Western counties saw the sharpest increase in cost of basic expenses during past decade

The cost of basic family expenses rose sharply from 2001 to 2011 in several counties in western Colorado including Rio Blanco, Ouray, Hinsdale, Jackson and Lake counties, according to the Self-Sufficiency Standard for Colorado 2011. The map below shows how the cost of making ends meet has changed during the past decade for a family with one adult, one preschooler and one school-age child.

Learn more by checking out the Self-Sufficiency Standard for Colorado 2011, a measurement of the true cost of making ends meet for Colorado families.