Our Picture of Health 1998:
Focusing on Community Health to the Year 2000CHAPTER 5: MESA COUNTY ECONOMY
12. Child Care
Mesa County Resource and Referral serves as a clearing house for child care needs. The office, established in January, 1998, has made 1,458 referrals.
The greatest need in child care is for infant care. There are currently 10 licensed openings for infants in the valley.
Another need is for more providers of weekend, swing shift and night care. There are 12 such providers, and they are always full.
The quality of care is not known; child care workers in established day care centers make among the lowest wages in the community. Surprisingly, private, in-home centers can make among the highest wages.
May link to . . .
- Skilled Work Force
- Average Wage
- Welfare to Work
- Readiness for First Grade
- Family Support
Figure 5-4: Child Care Providers and Cost
Source: Mesa County Resource and Referral
13. Cost of Living
Every two years the Colorado Legislature updates the cost of living for each school district to ascertain funding levels for schools. The study measures the cost of housing, goods and services, transportation and taxes.
The American Chamber of Commerce Research Association also measures the cost of living. It does so with a base of 100 as the average across the country.
This index is helpful in seeing how our prices compare to other communities in the particular quarter measured.
ACCRA Cost of Living, Grand Junction, 1997
Source: 3rd quarter 1997 ACCRA Reports
- Index Average — 98%
- Groceries — 104.4%
- Housing — 100.6%
- Utilities — 80.9%
- Transportation — 111.4%
- Health Care — 100.3%
- Miscellaneous Goods and Services — 95.5%
Figure 5-5: School District Cost of Living, 1996 and 1998
Source: Colorado Legislative CouncilSchool District 1996 Cost
of Living1997 Cost
of LivingPercent Change Dist. #49 $34,091 $37,688 10.55% Dist. #50 $34,615 $39,150 13.10% Dist. #51 $35,669 $39,713 11.34% District Housing Transportation Goods, Services Misc Income Taxes Dist. #49 $9,554 $6,529 $12,486 $4,824 $4,294 Dist. #50 $10,857 $6,529 $12,526 $4,824 $4,161 Dist. #51 $11,545 $6,529 $12,515 $4,824 $4,047 14. Percent of Students on Free or Reduced Lunches
More than one-third of students in School District #51 qualify for free or reduced lunches. The percentages in Figure 5-6 show a general increase in the low-income student population. The families need to apply for this benefit, so this figure may understate the portion of school-age population living near poverty.
May link to . . .
- Education
- Annual Wages
- Access to Health Care
- Social Environment
Figure 5-6: Percent Low Income Students, District #51
Source: School District #51
15. Percent Living Below the Poverty Line
Fourteen percent of Mesa County residents live below the poverty level. Fifteen percent of children from 5-7 years old are in poverty. This compares to 12% and 14% respectively for Colorado.
For more information about social services such as welfare, please refer to Chapter 10, Social Environment.
We asked people in the Risk Behavior Survey to rate how they are getting along financially.
Better off than year ago — 45.1%
Worse off than year ago — 18.7%
Same as year ago — 36.3%May link to . . .
- Affordable Housing
- Social Environment
- Low Weight Births
- Access to Health Care
Figure 5-7: Percent of Population in Poverty
Source: Bureau of the Census, County Income and Poverty Estimates: 1993 Income by County: Colorado 1993, Population as of March 1994
16. New Entry-Level Jobs
The county is becoming a regional center for retail and services. National chains have opened outlets in Mesa County since the county became a Metropolitan Statistical Area in 1996.
Most recently the Mesa County Economic Development Council and others have attracted manufacturing firms including Johns Manville, Reynolds Polymer Technology and Jobsite, 3D Systems, DT Swiss Bike Technology and others.
Expansion of Choice Hotels International has also increased entry-level jobs.
May link to . . .
- Education
- Transportation
- Skilled Work Force
"Business . . . is a continual dealing with the future; it is a continual calculation, an instinctive exercise in foresight." — Henry R. Luce
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