MALTA — Saratoga County is outpacing the Capital Region – and in some cases, New York state and the nation – in several key economic indicators that portray a strong economy well positioned for growth, according to a first-ever index released earlier this month by the Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership.
The Saratoga County Economic Index includes key indicators such as unemployment levels, labor force participation, household income, and the strength of the housing sector.
The vibrancy of the county’s economy is illustrated by a host of data contained in the index, including: an unemployment rate at its lowest level since 2007, the lowest in the Capital Region and lower than New York state; participation in the labor force, at 68 percent, outpaces the Capital Region, the state, and the nation; median household income, at $71,496 annually, outpaces both the Capital Region and the state by just over 20 percent, and nationally by 33 percent; overall, housing permits have trended up since 2006; total value of multi-family housing permits has risen 30 percent since 2005, more than twice that of the Capital Region; and total value of single-family housing permits has begun trending upward over the past year, reversing a 21 percent decline since 2005, which was less severe than the drop of 35 percent in the Capital Region.