Tracking Economic Change in Okanogan County
Comprehensive data reporting in rural communities
Okanogan county sits at the top of Washington state, with Canada to its north, and the Columbia River Basin and Lake Roosevelt to the south and east. It may well be one of the most beautiful natural areas in the country, a claim supported by its booming recreational industry.
Like many areas of the west, Okanogan County was once a booming timber economy. And it held on longer than most, with a wood products manufacturing mill that lasted well into the 2000s. In the years that followed the region experienced more losses in other industries as well, including agriculture and construction.
With the onset of the pandemic, a consortium of organizations took a leadership stance in helping to steer the county forward, with a big focus on data. They partnered with eIMPACT to help bring this together in one consolidated dashboard.
More than a thoughtful list of economic indicators, the Okanogan dashboard has five key pillars of data, establishing both a baseline and a means to measure changes:
- Previous Poverty
- Access to Government Intervention
- Loss in Revenue and Income
- Dependence on Direct Assistance
- Spread of COVID-19
