--- title: "Middle Class at Risk: Lessons from Aspen and Jackson" description: A dwindling middle class, similar to Aspen, leading to rising living costs and economic challenges, warns experts at Routt County Economic Summit. image: https://rcedp.org/hubfs/Economic-Summit-2025-Mick-Ireland-presentation-map-1536x870.png --- Theme + Migration = $1489 (Pay for the Theme Only). 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[High Country Accelerator](https://rcedp.org/hca) - [Business Support](https://rcedp.org/business-retention-expansion) - Key Industries - [Key Industries](https://rcedp.org/key-industries) - [Major Employers](https://rcedp.org/major-employers) - Yampa Valley - [Overview](https://rcedp.org/overview) - [Communities](https://rcedp.org/data/yampa-valley-communities) - [Workforce Development](https://rcedp.org/workforce-development) - [Sustainability](https://rcedp.org/sustainability) - [Transportation & Infrastructure](https://rcedp.org/transportation-infrastructure) - [Taxes & Financing](https://rcedp.org/taxes-financing) - [Learn More](https://rcedp.org/yampa-learn-more) - Data - [Property Search](https://rcedp.org/data/properties) - [Explore Communities](https://rcedp.org/data/properties-0) - [Community Overview](https://rcedp.org/data/communities) - [Occupation Data](https://rcedp.org/data/occupations) - [Demographics](https://rcedp.org/data/demographics) - [Labor Force](https://rcedp.org/data/labor-force) - [Consumer Expenditures](https://rcedp.org/data/consumer-expenditures) - [Wages](https://rcedp.org/wages) - [Businesses](https://rcedp.org/businesses) - [Talent & Education](https://rcedp.org/data/talent-pool) - [Economic Reports](https://rcedp.org/economic-reports) - [News](https://rcedp.org/news) - [About Us](https://rcedp.org/partnership) - [About Us](https://rcedp.org/partnership) - [RCEDP Team](https://rcedp.org/team) - [Mentor Network](https://rcedp.org/mentor-network) - [Economic Development Council](https://rcedp.org/edc) - [Board of Directors](https://rcedp.org/board-of-directors) - [Donate](https://www.coloradogives.org/organization/Routt-County-Economic-Development-Partnership) # Middle Class at Risk: Lessons from Aspen and Jackson By [Steamboat Pilot & Today](https://rcedp.org/news/author/steamboat-pilot-today) May 21, 2025 at 6:00 PM 1 Minute Read The final two speakers at the annual Routt County Economic Summit earlier this month told a sobering, cautionary tale of reductions in the civically engaged middle class in desirable mountain communities and how Steamboat Springs is heading down the same path. Relating personal experiences and statistical analysis, former Pitkin County Commissioner Mick Ireland and Yale University Professor Justin Farrell talked about how Steamboat Springs can try to balance growth by looking at the policies and past mistakes and successes of towns such as Aspen and Jackson, Wyoming. In a presentation of comparisons, Ireland pointed out how Steamboat is showing trends similar to Aspen, leading to a reduction in middle-class residents. Data in both cities shows declining voter registration numbers in short-term rental housing zones, increasing non-local ownership of homes leading to skyrocketing housing costs and decreasing birth rates by families pinched by tough economics and costly housing   [Read The Full Article](https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/cautionary-tale-for-steamboat-loss-of-middle-class-in-resort-mountain-communities/) ## Recommended For You [![](https://rcedp.org/hubfs/Hayden-power-plant-and-cows-in-winter-CROPPED-1024x638-1.jpg)](https://rcedp.org/news/erc) 4 Min Read ### [RCEDP, NWCDC and Local Businesswoman Selected for Inaugural Economic Recovery Corps Fellowship](https://rcedp.org/news/erc) [![Picture of RCEDP](https://rcedp.org/hubfs/RCEDP%20Logo%20-%20Social-2.png) RCEDP February 6, 2024 at 1:47 PM](https://rcedp.org/news/author/rcedp) [![](https://rcedp.org/hubfs/Copy%20of%20Copy%20of%20DONATE%20TODAY%20(1).png)](https://rcedp.org/news/fundraising) 1 Min Read ### [Economic partnership opens door to fundraising as it looks to diversify income sources](https://rcedp.org/news/fundraising) [![Picture of Steamboat Pilot & Today](https://rcedp.org/hubfs/P%26T%20Logo.jpg) Steamboat Pilot & Today January 9, 2025 at 8:00 AM](https://rcedp.org/news/author/steamboat-pilot-today) [![](https://rcedp.org/hubfs/NoahWetzel_SteamboatChamber_MemberLibrary2021_0560-1-optimized.jpg)](https://rcedp.org/news/leading-economic-development) ### [Leading economic development in the Yampa Valley](https://rcedp.org/news/leading-economic-development) [![Picture of Steamboat Pilot & Today](https://rcedp.org/hubfs/P%26T%20Logo.jpg) Steamboat Pilot & Today May 13, 2025 at 10:00 PM](https://rcedp.org/news/author/steamboat-pilot-today) #### Stay Connected Get the latest local business resources and stay informed about long-term economic sustainability initiatives. --- ![logo-white](https://rcedp.org/hubfs/logo-white.png) Routt County, Colorado +1 (970) 717-0721 [info@rcedp.org](mailto:info@rcedp.org) [Follow us on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/RCEDP) [Follow us on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/routt-county-economic-development-partnership/) [Follow us on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/rc_edp/) [Follow us on Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/user/31yb7rxgbioad423hr67hisepumu?si=1c120763ec024429) - [Events](https://lu.ma/rcedp) - [Entrepreneurship](https://rcedp.org/entrepreneurship-center) - [Business Support](https://rcedp.org/business-retention-expansion) - [Key Industries](https://rcedp.org/key-industries) - [Yampa Valley](https://rcedp.org/overview) - [Data](https://rcedp.org/data/communities) - [News](https://rcedp.org/news) - [About Us](https://rcedp.org/partnership) - [Donate](https://www.coloradogives.org/organization/Routt-County-Economic-Development-Partnership) Copyright © 2024 Routt County Economic Development Partnership [Privacy Policy](https://rcedp.org/privacypolicy) | [Terms and Conditions](https://rcedp.org/termsandconditions) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Steamboat Pilot & Today", "url" : "https://rcedp.org/news/author/steamboat-pilot-today" }, "dateModified" : "2025-06-17T23:41:04.213Z", "datePublished" : "2025-05-22T00:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "Middle Class at Risk: Lessons from Aspen and Jackson", "image" : [ "https://rcedp.org/hubfs/Economic-Summit-2025-Mick-Ireland-presentation-map-1536x870.png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://rcedp.org/news/cautionary-tale", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://rcedp.org/hubfs/RCEDP-logo-color.png" }, "name" : "Routt County Economic Development Partnership" } } ```