Economic Development

regional employment centers

Data on the inflow and outflow of jobs within Windham County points to the interconnectedness of the region with surrounding areas. As of 2019, 8,531 employees working in Windham County commuted from locations outside of the county. At the same time, 6,005 Windham County residents worked outside of the county. When planning for economic development, it is important to keep in mind that the strength and vitality of local economies in surrounding counties is also critical to supporting the residents of the Windham Region. This points to the need to collaborate with planning and development entities in adjacent counties to work on areas of shared interest.

The map to the right shows where employees commuting into Windham County reside. The county with the largest number of residents commuting into Windham County is Cheshire County in southwest New Hampshire (2,391 workers). There are also a significant number of residents that commute from Bennington County (825) and Windsor County (940) in Vermont and from Franklin County in Massachusetts (816).

 

The next map shows where Windham County residents commute to for employment opportunities outside of the county. The counties with the largest draw are Cheshire County, New Hampshire and Windsor and Bennington Counties. These counties include large regional employment centers, like Keene, New Hampshire, Greenfield, Massachusetts, and Springfield, White River Junction, Bennington, and Manchester in Vermont. Notably, residents are also commuting much longer distances, including to Chittenden County and Hilsborough County in central New Hampshire.