Economic Development

Central Oregon encompasses the snow capped mountain ranges, farmlands, and high desert plateaus of Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson counties. Equally diverse are business opportunities here with a mix of well-established manufacturers, an expanding high technology sector, world-class tourist destinations and some of the nation’s fastest growing communities.

Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO) is a private non-profit organization dedicated to building a vibrant and thriving regional economy by attracting new investment and jobs through marketing, recruitment and working with existing employers. Go to the EDCO website for comprehensive, current and reliable statistical and demographic data, and economic and business development information for the tri-county area.

Visitors traveling to and throughout Central Oregon represent an important component of our economy. Many locations within the Central Oregon counties of Deschutes, Jefferson, Crook and Wasco (south) serve as vacation destinations, making travel and tourism our region’s primary industry.

The Central Oregon Visitors Association extrapolates regional data from a report prepared for the Oregon Tourism Commission by Dean Runyan Associates titled Oregon Travel Impacts 1991-2006. The primary objective of the state research is to provide reliable detailed figures, which allow comparisons from year-to-year for the state and county levels. For a complete copy of this report, you may contact Travel Oregon at 503-378-8850.

Photos courtesy of the Sunriver Scene.