Tucson, Arizona

Livable Communities Research Project

GP RED’s survey partner RRC Associates led an evaluation for the Sonoran Institute based on a survey of nearly 1,000 employers and community members in Colorado, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. The survey results showed that building a strong and resilient economy starts with creating a great community where people want to live and work. Business owners and community members overwhelmingly valued community quality above other relevant factors, like salary or tax structure, when choosing a place to live or start a business.

The survey sought to answer the following questions:

  • Why are people and businesses drawn to particular communities in the Rocky Mountain West?
  • What are the qualities of a place that attract talented workers or entrepreneurs?
  • What characteristics are businesses seeking from their communities?
  • How can communities retain jobs and talent?

View the brief survey report here, which includes a link to the full report.