1. Start with the service area, not the population estimate
The available Census record identifies Gunnison city and its county relationship: Gunnison County. It does not establish how many people search for a lawyer, where prospective clients travel from, or which locations Google will treat as eligible for an advertising profile. A firm should therefore distinguish Gunnison city from Gunnison County and from any additional Colorado locations it actually serves. The profile should not imply coverage beyond the firm’s real practice and intake capacity. The population estimate can help frame a conversation about geographic scope, but it cannot justify a budget or a demand forecast.
Recommended approach
List the locations the firm is legally and operationally prepared to serve. Review city and county coverage separately, identify exclusions, and ask whether a call from outside Gunnison city is useful, permissible, and manageable. Treat the first geographic configuration as a decision to review—not as evidence that a broader area will create more qualified inquiries.
