Justin Tubbs
Montrose Business Times
For those who have lived here long enough, it comes as no surprise that our little part of Colorado is growing.
Between 2020 and 2022, Montrose County saw an increase of 994 residents, or a growth of 2.6%. Impressive numbers, considering there was an increase in about 1,400 residents between 2010 and 2020, according to numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau.
I moved here in 2018, and long-time Montrose folks always ask me, “Well how do you like it?”
The answer is that I don’t just like it here. I love it here.
Of course what grabs one’s attention when visiting is the endless access to outdoors, beautiful mountains and mild climate.
Over the past few years, during the pandemic, when many urbanites were reacquainting themselves with the great outdoors, many happened upon Montrose. They discovered the same thing I did when I first visited.
An increase in the amount of remote work being done across the state — and the country — has made it easier for people to work from anywhere.
Montrose County and the city, as well, have been very smart in their strategy to get high-speed internet access here. One gigabit internet is now available in many areas across the city and county, and business is booming in Montrose.
Just in those few years since I’ve been here, I’ve seen a big increase in the number of businesses flocking to Montrose. On the south end of town, there’s been large chain retail development and the addition of new restaurants.
On the north end of town, what was just a big pile of dirt is turning into development in the Colorado Outdoors project.
So when people saw that growth when they visited Montrose, that was attractive to them, too. Homes are still more affordable in Montrose than on the Front Range. The cost of living is better. The ease of the commute is much better (my Dallas-area roots allow me to laugh when I hear someone complain about Montrose traffic). And more than anything, there’s a community here that is welcoming to those who show it love in return.
I’ve made a home and community here, so like I said: it’s no shock that Montrose is in a “growth boom” as City of Montrose public information officer William Woody said last week.
Overall, this growth will be better for our local economy, for business owners and for those who want more from the community they have invested in.
Justin Tubbs is the Montrose Business Times editor. He can be reached by email at justin@montrosebusinesstimes.com or by phone at 970-765-0915 or mobile at 254-246-2260.
