PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE BOONE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Several Boone and Rivers Walk project principals take part in a groundbreaking on March 19, 2019. From left to right: Boone Town Manager John Ward, Keith Harrod of Harrod and Associates, Boone Town Councilwoman Connie Ulmer, project manager Michael Goodson, Boone Area Chamber of Commerce President David Jackson, Boone Mayor Rennie Brantz, Drucker and Falk’s Nina Wright-Richie, multifamily director with Drucker and Falk Lisa Price and business developer John Cheshire.
You Can Bank on Boone Growth, Quality of Life Key to Strong Business Environment
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nchored by a university and bolstered by student, tourist and second homeowner markets as well as a strong local health care system, Boone’s economy is strongly positioned among Western North Carolina communities. Watauga County’s population has grown by an estimated 10 percent from 2010 to 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and the county’s unemployment rate is consistently lower than the state and national averages. The county’s largest employer is Appalachian State University, 14 | Boone My Hometown 2020-21
BY ANNA OAKES
with more than 3,300 full- and part-time employees. In addition, the university’s construction spending and the spending of its students, visitors and alumni create additional revenue for the region. The university also contributes to an educated workforce: 41.6 percent of residents in Watauga County are college graduates, according to the U.S. Census. And businesses have the opportunity to take advantage of university expertise and services in diverse subjects such as information technologies, sustainable development, business management, entrepreneurship and planning.
Tourism and year-round outdoor recreation opportunities are strong drivers of the local economy. Visitors to Watauga County spent an estimated $284.73 million in 2019, according to Visit NC, ranking 18th among North Carolina’s 100 counties. Travel and tourism directly support 2,970 jobs in Watauga County. The health sector continues to grow in the Boone area, which is the headquarters of the Appalachian Regional Healthcare System — the county’s second largest employer. Watauga Medical Center continues to expand its facilities and services so that more high-quality
treatments and procedures are available in Boone, and the hospital is planning a $72.9 million expansion that will house new surgical areas, new patient rooms and other facilities. The investments in new facilities and new programs in the education and health care sectors are attractive to potential employers, Boone Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO David Jackson said. “We’ve heard from businesses for decades that they’ll invest in a community that invests in itself,” Jackson said. From independent restaurants SEE GROWTH ON PAGE 16
