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November 2020 | October 2020 | September 2020

November 2020

Fort Collins ranked #1 Top Places to Live

Fort Collins recently ranked #1 on Livability's 2020 Top Places List followed by Longmont #25, Castle Rock #34 and Loveland #39. Livability ranks small-to-medium sized cities based on key factors like community amenities, education, sustainability, transportation, housing and the economy. This year's list also took into account a new metric called an "opportunity score" that Livability used to determine each city's landscape of opportunity, including variables like job numbers, broadband access, economic resilience and growth.

IRES 3rd Quarter homes prices, close sales up

Information and Real Estate Services (IRES) recently released their Q3 2020 MarketWatch Report and in Northern Colorado home prices were up across the board. In Larimer County, the average sales price was $514,523 for Q3-2020, an increase of 9.8% year-over-year. The number of closed sales was up by 30.5% reaching 1,988. In Weld County, the average sales price was $426,210 for Q3-2020, a 7.6% year-over-year increase. The number of closed sales was up 16.1%, coming in at 1,890. In Boulder County, the average sales price was $823,678 for Q3-2020, an 8.7% year-over-year increase. The number of closed sales was up 26%, coming in at 1,227.

United Way expands relief fund

United Way of Larimer County recently expanded the Cameron Peak Fire Response Fund to become the Larimer County Fire Recovery Fund. The fund is now aimed and raising support and resources to combat the Cameron Peak Fire and East Troublesome Fire. You click here to donate online, text “LARIMERUNITED” to 41444 to make a gift or text "COGIVES" to 501501 to automatically donate $10.

October 2020

Nearly 37K nonfarm workforce jobs added in August

The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment recently released employment data showing Colorado's nonfarm workforce grew by 36,900 in August. In all, the state has gained 178,500 jobs during the past four months, according to the CDLE's survey of business establishments. Denver has added 18,800 jobs followed by Boulder (4,200), Colorado Springs (4,000), Fort Collins (2,000), Grand Junction (1,300), Greeley (600) and Pueblo (500). Colorado is at a 52.1% job recovery rate of nonfarm jobs from the COVID-19 pandemic, more than the national rate of 47.9%. Click here for the complete press release.

CSU awarded additional $3.1M for COVID vaccine development

A group of scientists at Colorado State University was awarded a base $3.1 million contract from the National Institutes of Health to continue development of a coronavirus vaccine called SolaVAX^™. The research team aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of the SolaVAX process to inactivate SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, to be used in a vaccine against the disease. Click here for the complete press release.

Hotel occupancy, rates bounce back

The Colorado Hotel & Lodging Association recently released their August 2020 Rocky Mountain Lodging Report. Due to COVID-19, hotels had been facing lower occupancy rates and prices. In August, however, data shows the industry bouncing back. For example, Estes Park had an August occupancy rate of 70.4% and average daily price of $216.99. In April, those figures were 7% and $132.17 respectively. Fort Collins hotels posted an occupancy rate of 62.1% in August with an average daily price of $109.29. Loveland hotels were 52.6% occupied in August, a month where average rates were $97.72 per night. In Greeley, the monthly occupancy rate was 52.0% with a cost of $81.42 per night on average.

September 2020

2nd Quarter home prices hold steady

Information and Real Estate Services (IRES) released their Q2 2020 MarketWatch Report. In Larimer County, the median sales price was $428,491 for Q2-2020, an increase of 0.8% year-over-year. The number of closed sales was down 14.3% coming in at 1,328. In Weld County, the median sales price was $375,000 for Q2-2020, a 4.2% year-over-year increase. The number of closed sales was down 19.3%, coming in at 1,330. In Boulder County, the median sales price was $598,500 for Q2-2020, a 3.2% year-over-year decrease. The number of closed sales was down 27.7%, coming in at 759.

30+ Northern Colorado companies make Inc. 5000

Inc. magazine recently released their 2020 rankings of the 5,000 fastest-growing companies in the United States. Over 24 companies in Northern Colorado and Boulder Valley made the list. Selected companies came from a variety of industries including health, education, retail and software. Companies making the list grew six-fold on average since 2016, during a time when the economy grew just 15 percent. Click here for the complete Inc 5000 2020 list. Explore the company profiles and interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria.

CSU, CU & NSF partnership for AI education

Colorado State University and the University of Colorado along with other universities have partnered with the U.S. National Science Foundation to help lead the creation of the National Science Foundation AI Institute for Student-AI Teaming. The mission is to explore the role artificial intelligence plays in the future of education and work force development with a special focus on providing opportunities for students from underrepresented populations in Colorado and the world as a whole. Click here to learn more.