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a <br />o <br />a <br />The influence of Central Washington University is very strong. Even during the summer <br />season students represented 7% of the customer base. When the University was back in <br />session student traffic increased to 20o/o of the customer visits (one in every five visits). Of <br />course, not all businesses will cater to the college student but the market is real and provides <br />a charice for ongoing collaboration between downtown Ellensburg and Central Washington <br />as a major institution and important downtown market base. From a tourism standpoint, the <br />percentage of students is a key indicator that marketing downtown to parents and visitors to <br />the University as well as students themselves would be a key strategic move. <br />Between 2000 and 2010, the population has enjoyed robust growth and is projected to <br />continue to grow. This is a fundamental strength in any market analysis. <br />Incorne levels in the primary trade area are lower than both the United States and <br />Washington State, but the college student presence can attribute to this since college students <br />count in the Census at their school of residency. <br />The psychographic analysis of Ellensburg indicates s{rong potential to retain talent cultivated <br />at Central Washington and for others who seek to live in a vibrant community with an <br />abundance of outdoor recreation opportunities along with reasonable proximity to a major <br />metro area, Retaining students in a "college town" can always be a challenge and many <br />students will naturally gravitate westward to the Seattle/Tacoma Metro area to work. <br />However, there are recommendations later in this report designed to capture some students <br />who wish to stay in the area (or recapture them later on). <br />12