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Old Heat CERB Feasibility Study | 35 <br />The structural challenge lies in Kittitas County’s reliance on low-multiplier <br />industries. Education and healthcare are the largest employers, followed by <br />accommodation and food services. While vital to residents, these sectors do <br />not generate substantial outside revenue. Education and healthcare remain <br />the largest employers, while accommodation and food services rank second. <br />By contrast, nearby King County is anchored by industries in scientific, <br />management, and technical services—industries that act as true base sectors <br />by pulling in external capital and supporting high-wage ecosystems. Without an <br />industrial base rooted in advanced technologies, Kittitas cannot retain talent or <br />generate meaningful wage growth. <br />This imbalance results in consistent outmigration of skilled youth and <br />underutilization of the county’s above-average educational attainment (35% <br />bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to only 18% in Yakima). Old Heat <br />addresses this gap by providing the missing bridge: a commercialization and <br />technology hub designed to attract firms aligned with Washington’s strongest <br />clusters (aerospace, advanced manufacturing, ag-tech, AI applications) while <br />also equipping local businesses to compete in broader supply chains. <br />The strategy is explicitly designed to avoid repeating low-value economic <br />patterns. Old Heat will not reinforce dependency on externally owned, low-wage, <br />low-technology firms. Instead, it aims to create a multiplier effect by anchoring <br />technology-intensive enterprises, encouraging adjacent startups, and connecting <br />CWU’s applied learning and research with real commercial pathways. In doing <br />so, Old Heat provides Kittitas County with the infrastructure and institutional <br />platform to finally integrate with, rather than remain bypassed by, Washington’s <br />metropolitan innovation economy. <br />Table 3 – Median Wage Comparison Chart <br />REGION POPULATION (1)MEDIAN <br />AGE (2) <br />MEDIAN <br />HOUSEHOLD <br />INCOME (2) <br />EMPLOYMENT <br />RATE (2) <br /> 4 YR <br />DEGREE OR <br />HIGHER (2) <br />TOP INDUSTRY FOR <br />CIVILIAN EMPLOYED <br />POPULATION 16 AND <br />OVER (2) <br />% OF TOTAL <br />EMPLOYMENT <br />2ND INDUSTRY FOR <br />CIVILIAN EMPLOYED <br />POPULATION 16 AND <br />OVER (2) <br />% OF TOTAL <br />EMPLOYMENT <br />WA State 7,705,281 38.6 $ 94,605 61%41%Education, Healthcare, <br />Social Svcs 22%Professional, Scientific, <br />Mgt, & Admin Svcs <br />15% <br />King <br />County 2,260,675 37.7 $120,824 68%58%Scientific, Mgt, & Admin <br />Svcs <br />23%Education Svc, <br />Healthcare, Social Svcs 20% <br />Kittitas <br />County 44,357 37.9 $69,928 58%35%Education, Healthcare, <br />Social Svcs <br />23%Arts, Accommodation, <br />Food Service 15% <br />Yakima <br />County 256,728 33.8 $69,525 60%18%Education, Healthcare, <br />Social Svcs <br />21%Agriculture, Forestry <br />and Mining 15%