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Whether visiting or considering a move, we hope you will enjoy your stay.

It is hard to put down in writing what a vibrant, vital and unique place Grand Junction is. What you have before you is this city “by the numbers.” But numbers often don’t tell the whole story. Due to early geographic isolation and settlement by self-sufficient and resourceful individuals this community has a character that is at once independent, welcoming and entrepreneurial. Grand Junction was carved out of Ute Indian Territory in 1882 and was one of the last cities established in Colorado. Averaging two to three percent growth from those early days to the end of the 20th century, the community grew into a prosperous regional hub for health care, education and a variety of retail and service products. Recently Grand Junction has also become a hub for energy development in this area of the Rocky Mountains. Natural gas, along with coal, uranium and other minerals are being extracted on public and private lands throughout the Western Slope of Colorado. With more than two-thirds of the surrounding county owned by the federal government, outdoor recreation and enjoyment is a favorite pastime of local residents during the daytime. Evenings bring a variety of entertainment venues in several commercial regions of the city, including our award-winning downtown area. We hope you find this preliminary information useful. Please feel free to contact the resources listed for more in-depth information. You can also contact the Chamber at 970-242-3214 or info@gjchamber.org. Download the 2019 Community Profile (PDF)

  • History

    chamberhistory1 In the early 1800s, the area was part of the Northern Ute Reservation, although the Native Americans were later moved west into Utah. In September 1881, the area experienced a landrush settlement and a townsite was staked. This town, located in the Grand Valley, was first called Ute, then West Denver, and finally came to be known as Grand Junction because of its location at the confluence of the Gunnison and Colorado rivers. By 1883, Mesa County was created from neighboring counties and Grand Junction was named the county seat. Grand Junction began to thrive when the mainline of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad came into the area in 1887. Soon after, major irrigation turned the Grand Valley into a fertile agricultural area. Today Grand Junction is home to a number of light manufacturing and service industries. There are also four area hospitals, a regional airport and a number of recreational opportunities. The Grand Junction GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT (GDP) grew 80% during the last decade, ranking the local economy the 14th fastest growing in the U.S.

  • Population

    Population

    Collbran = 698
    DeBeque = 503
    Grand Junction = 63,374
    Fruita = 13,406
    Palisade = 2,714
    Unincorporated = 71,607
    Mesa County = 156,260
    Grand Junction MSA =156,260

    Females = 77,670 (50.5%)
    Males = 78,602 (49.5%)

    Projected by Age Goup
    0-19 yrs 38,792 (25.5%)
    20-34 yrs 28,935 (20.2%)
    35-54 yrs 336,802 (23.7%)
    55-64 yrs 20,392 (13.7%)
    65 yrs + 31,339 (16.8%)

    MEDIAN AGE: 38.9 Years

    Annual Growth Rate (2015 to 2016 ) 1.2%

    *Source: US Census, American Community Survey, 2016

    *Source: Colorado State Demography Office, 2016

  • Climate

    High Low Precipitation
    January 37 16 0.59
    April 65 39 0.79
    July 93 64 0.62
    October 67 41 0.91
    Avg. Precipitation 8.67 inches per year Avg. Snowfall 21.4 inches per year Source: www.wrcc.dri.edu (Western Region Climate Center)
  • Demographics

    Education (over 25 yrs)

    College Graduate & Above ……….34.7%
    Some College/Technical School ..25.9%
    High School Graduate ……………..29.3%
    No Diploma …………………………….10.1%

    Marital Status

    MALES FEMALES
    Single (never married) 32.1% 23.3%
    Married 51.9% 49.9%
    Separated 1.6% 1.8%
    Divorced 11.7% 15.6%
    Widowed 2.8% 9.4%

    Race/Ethnicity

    Caucasian/White (any race)…..82.0%
    Hispanic or Latino (any race)…14.0%
    American Indian ………………….. 0.5%
    African American/Black ……….. 0.6%
    Asian ……………………………………0.6%
    Other ………………………………….. 2.3%
    The sum of the six individual race categories may add to more than the total populations because of individuals who reported more than one race are tallied in each category.

    Crime Statistics

    2017 2016 % Change
    Total Violent Crime 286 275 4%
    Total Property Crime 3,604 3,755 -4%
    Total Other Crime 8,425 7,810 8%
    Total Traffic Accidents 2,215 2,595 -5%

    Source: www.gjcity.org

    Home Ownership

    Own Home …..68.0%
    Rent Home …..32.0%

    Household Income

    Less than $25,000 ….. 24.6%
    $25,000 – $34,999 …… 11.2%
    $35,000 – $49,999 …….14.1%
    $50,000 – $74,999 …….19.5%
    $75,000 + …………………30.5%
    Mean Household Income $65,444
    Median Household Income $50,070
    Total Households 59,501
    Household Size (average) 2.43

  • Economic Outlook

    C/td>$1,8182,644

    Other Services (ex. Public Admin) $666 1,698
    Professional/Technical Services $1,549 2,243
    Public Administration $1,023 3,361
    Real Estate & Rental/Leasing $887 569
    Retail Trade $531 7,799
    Transportation/Warehousing $936 2,582
    Utilities $1,447 340
    Wholesale Trade $1,344 2,285
    TOTAL : $1,054 58,138
    *Source: CO Dept. of Labor & Employment, ES202 *Grand Junction was named #34 on Forbes.com Best Small Places for Business-2010

    Taxes

    Area Percent
    Corporate Income Tax 4.75%
    Retail Sales Tax: 8.02% (total)
    State 2.9%
    County 2.37%
    City (Grand Junction) 2.75%
    City (Fruita) 3.0%
    City (Palisade) 2.0%
    Individual Income Tax 4.63%

    Property Tax

    Residential 7.96%
    All Others 29.0%
    *Mill Levy 88 mills per $1,000 assessed value (avg)
  • Education


    schoolphoto

    School Phone Website Other Info
    5 Star CDL Academy, Inc. (970) 241-1025 www.5starcdltraining.com Professional truck driving and forklift training certification.
    Caprock Academy (970) 243-1771 www.caprockacademy.org Caprock Academy is a public, tuition-free charter school.
    Colorado Christian University (970) 242-1811 www.ccu.edu CCU’s has a full range of adult degree programs including associate degrees, bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees and educational licensure programs to offer.
    Colorado Div. of Vocational Rehabilitation (970) 248-7103 www.dvrcolorado.com
    Colorado Flight Center, Inc. (970) 254-0444 www.coloradoflightcenter.com Full-service flight school offering primary through advanced instruction and aircraft rental. On-demand charter service. Designated Pilot Examiner and FAA Test Facility.
    Colorado Mesa University (970) 248-1020 www.coloradomesa.edu Founded in 1925, Colorado Mesa University is a comprehensive regional public higher education institution offering liberal arts, professional, and technical programs at the master’s, bachelor’s, associate, and certificate levels. 2015 Fall Enrollment: 9,944
    GOAL Academy High School (970) 523-5249 www.goalac.org Specially designed for online students, advanced students, home-schoolers, working students and those who left school before graduation.
    Independence Academy Charter School (970) 254-6850 www.d51schools.org An academic experiential program that is both challenging and exciting. The morning program is designed to the core subject areas of reading, writing, math and science. The afternoon program features various electives and PE.
    Intellitec Colleges (970) 245-8101 www.intellitec.com IntelliTec College is dedicated to producing highly skilled, employable graduates in allied health, business, automotive and drafting fields.
    John McConnell Math & Science Center of Western Colorado (970) 254-1626 www.MathandScienceCenter.org The John McConnell Math and Science Center of Western Colorado is creating a world-class center that integrates teaching and hands-on excitement into a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math learning environment encompassing students, educators, families and community.
    Mesa County Valley School Dist. #51 (970) 254-5100 www.d51schools.org 2015-16 Fall Enrollment: 21,904 2015 Per Pupil Funding: $6,919 Schools: Elementary – 25; Preschool – 25; Middle – 9; Middle & High Comb – 1; High – 4; PreK-12 – 1; K-12 Alt – 1; 9-12 Alt – 1 ; K-8 -Charter – 3; Vocational – 2
    Riverside Educational Center (970) 589-5039 www.rec4kids.com
    The SAGE Corporation (970) 257-7243 www.sageschools.com Truck Driving School
    The Salon Professionals Academy (970) 245-1110 www.grandjunctionbeautyschool.com
    Western Colorado Community College (970) 255-2700 www.coloradomesa.edu/wccc Western Colorado Community College is an open admission, comprehensive community college providing higher education instruction for academic transfer programs and career technical programs. WCCC offers a variety of certificate programs that can be completed in nine months, associate degree programs that average two years in length, and many skills courses for career upgrade.
  • Medical

    communityhospcrop

    Name Phone Website Other Info
    Community Hospital (970) 242-0920 www.yourcommunityhospital.com 44 beds
    Family Health West (970) 858-9871 www.familyhealthwest.org 16 beds
    St. Mary’s Hospital & Regional Medical Center (970) 244-2273 www.stmarygj.com 356 beds
    Veterans Affairs Medical Center (970) 242-0731 www.grandjunction.va.gov 23 beds & 30 transitional care units
    Nursing Homes 10
    Assisted Living 26
  • Services

    Name Phone Website Other Info
    Fire Department (970) 244-1400 www.gjcity.org 5 stations, 127 employees
    Mesa County Sheriff (970) 244-3500 www.sheriff.mesacounty.us 223 officers
    Police Department (970) 244-3560 www.gjcity.org 109 officers
  • Entertainment, Attractions, Recreation

  • Electric & Gas

    Name Phone Website
    Grand Valley Power (970) 242-0040 www.gvp.org
    Redlands Water & Power (970) 243-2173 www.redlandswaterandpower.com
    Xcel Energy (800) 895-4999 www.Xcelenergy.com
  • Water, Sewer, Trash

    Name Phone Website
    Central Grand Valley Sanitation (970) 434-2276
    City of Grand Junction (970) 244-1180 www.gjcity.org
    Clifton Water District (970) 434-7328 www.cliftonwaterdistrict.org
    Clifton Sanitation District (970) 434-7422 www.cliftonsanitation.com
    Commercial Refuse Service (970) 243-8555
    Curbside Recycling Indefinitely (970) 242-1036 www.gjcri.com
    Fruitvale Sanitation (970) 243-1494
    GGH Mesa, LLC (970) 241-6846
    Grand Valley Waste LLC (970) 201-6597
    Mesa County Solid Waste Mgmt & Recycling (970) 241-6846 www.mesacounty.us/swm
    Grand Valley Waste LLC (970) 201-6597
    Mesa County Solid Waste Mgmt & Recycling (970) 241-6846 www.mesacounty.us/swm
    Orchard Mesa Sanitation (970) 245-0033
    Republic Services (970) 241-3177 www.republicservices.com
  • Television, Cable, Telephone

    Name Phone Website Other Info
    KREX (970) 242-5000 www.krextv.com (KGJT 27; MyNetwork; KFQX 4 FOX; KREX 5 CBS)
    KJCT (970) 245-8880 www.kjct8.com (KJCT 8-1 ABC; KJCT 8-2 Telemundo Spanish; KJCT 8-3 CW)
    KKCO (970) 243-1111 www.nbc11news.com (KKCO 11 NBC)
    Rocky Mountain PBS (970) 245-1818 www.rmpbs.org (KRMJ 18 PBS)
    Telephone
    Name Phone Website Other Info
    CenturyLink (Business) 800-603-6000 www.centurylink.com
    CenturyLink (Residential) 800-244-1111 www.centurylink.com
    Charter Spectrum 844-805-0504 www.charter.com
  • Resources/Numbers to Know

    Name Phone Website Other Info
    Animal Control (970) 242-4646 http://animalservices.mesacounty.us/ P.O. Box 20,000-5002, Grand Junction, CO 81502
    City of Grand Junction (970) 244-1501 www.gjcity.org 250 N 5th St, Grand Junction, CO 81501
    Downtown Development Authority (970) 245-9697 www.downtowngj.org 248 S 4th St, Grand Junction, CO 81501
    Driver’s License (970) 248-7010 www.colorado.gov 222 S 6th St, Grand Junction, CO 81501
    Grand Junction Economic Partnership (970) 245-4332 www.gjep.org 122 N 6th St, Grand Junction, CO 81501
    Marriage License (970) 244-1679 www.clerk.mesacounty.us 200 S Spruce St, Grand Junction, CO 81501
    Mesa County Administration (970) 244-1800 www.mesacounty.us
    Mesa County Health Department (970) 248-6922 www.health.mesacounty.us 510 29 1/2 Rd, Grand Junction, CO 81504
    Mesa County Public Library District (970) 243-4442 www.mesacountylibraries.org
    Road & Weather Conditions 877-315-7623 www.cotrip.org For Recorded Statewide Travel Conditions Inside Colorado dial 511, or from outside Colorado, dial 303-639-1111.
    Vehicle Registration (970) 244-1664 www.clerk.mesacounty.us 200 S Spruce St, Grand Junction, CO 81501
    Visit Grand Junction (970) 244-1480 or 800-962-2547 www.visitgrandjunction.com 740 Horizon Dr, Grand Junction, CO 81506
  • Print Media

    Name Phone Website Other Info
    The Beacon (970) 243-8829 www.beaconseniornews.com Newspaper on the Western Slope for People 50+.
    The Business Times (970) 424-5133 www.businesstimes.com Providing Grand Junction business news since 1994.
    Colorado Mesa University Criterion (970) 248-1255 www.thecrite.com
    The Daily Sentinel (GJ Media) (970) 242-5050
    (800) 332-5832
    www.gjsentinel.com The Daily Sentinel provides western slope residents with local, regional and national news seven days a week.

    Cost of Living

    Compared to the national average of 100, the average cost of living was 97.4 according to the ACCRA Annual Average Data 2014 Cost of living Index for Grand Junction MSA.

    Service index #
    Misc. Goods & Services 102
    Transportation 97
    Housing 102
    Health Care 106
    Utilities 94
    Grocery Items 103.6
    TOTAL (AVG) 101

    Real Estate/Construction

    Mesa County Real Estate Averages
    2014 2015 2016**
    Total Sold 3,083 3,423 3,223
    Total Value $649,000,000 $744,000,000 $762,000,000
    All Residential* $182,500 $190,305 $203,250
    3-Bedroom* $173,000 $182,000 $192,000
    Condo/Twnhm* $126,750 $140,900 $149,500
    All Commercial* $268,600 $325,000 $290,000
    Vacant Land* $89,500 $84,500 $85,000
    *Median Price: **Annualized based on data through December 2014 Source: Grand Junction Area Realtors Association

    2016 Building Permits

    CITY COUNTY
    Residential 296 480
    Industrial/Commercial 8 14
    Total Permits 1828 3,663
    Total Value $161,204,970 $254,858,720
    Source: Mesa County Building Department

    Major Employers

    Mesa County Valley School District 51 2,767 www.d51schools.org (970) 254-5100
    Intermountain Health – St. Mary’s Hospital 2619 www.stmarygj.com (970) 244-2273
    Colorado Mesa University 1431 www.coloradomesa.edu 970-248-1020
    Community Hospital 1387  www.yourcommunityhospital.com (970) 242-0920
    VA Medical Center 900 http://www.grandjunction.va.gov (970) 242-0920
    City of Grand Junction 778  www.gjcity.org (970) 244-1501
    City Markets, Inc. 648 www.citymarket.com (970) 241-0750
    Colorado Mesa University 647 www.coloradomesa.edu (970) 248-1020
    Mesa County – All Departments 998  www.mesacounty.us  (970) 244-1800
    Family Health West 370 www.familyhealthwest.org  (970) 858-3900
    Rocky Mountain Health Plans 404 www.rmhp.org (970) 244-7760
    STRIVE 350 http://strivecolorado.org (970) 243-3702
    West Star Aviation Inc. 425 www.weststaraviation.com (970) 243-7500
    Primary Care Partners 304 www.pcpgj.com (970) 245-1220
    HopeWest 263 www.hopewestco.org (970) 241-2212
    United Companies 232 www.united-gj.com  (970) 243-4900
    CoorsTek Inc 150 www.coorstek.com (970) 244-1157
    Daily Sentinel 146 www.gjsentinel.com (970) 242-5050
    Reynolds Polymer Technology 130 www.reynoldspolymer.com
    Source: The data provided was voluntary and may not include ALL leading employers in the area.

    Labor Force

    Total Labor Force 71,959
    Employed Persons 68,077
    Unemployed Persons 3,882
    Unemployment Rate 5.4%
    Source: CO Dept. of Labor & Employment, December 2016 Monthly Report
    Area Avg. Weekly Wage
    Avg. Employment
    Accommodation & Food Svc $322 6518
    Admin & Waste Svcs $577 3,165
    Ag/For/Fish/Hunt $457 425
    Arts, Entertainment, Rec $336 898
    Construction $920 3,981
    Educational Svcs $717 4,646
    Finance & Insurance $1,143 1,934
    Health Care & Social Asst $917 10,271
    Information $796 782
    Mgt-Companies/Enterprises $1,314 156
    Manufacturing $780 2,811
    Mining%3om/”>www.gjfreepress.com
    Weekly newspaper distributed free every Friday at hundreds of locations in Mesa County. With a strong focus on community news and calendar of events.
    The Nickel Want Ads and Nickads.com (970) 242-5555 (800) 783-7415 www.nickads.com Classified Advertising
    Western Slope Wheels & Deals (970) 523-5392 www.wheelsdeals.net Weekly automotive publication that covers Western Colorado & Eastern Utah.
  • Radio

    Name Phone Website Other Info
    Colorado Public Radio (970) 241-5776 www.cpr.org (KPRN-89.5FM-NPR; KPRU-103.3FM-Classical)
    Cherry Creek Radio (970) 249-4546 www.coloradoradio.com (KKXK-94.1FM-Country; KUBC-580AM-Trad. Country; KBNG-103.7FM-Alternative)
    Grand Junction Media (970) 242-5050 junction1015.com

    1073theoutlaw.com

    thebeat943.com

    1047lajefa.com

    (Junction 101.5 – 80’s & 90’s, The Outlaw 107.3 – Country, 94.3 The Beat- Hip Hop, 104.7 La Jefa – Spanish)
    KAFM Radio (970) 241-8801 www.kafmradio.org (KAFM-88.1FM-Jazz, Blues, Folk, Local News)
    KCIC Radio (970) 434-4113 (KCIC-88.5FM-Christian)
    KJOL/United Ministries (970) 254-5565 www.kjol.org (KJOL-620AM-Christian)
    KLFV/K-Love (707) 528-9236 www.klove.com (KLFV-90.3FM-Contemporary Christian)
    KMSA Radio (970) 248-1442 (KMSA-91.3FM-Alternative)
    KRYD Radio (970) 263-4100 www.krydfm.com (KRYD-97.7 JackFM, 104.9FM)
    MBC Broadcasting  (970) 254-2100 www.gjradio.com (The Vault-92.3FM-Adult Contemp.; KNZZ-1100AM-News; KMGJ/MAGIC-93.1FM-Top 40; KTMM-1340AM-Sports Talk; KMOZ-100.7FM-Country;
    TownSquare Media (970) 242-7788 www.coloradowest.com (KEKB-99.9FM-Country; KMXY-104.3FM-Contemp.; KBKL/KOOL-107.9FM-Oldies; KKNN-95.1FM-Classic Rock; KEXO-1230AM-Talk Radio)
    Western Slope Communications (970) 241-6460 www.westernslopecommunications.com (KZKS/DRIVE-105.3fM-Adult hits; KWGl-97.3fM, 98.1fM, 105.7fM-legendary Country; KRVG-95.5fM-Classic Rock; KRGS-690AM-ESPN Sports Talk; KABP-1450AM – ESPN Sports Talk)
    KMZK Radio (970) 541-1069 (KMZK-106.9FM-Active Rock)
  • Training/Education

    technical-training

    Name Phone Website Other Info
    5 Star CDL Professional Training (970) 241-1025 www.5starcdltraining.com
    Colorado Christian University (970) 242-1811 www.ccu.edu
    Colorado Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (970) 248-7103 www.cdhs.state.co.us/dvr
    G.O.A.L Academy (970) 812-0246 www.goalac.org
    Institute of Therapeutic Massage (970) 255-8037 www.itmwc.org
    IntelliTec Colleges (970) 245-8101 www.intelliteccollege.edu
    Mesa State College (970) 248-1020 www.mesastate.edu
    MJM Institute of Cosmetology (970) 241-9060 www.mjmcosmetology.com
    Salon Professional Academy (970) 245-1110 www.thesalonprofessionalacademy.com
    Sylvan Learning Center (970) 241-7748 www.grandjunction.localsylvan.com
    Western Colorado Community College (970) 255-2600 www.mesastate.edu/wccc
  • Labor Organizations

    Name Phone Website Other Info
    AFSCME #3375 (970) 254-6570 www.afscmelocal3375.org (American Fed. of State, County, Municipal Employees)
    AFL-CIO (970) 523-1559 (Western Colo. Trades and Labor Assembly)
    CWA #7743 (970) 244-7743 www.local7743.org (Communication Workers of America)
    IBEW #969 (970) 242-3432 www.ibew969.com (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers)
    IBEW #111 (970) 523-1874 www.ibew111.com (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers)
    IUOE #9 (970) 243-1646 www.iuoelocal9.com (International Union of Operating Engineers)
    UA #145 (970) 245-2012 www.local45.com (Plumbers & Pipefitters)
    UFCW #7 (970) 245-3666 www.ufcw7.com (United Food & Commercial Workers)
  • Employment

    Name Phone Website
    Elwood Staffing (970) 243-9950 www.elwoodstaffing.com
    Express Employment Professionals (970) 242-4500 www.expresspros.com
    Intermountain Staffing/Labor Etc. (970) 243-0811 www.laboretc.com
    Mesa County Workforce Center (970) 248-0871 http://mcwfc.us
    Quick Temps (970) 241-6007 www.quicktempsinc.com
    RifleWorks (970) 625-4440 www.rifleworks.biz
    S.O.S. Staffing Services (970) 243-9950 www.sosstaffing.com
    School to Work Alliance (970) 254-6008 www.mesak12.us/departments/swap/index.html
    TPM Staffing (970) 372-4141 www.tpmstaffing.com
  • Movers

    Name Phone Website
    All Pro Moving (970) 257-1652
    Bailey’s Moving & Storage (970) 241-3636
    Mesa Moving & Storage (970) 242-1565 www.mesamoving.com
    Total Move (970) 242-7755
    U-Haul Moving Center (970) 241-5933 www.uhaul.com

Major railroad comes thru Grand Junction 1882, Ute Indians Just before Meeker Massacre Late 1870's