Bonner County, Idaho’s Resilient Economy

  • Bonner County’s economy has grown steadily and been resilient despite recessions and losing several large employers.
  • In addition to a strong travel and tourism sector, the county hosts manufacturing, aerospace, software, and health care sectors to an extent that is unusual for a community of its size and distance from larger metropolitan areas.
  • Many businesses are in Bonner County because their leadership is committed to the community and its high quality of life.

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Headwaters Economics analyzed a number of socioeconomic indicators for Bonner County, looking at long-term trends in employment, income, and demographics. We focused on manufacturing, advanced industries, travel and tourism, health care, and entrepreneurship as these sectors account for much of the county’s competitive advantage.

We hope this report sheds light on the functioning of the area’s economy and helps elected officials, business leaders, and community members to understand the county’s unique strength.

By building on these strength and anticipating challenges early, we expect the economy will continue its history of steady, consistent resilience. Although some disadvantages like distance to markets cannot be changed, the area can shore up its strengths like quality of life and existing breadth of employers to ensure ongoing economic success.

Megan Lawson, Ph.D.

  megan@headwaterseconomics.org       406.570.7475

Megan leads Headwaters Economics’ research in outdoor recreation, economic development, and demographics. She has more than 20 years’ experience as a quantitative economist analyzing policies and trends for communities, governments, and nonprofit organizations.