Economic Development

Discover Los Alamos County, NM
Los Alamos County is committed to sustainable growth and economic development, under the direction of the Economic Vitality Strategic Plan (EVSP). County staff includes a dedicated economic developer and marketing manager, supported by a team of professional planners, engineers, and public administrators. County staff can provide demographic and market data, site selection assistance, coordination of development review and other public processes, infrastructure development, and targeted incentives designed to support the quality and vitality of the community and the goals of the EVSP.

Click here to read the latest Economic Development Report.

The major goals of the Economic Vitality Strategic Plan (EVSP):

1. HOUSING - Increase the availability of housing in the County, both affordable and market rate
2. QUALITY OF LIFE - Define and address quality of life priorities
3. DIVERSIFY ECONOMY - Grow a separate, complementary economy to LANL
4. SUPPORT LANL - Support and retain LANL as the area's best wealth producing employer

Click here to read the EVSP!

High Altitude Lifestyle

• Mild mountain climate with 340 days of sunshine/year.
• 100-plus mile multi-use trails network connecting residential areas to townsite and the open space areas of Pajarito Mountain, Bandelier National Monument and the Valles Caldera National Monument.
• Pajarito Mountain Ski Area 5 miles west of downtown Los Alamos.
• County amenities include horse stables and indoor arena, Olympic-size Aquatic Center, outdoor ice rink, 18-hole golf course, 29 parks, 20 playgrounds and more than 3 dozen community ball fields.

Top Pick Among Small Communities

• Home of region's largest employer: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), a global leader in scientific research, development and commercialization.
• Regularly ranked as one of the best places to live in the nation for safety, schools and recreation (LIVABILITY.com, Niche).
• 6th wealthiest county in the US (U.S. Census, December 2016).
• Top ranked schools in the state (U.S. News, April 2016).
• Gateway to three national parks: Bandelier National Monument, Valles Caldera National Preserve and the new Manhattan Project National Historical Park.
• Outstanding recreational amenities (National Geographic, Outside Magazine).

High Tech Business Environment

• Over 10,000 highly educated and talented employees, including top government scientists and contractors from around the world.
• Dozens of science, engineering, environmental, consumer product and biotechnology companies conduct hundreds of millions of dollars of commerce and research in Los Alamos each year.
• Partnership opportunities with LANL on both federal and private projects.
• Quality buildings, sites and human resources for new and expanding technology business.

Contact Info

505-662-8296

joanie.ahlers@lacnm.us

1000 Central Ave Suite 150

Monday - Friday:

8:00am - 5:00pm

Strong Retail and Service Demand

• Strong business services demand from national lab and other government employers.
• Average discretionary income/household >$60K combined with significant gap in retail services.
• Sales-per-square foot leader in the region for several national chains and major gaps to fill in retail services.
• Growing cultural and eco-tourism activity and outstanding high altitude recreation market.
• Prime locations for retail and commercial development.
• Major town center locations in Los Alamos and White Rock.

Robust Demand for Housing

• Stable housing values and steady demand through the recent recession. Growing demand for workplace, senior and market rate rental properties and single family homes.
• County offering incentives for new development of housing and mixed use projects in Los Alamos and White Rock.

Life Long Learning Environment

• Los Alamos High School ranked #4 public high school in the state (U.S. News and World Report, April 2016) and a silver medal winner in U.S. News and World Report's 2016 national ranking of America's Best High Schools, with a graduation rate of 94 percent.
• Specialty public school programs in accelerated math, science, music and the arts.
• Consistent Science Bowl, Supercomputing and other academic competition championships.
• A well-rounded sports program (football, basketball, baseball, soccer, volleyball, wresting), and club sports include rugby and lacrosse.
• University of New Mexico at Los Alamos (UNMLA) campus offering customized science and technology programs.

Film & T.V. Production Hot Spot

• Filming location for The Lone Ranger and for A&E T.V. series Longmire, Haywire, Let Me In, Brothers, Did You Hear About the Morgans? and Tiger Eyes, as well as historical documentaries produced by the Discovery and History channels.
• Mountain setting, diverse housing product providing filmmakers with scenery matching Wyoming, upstate New York, Connecticut and Northern California.
• Located just 45 minutes from state-of-the-art studios and post-production facilties in Santa Fe (Santa Fe Studios and Garson Studios).
• Access to information on locations, facilities, products, services, permitting and fees provided by state-sanctioned film liaison for Los Alamos Kelly Stewart, kelly.stewart@lacnm.us or 505-412-3410.