CO
Colorado
Population 5,862,189
6 Sources
Updated September 10, 2026
5.9M
Population
334,922,499 U.S.
$95,470
Median Income
$80,734 national
$557.6B
GDP (current $), change real
4.1%
Unemployment
4.0% national
County Map
Click a county to view its economic profile
Demographics & Population
Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 · 5-Year Estimates
Household Income
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Household
$95,470
Per Capita
$52,636
Mean Household
$128,255
Poverty Rate
9.4%
Age & Race / Ethnicity
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B01001, B02001, B03003
Cohorts
Under 18 · 21%
18-34 · 24.8%
35-54 · 26.8%
55-64 · 11.8%
65+ · 15.6%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic category and overlaps with the race categories above.
Educational Attainment
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · Population 25+
92.9%
High School+
National: 89.6%
+3.3 pts
45.7%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
+10.0 pts
17.6%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
+3.5 pts
Employment Overview
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
5,862,189
Population
3,235,476
Labor Force
Employed
3,085,757
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2024 annual
4.1%
2025 is not shown for Colorado: a state annual average needs all 12 months and the Bureau of Labor Statistics has published 11. County pages draw on the separate annual series and may show 2025.
Mean Commute 1 min below national avg
25.2 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
21%
Labor Force and Employed are ACS 5-Year survey estimates; the Unemployment Rate above comes from BLS LAUS, a separate monthly survey with its own methodology. The two won't reconcile by subtracting one from the other.
Colorado's median household income sits 18% above the national median. At 9.4%, its poverty rate runs 3.1 pts below the ~12.5% national level, relevant for federal funding eligibility narratives. Bachelor's-or-higher attainment of 45.7% exceeds the national average of 35.7%.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates (released December 2025). Figures reflect the most recent Census release, older news reports may cite prior vintages.
Key Takeaways
- Income premium: Households earn well above the national median, supporting strong consumer markets statewide.
- Talent advantage: Bachelor's-or-higher attainment exceeds the national average by 10.0 pts, supports knowledge-economy positioning.
Economy & Industry
Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis
$557.6B
Gross Domestic Product · 2024
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis · CAGDP2 Regional GDP
103.052
Cost of Living - Above Avg
Key Takeaways
- Largest private-sector industry: Health Care and Social Assistance employs 350,182 workers (17.4% of the tracked sectors), at an average wage of $69,072. Every industry figure on this page is private sector; government employs a further 458,899 and is counted separately.
- Economic scale: State GDP of $557.6B (2024).
- Wage stratification: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services averages $146,490 while Accommodation and Food Services averages $34,915, a 4.2x spread in the same economy, with implications for workforce development and talent strategy.
Source: BLS QCEW + BEA Regional GDP (CAGDP2).
Industry Concentration
Location Quotient measures regional specialization vs. national average. LQ > 1.0 = concentrated.
Attraction Opportunities - Below-Average Industries
LQ < 0.5, below-average employment, screened against industrial power cost. Source: BLS QCEW · 3-digit NAICS sub-sector
0.18x
Paper Manufacturing
1,156 employed
0.28x
Web Search Portals, Libraries, and Archives
906 employed
0.30x
Electrical Equipment, Appliance Manufacturing
2,363 employed
0.32x
Primary Metal Manufacturing
2,129 employed
0.36x
Apparel Manufacturing
520 employed
0.36x
Transportation Equipment Manufacturing
11,273 employed
0.39x
Support Activities for Agriculture and Forestry
2,675 employed
0.39x
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing
788 employed
Screened on industrial power cost only.
Industrial electricity in Colorado costs 9.07¢/kWh against 8.62¢/kWh nationally (2025).
Land area and freight access are not assessed at state level.
Source: EIA.
Key Takeaways
- Top specialization: Postal Service concentrates at 5.15x the national norm, top-decile concentration, the kind of signature sector that defines a region's economic identity.
- Cluster depth: 6 sub-sectors register LQ ≥ 1.5, suggesting an interconnected industrial base across the state.
- Attraction whitespace: 8 sub-sectors register LQ < 0.5, candidates for diversification or recruitment.
Source: BLS QCEW sub-sector Location Quotients.
Housing & Affordability
Census ACS · HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026
Housing Overview
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates · Tables B25001, B25077, B25064
$539,400
Median Home Value vs 2019
$1,761
Rent/Mo
66.2%
Owner-Occ
8.3%
Vacancy
5.6x
Home Value to Income Ratio - Stretched
vs. ~4.1x national average
HUD Fair Market Rents (Statewide)
Renter-household-weighted average across 64 Fair Market Rent areas · Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026 · Affordability threshold and renter cost burden from Census ACS B25119, B25070
Studio
$1,457/mo$698 to $1,726
1 Bedroom
$1,585/mo$742 to $2,020
2 Bedroom
$1,895/mo$973 to $2,467
3 Bedroom
$2,511/mo$1,167 to $2,958
4 Bedroom
$2,831/mo$1,336 to $3,688
30% of monthly median renter household income (~$1,588/mo, from a renter median of $63,537) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Measured: 50.4% of renter households already pay 30% or more of income on rent, and 24.5% pay 50% or more.
Key Takeaways
- Stretched market: Home value to income ratio of 5.6x is well above the ~4.1x national average; attainable workforce housing may be a recruitment friction.
- Affordable rent tiers: 2 of 5 HUD Fair Market Rent bedroom sizes sit below what a household on the median renter income of $63,537 can pay without cost burden (~$1,588/mo), and 50.4% of renter households are measured as cost-burdened.
Source: Census ACS housing tables.
Workforce Pipeline
Labor force readiness, commuting, and workforce composition
Labor Market Overview
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B23025, B08303, B08301
3,716,660
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
vs 2019
Mean Commute 1 min below national avg
25.2 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
21%
Education & Talent Pipeline
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
45.7%
HS Diploma+
92.9%
6 Largest Institutions by Credentials Awarded
Degrees, certificates, and other credentials awarded last academic year (College Scorecard).
9,646/yr
7,956/yr
7,631/yr
5,700/yr
5,675/yr
5,363/yr
Aging Workforce
Source: Census Bureau ACS · Derived from age & employment tables
18.6%
55-64 of working-age population (18-64)
Same cohort is 11.8% of total population, the basis used in the Demographics cohort chart.
Workforce by Occupation
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+
Management / Professional
48.1%
Service
14.9%
Sales & Office
19.1%
Construction / Maint.
8.4%
Production / Transport
9.5%
Bars are drawn on a 0% to 60% axis, so bar length is proportional to actual share. Labels give each group's share of 3,085,757 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
- Healthy participation: 70.8% of the population aged 18+ is in the labor force, reflecting a steady, available workforce statewide.
Source: ACS workforce data.
County Profiles
64 counties in Colorado
Adams County
FIPS 08001
Alamosa County
FIPS 08003
Arapahoe County
FIPS 08005
Archuleta County
FIPS 08007
Baca County
FIPS 08009
Bent County
FIPS 08011
Boulder County
FIPS 08013
Broomfield County
FIPS 08014
Chaffee County
FIPS 08015
Cheyenne County
FIPS 08017
Clear Creek County
FIPS 08019
Conejos County
FIPS 08021
Costilla County
FIPS 08023
Crowley County
FIPS 08025
Custer County
FIPS 08027
Delta County
FIPS 08029
Denver County
FIPS 08031
Dolores County
FIPS 08033
Douglas County
FIPS 08035
Eagle County
FIPS 08037
El Paso County
FIPS 08041
Elbert County
FIPS 08039
Fremont County
FIPS 08043
Garfield County
FIPS 08045
Gilpin County
FIPS 08047
Grand County
FIPS 08049
Gunnison County
FIPS 08051
Hinsdale County
FIPS 08053
Huerfano County
FIPS 08055
Jackson County
FIPS 08057
Jefferson County
FIPS 08059
Kiowa County
FIPS 08061
Kit Carson County
FIPS 08063
La Plata County
FIPS 08067
Lake County
FIPS 08065
Larimer County
FIPS 08069
Las Animas County
FIPS 08071
Lincoln County
FIPS 08073
Logan County
FIPS 08075
Mesa County
FIPS 08077
Mineral County
FIPS 08079
Moffat County
FIPS 08081
Montezuma County
FIPS 08083
Montrose County
FIPS 08085
Morgan County
FIPS 08087
Otero County
FIPS 08089
Ouray County
FIPS 08091
Park County
FIPS 08093
Phillips County
FIPS 08095
Pitkin County
FIPS 08097
Prowers County
FIPS 08099
Pueblo County
FIPS 08101
Rio Blanco County
FIPS 08103
Rio Grande County
FIPS 08105
Routt County
FIPS 08107
Saguache County
FIPS 08109
San Juan County
FIPS 08111
San Miguel County
FIPS 08113
Sedgwick County
FIPS 08115
Summit County
FIPS 08117
Teller County
FIPS 08119
Washington County
FIPS 08121
Weld County
FIPS 08123
Yuma County
FIPS 08125
AI Insights
Sample output. Pulse AI analysis draws on 6 federal data sources.
Sample AI Insight
Colorado shows strong potential for postal service attraction, with a 5.15x concentration and 690 jobs in this sub-sector.
Cluster depth across postal service, oil and gas extraction, and air transportation creates supply-chain attraction leverage, a structural advantage for industrial recruitment.
Industry Shift Analysis
Manufacturing Automation Risk
High
Healthcare Growth Forecast
+4.2% CAGR
Remote Work Migration
67/100
Prospect Match Scores
Advanced Manufacturing
92/100
Life Sciences
84/100
Data Centers
71/100
Illustrative example
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Data Sources
Updated from official federal government data.
Census ACS 5-Year2024
BLS QCEW2025
BEA Regional GDP2024
Census CBP2024
HUD Fair Market RentsFY2026
USAspending.govFY2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Key economic and demographic figures for Colorado, from federal data sources.
What is the population of Colorado?
5,862,189 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the median household income in Colorado?
$95,470 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Colorado?
4.1% (2024 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).
What is the GDP of Colorado?
$557.6B (BEA CAGDP2 (Regional)).
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