Buffalo County rolls into February with a mix of steady strengths and a few eyebrow‑raising shifts — the kind that keep things interesting but not alarming.
Travel & Tourism: Still Winning
Enplanements popped again in January, and lodging taxes closed out the year on a high note. People keep flying in, checking in, and spending money here. Tourism continues to be one of our most reliable growth engines.
Commerce: A Little Softer Than We’d Like
Retail and vehicle sales cooled compared to last year. Not surprising given the price pressures families are still navigating, but it’s something we’ll watch. This feels more like cautious consumers than anything fundamentally local.
Development: A Strong Start With Some Caveats
January’s building permits jumped in a big way — a welcome burst of activity and a sign that builders are ready to move when the math works. But zoom out, and the past year still saw fewer total permits than the year before. Momentum is there, but it’s not yet sustained. Housing, especially entry‑level, remains the puzzle everyone wants to solve. And if the month‑to‑month data has raised concerns, the five‑year trends we’ll share in the near future will provide an even clearer picture of the challenges ahead.
A quick sidebar: The Development Council has begun a county‑wide housing study with Miller & Associates. While analyzing long‑term trends and forecasting future needs may not be the most exciting part of this work, it’s an essential foundation for making good decisions. The more difficult phase will come once the findings point to areas where public policy adjustments could meaningfully influence housing costs. Whether there’s collective appetite to make those changes is something we’ll learn together.
Bottom Line
February’s data shows an economy with real strengths — tourism, workforce, and pockets of development energy — alongside a few areas that reflect broader economic headwinds. Nothing here signals trouble, but everything signals the need to stay proactive.
Trevor Lee, President of the Development Council for Buffalo County
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