Trending News

Mapping Home Price Changes

Prices Fall in Chelan & Douglas Counties

Prices of homes in the U.S. housing market have been on an upward trend since before 2020, and except for a small dip in 2023, they have continued to grow since Starting in 2020, however, these changes became very dynamic, and are best represented visually to see how they affect different communities. The housing market often reflects...

Household Wine and Cheese Spending

Good Taste in The State

According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Washingtonians really do like their wine and cheese. Maptitude has created a map of the Average Annual Household Wine and Cheese Spending by state, and Washington places second for the western states, only behind Colorado. In 2022, Washington placed sixth in the county for spending on these pairings at...

County Business Patterns by Industry: 2022

Top Local Industries in the Two Counties

Do you know what industries are most popular nearby? The businesses around you often make up the backbone of a local economy and can connect smaller communities to the rest of the nation. The U.S. Census Bureau collects data on industries in regions all across the country, and provides access to this wealth of knowledge through...

Tourism Here Has Boomed, but So Has the General Economy

More Visitors in a Growing Economy

The pandemic brought its challenges to the two counties. According to USA Facts, 284 residents have died since the start of the outbreak. Thousands became infected. Yet economically, the two counties experienced a boom. This was certainly true in tourism. Since a summary measure of visitor spending is no longer available, the Trends approximates the direction of change in tourism via the “cleanest” measure available: taxable revenues at...

More Businesses in the Area

New Business Applications is a new indicator that we have just added to most of our county trends sites. To help capture economic development in a region, annual new business applications and annual growth rates are now being tracked at Chelan-Douglas Trends. While applications do not always result in actual business starts, data on business starts are not available at the county level. But business applications are...

Local Prospects for New Buyers

Trying to enter the home ownership world currently poses a severe challenge for residents of the greater Wenatchee area. The Trends adopts a measure developed by the Washington Center for Real Estate Research (WCRER) that clearly shows this. It is featured above and tracks a certain type of potential buyer. You might say it addresses the challenge of younger buyers. Generally, the Housing Affordability Index (HAI) is a ratio. On top is income, here...

Kellan Burns

Hometown: Spokane, WA

Major: Computer Science

Expected Graduation Date: Spring 2025

Post-graduation plans: Start a career as a software developer.

After a few months of working on the Trends project, my favorite thing so far:
My favorite thing so far is seeing the real-life meaning of our work. The data we collect often tells a different story from what people expect, and I think it makes people look at the world a bit differently. I’ve already learned lots here, and I’m excited for this year with Dr. Jones, Dr. Cullen, and the other interns at The Institute.

Drew Dillon

Hometown: Phoenix, AZ

Major: Economics and Business System Analytics