Highland County was one of 65 communities in the country selected as a host community for an Economic Recovery Corps (ERC) Fellowship. Led by the International Economic Development Council, the ERC program builds capacity in economically distressed areas across the U.S by placing a dedicated fellow — fully funded for two and a half years — in local communities to support and strengthen ongoing economic development efforts.

Highland’s ERC fellow, Landdis Hollifield, will begin working in Highland on Feb. 19^th and will spend the next 30 months helping to implement Highland’s Strategic Economic Development Plan, which includes revitalizing the Highland Inn, supporting small businesses, enhancing visitor experiences, and launching a marketing campaign to attract younger residents and remote workers.

For more information on the ERC, visit: www.economicrecoverycorps.org or check out the recent article in The Recorder.

One of the CSPDC’s roles in economic development is to be a resource for data about the region and the PDC’s localities. To help support this important function, the CSPDC creates and distributes Facts & Figures, an easy-to-read snapshot of each sub-region’s people, jobs, schools, and other unique attributes. The 2023 Facts & Figures documents are now available on the CSPDC website.

The University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center released its official population estimates for Virginia counties and independent cities this January. The Weldon Cooper Center’s estimates provide an accurate approximation of a locality’s population count on July 1st, 2023.  Government agencies use this data for funding allocations, planning, and budgeting purposes.

The CSPDC’s 2023 population estimate is 310,528. From the prior year, the region’s population grew by 1,740 people or 0.6%. Since the 2020 Census, the City of Harrisonburg experienced the greatest growth. From 2020 to 2023, Harrisonburg added 1,180 people to their population count, a 2.2% population increase. In contrast, Rockbridge County, the City of Buena Vista, the City of Lexington, and the City of Staunton experienced a slight population decline since the 2020 Census.

The 2023 population estimates are available on the Weldon Cooper Center website. Yearly population data is also available on the CSPDC’s Regional Data Center.