Working for just wages and a brighter future for the people of La Plata County

Thrive! is a coalition of local workers, employers, elected officials, and public partners who care about the long-term economic health and social well-being of La Plata County. Our Mission is to enhance the quality of life in La Plata County through fair and just wages for all. We envision a diverse and sustainable economy that produces the opportunity for business growth, meaningful work and livable wages.

We believe that when working people earn a living wage, it enables individuals, families and the entire community to thrive.

Perhaps one of Thrive!’s most recognizable initiatives is our Employer Recognition Program – a voluntary certification for local businesses that identifies and celebrates employers who are paying a living wage for all their employees. You may have noted the iconic Thrive! sticker hanging in the window of some of your favorite local businesses or posted proudly on their websites. Since it began in 2014, the recognition program has certified a coalition of over 100 businesses, and momentum continues to grow.

Impact of a Living Wage

A living wage takes into consideration the true cost of living in La Plata County – factoring in housing, child care, food, healthcare, transportation, taxes, etc. – so we can understand what value is needed to accurately support the workforce we depend on.

  • Better quality of life for individuals and families

  • Increase in local sales as workers are able to afford more goods and services

  • Increased sales drive job creation & economic growth

  • Decrease in employee turnover, saving employer training expenses

  • Satisfied employees will be more productive, increasing product quality and customer satisfaction

  • Tax expenses for social safety nets such as Food Stamps and Medicaid will decrease

Find a Certified Employer

Over 100 employers in La Plata County have made the commitment to pay their employees a living wage. We hope you will join us in supporting them. Click below or look for the Thrive! window decal at restaurants, retailers, and other businesses around town.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Living Wage?

According to Region 9 Economic Development District of SW Colorado, “A livable wage addresses the essential financial needs for basic living tools such as shelter, healthcare, childcare, and nutrition. When one earns less than a livable wage, he or she is forced to make undesirable choices such as working two or more jobs, working longer hours, making longer commutes, sharing a residence, or giving up basic items such as a telephone or insurance. A healthy community has a diverse and sustainable economy that pays livable wages and offers meaningful work.”

What is the Living Wage in La Plata County?

For 2021, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)’s Livable Wage Calculator estimates La Plata County’s livable wage to be $15.35 for a single person with no children. That estimate quickly increases to $28.52 for a partnered person with one child, or $31.03 for a single person with one child. To put these figures into perspective, the federal minimum wage has remained at $7.25/hr since 2008 regardless of partnership or parenthood considerations, and the state of Colorado’s current minimum wage is set at $12.32/hr with the option to pay $9.30/hr for tipped employees.

Before adopting MIT’s projections at face value, Thrive! set out to cross-reference MIT’s calculations with available local data. While MIT’s projected $15.35 is a predictably-steady increase from the $13.25 figure published by Region 9 Economic Development District in 2019, personal experiences living in La Plata County caused the Local First team to question whether MIT’s figure accurately captures the true cost of living in La Plata County today.

After gathering updated childcare data from Region 9 and the Southwest Office of Child Care Resource & Referral, along with 2021 rental costs from local property managers and realtors, the projected cost of living for a single adult with no children increased to $19.82, or $37.31 for a single adult with one child. Other La Plata County organizations and leaders also provided input to suggest the food and healthcare projections utilized by MIT’s calculator should also be updated with local data as well – adjustments that could continue to increase the true livable wage projection.

This research process has shed light on the urgency for our local housing, child care, food, health care, and transportation experts to come together with Region 9 to help us publish a truly accurate living wage figure for La Plata County in 2022. The accuracy of this figure is imperative to our understanding of the factors impacting our workforce and the implications rising costs will continue to have on gentrification of our mountain town in the near future.

In the next year we must come together to tackle each factor contributing to the rising cost of living in our county, to reduce the burden overall, and provide adequate financial security for all residents.

2019 Certified Living Wage Employers

  • Absolute Physical Therapy
  • Adaptive Sports
  • Alpine Bank
  • AREM Property Management, Inc.
  • ASAP Accounting & Payroll, Inc.
  • Atlas Specific
  • Axis Health Systems
  • Bank of Colorado (La Plata County branches)
  • Bright Day Orthodontics
  • Brookie Architecture and Planning
  • Columbine Landscapes
  • Community Connections
  • Community Foundation serving SW Colorado
  • Desert Sun Coffee Roasters, Inc.
  • Durango Adult Education Center
  • Durango Car Care
  • Durango Early Learning Center (Aspiring)
  • Durango Natural Foods Co-op (Aspiring)
  • Durango Outdoor Exchange
  • Durango School District 9-R
  • Durango Urgent CareYour Content Goes Here
  • Early Childhood Council of La Plata County
  • Eolus Bar & Dining
  • Grassburger
  • Great Old Broads for Wilderness
  • La Plata County
  • La Plata Family Medicine Associates
  • La Plata Youth Services, Inc.
  • Local First
  • Manna Soup Kitchen
  • Marley’s Angels Cleaning Services, Inc.
  • Mountain View Family HealthCare
  • Oak Family Dentistry
  • Ore House
  • Pediatric Associates of Durango
  • Region 9 Economic Development District
  • Rivergate Pharmacy
  • San Juan Basin Health Department
  • San Juan Hand Therapy
  • Sante
  • Serious Delights Bakery
  • Shanta Foundation
  • Ska Fabricating
  • Solar Works LLC
  • Southwest Midwives
  • Specialists in Women’s Care, PC
  • Spine Colorado, PC
  • The Garden Project of Southwest Colorado
  • The General Palmer Hotel (Aspiring)
  • The Payroll Department
  • The Wells Group of Durango
  • Think Network Technologies
  • Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Durango
  • Women’s Resource Center
  • Yoga Durango
  • Zia Taqueria