollar volume was considerably lower.
  • Dollar volume in quarter 2 and quarter 3 of 2018 outperformed the same quarters in 2017. Quarter 4 2018 is slightly lower than the same quarter in 2017.