Colorado

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Population

5.61M

1.2% growth

Median Age

36.8


Median Household Income

$69,117

5.22% growth

Poverty Rate

11.5%


Number of Employees

2.79M

3.42% growth

Median Property Value

$348,900

11% growth

About

Economy

Health

Diversity

Education

Housing & Living

About

In 2017, Colorado had a population of 5.61M people with a median age of 36.8 and a median household income of $69,117. Between 2016 and 2017 the population of Colorado grew from 5.54M to 5.61M, a 1.2% increase and its median household income grew from $65,685 to $69,117, a 5.22% increase.

The population of Colorado is 68.2% White Alone, 21.5% Hispanic or Latino, and 3.91% Black or African American Alone. 17.2% of the people in Colorado speak a non-English language, and 94.4% are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Colorado are University of Colorado Boulder (7,761 degrees awarded in 2016), Colorado State University-Fort Collins (7,353 degrees), and Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs (5,498 degrees).

The median property value in Colorado is $348,900, and the homeownership rate is 65.2%. Most people in Colorado commute by Drove Alone, and the average commute time is 23.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Colorado is 2 cars per household.

Colorado borders Arizona, Oklahoma, Utah, Kansas, New Mexico, Nebraska, and Wyoming.

Photo by Zach Dischner

United States

Economy

The economy of Colorado employs 2.79M people. The largest industries in Colorado are Construction (213,181 people), Restaurants & Food Services (195,393 people), and Elementary & secondary schools (151,025 people), and the highest paying industries are Rubber products, except tires, manufacturing ($180,597), Electric & gas, and other combinations ($144,866), and Agricultural chemical manufacturing ($132,450).

Median household income in Colorado is $69,117. Males in Colorado have an average income that is 1.31 times higher than the average income of females, which is $53,627. The income inequality in Colorado (measured using the Gini index) is 0.471, which is lower than than the national average.

Wages

Median Household Income

$69,117

2017 value

± $780

5.22%

1 Year Growth

± 1.41%

Households in Colorado have a median annual income of $69,117, which is more than the median annual income of $60,336 across the entire United States. This is in comparison to a median income of $65,685 in 2016, which represents a 5.22% annual growth.

Look at the chart to see how the median household income in Colorado compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Wage by Gender in Common Jobs

$70,370

Average Male Salary

± $1,540

$53,627

Average Female Salary

± $1,308

In 2017, full-time male employees in Colorado made 1.31 times more than female employees.

This chart shows the gender-based wage disparity in the 5 most common occupations in Colorado by number of full-time employees.

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Wage by Race and Ethnicity in Common Jobs

Highest Average Salaries by Race & Ethnicity

  1. Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander

    $63,284 ± $33,979

  2. Asian

    $57,318 ± $5,622

  3. White

    $55,910 ± $1,010

In 2017 the highest paid race/ethnicity of Colorado workers was Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander. These workers were paid 1.1 times more than Asian workers, who made the second highest salary of any race/ethnicity.

This chart shows the race- and ethnicity-based wage disparities in the 5 most common occupations in Colorado by number of full-time employees.

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Wage Distribution

0.471

2017 Wage GINI

0.469

2016 Wage GINI

In 2017, the income inequality in Colorado was 0.471 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.456% growth from 2016 to 2017, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even.

The 2017 the GINI for Colorado was lower than than the national average of 0.479. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Colorado in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Colorado across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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Income by Location

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Highest Median Household Income (Total)

  1. Douglas County, CO

  2. Broomfield County, CO

  3. Boulder County, CO

In 2017, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Colorado was Douglas County, CO with a value of $111,482, followed by Broomfield County, CO and Boulder County, CO, with respective values of $90,939 and $80,834.

The following map shows all of the counties in Colorado colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

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Poverty by Age and Gender

Females 18 - 24

Largest Demographic Living in Poverty

11.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Colorado (612k out of 5.32M people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 13.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Males 18 - 24.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Poverty by Race and Ethnicity

Largest Race or Ethnicity Living in Poverty

  1. White

    467,164 ± 5,221

  2. Hispanic

    218,275 ± 3,661

  3. Other

    46,208 ± 1,736

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Colorado is White, followed by Hispanic and Other.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Occupations

Employment by Occupations

2.79M

2017 Value

3.42%

1 Year growth

± 3.42%

From 2016 to 2017, employment in Colorado grew at a rate of 3.42%, from 2.7M employees to 2.79M employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Colorado, are Miscellaneous managers (99,415 people), Retail salespersons (63,981 people), and Elementary & middle school teachers (61,473 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Colorado.

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Most Common

The most common jobs held by residents of Colorado, by number of employees, are Miscellaneous managers (99,415 people), Retail salespersons (63,981 people), and Elementary & middle school teachers (61,473 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other states, Colorado has an unusually high number of residents working as Atmospheric & space scientists (4.32 times higher than expected), Astronomers & physicists (3.81 times), and Urban & regional planners (3.53 times).

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Highest Paid

The highest paid jobs held by residents of Colorado, by average salary, are Physicians & surgeons ($257,165), Computer hardware engineers ($172,183), and Chief executives & legislators ($169,240).

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Industries

Employment by Industries

2.79M

2017 Value

3.42%

1 Year growth

± 3.42%

From 2016 to 2017, employment in Colorado grew at a rate of 3.42%, from 2.7M employees to 2.79M employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Colorado, are Construction (213,181 people), Restaurants & Food Services (195,393 people), and Elementary & secondary schools (151,025 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Colorado, though some of these residents may live in Colorado and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Most Common

The most common industries in Colorado, by number of employees, are Construction (213,181 people), Restaurants & Food Services (195,393 people), and Elementary & secondary schools (151,025 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other states, Colorado has an unusually high number of Aerospace products & parts manufacturing (5.01 times higher than expected), Oil & gas extraction (3.54 times), and U. S. Air Force (3.42 times) industries.

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Highest Paying

The highest paying industries in Colorado, by average salary, are Rubber products, except tires, manufacturing ($180,597), Electric & gas, and other combinations ($144,866), and Agricultural chemical manufacturing ($132,450).

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Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from Colorado to other states, or from other states to Colorado.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

  1. Coal-n.e.c.

    $30.1B

  2. Mixed freight

    $22.9B

  3. Electronics

    $15.7B

In 2015, the top outbound Colorado product (by dollars) was Coal-n.e.c. with $30.1B, followed by Mixed freight with $22.9B and Electronics and $15.7B.

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound Colorado products.

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Domestic Trade Growth

$208B

2015 Value

$314B

Projected 2045 Value

51.4% growth

In 2015, total outbound Colorado trade was $208B. This is expected to increase 51.4% to $314B by 2045.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound Colorado trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

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Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from Colorado to other states, or from other states to Colorado.

Most Common Trade Partners

  1. Wyoming

    $12.5B

  2. Nebraska

    $9.22B

  3. California

    $7.43B

In 2015, the top outbound Colorado domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Wyoming with $12.5B, followed by Nebraska with $9.22B and California and $7.43B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that Colorado shares with each state (excluding itself).

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Health

92.5% of the population of Colorado has health coverage, with 49% on employee plans, 16.6% on Medicaid, 10.1% on Medicare, 14% on non-group plans, and 2.84% on military or VA plans.

Per capita personal health care spending in the state of Colorado was $6,804 in 2014. This is a 5.13% increase from the previous year ($6,472).

Primary care physicians in Colorado see 1243 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.404% increase from the previous year (1238 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1291 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 326 patients per year.

Comparing across all counties in the state, Fremont County has the highest prevalence of diabetes (8.8%). Additionally, Logan County has the highest prevalence of adult obesity (28.9%)

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,243 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio

Primary care physicians in Colorado see an average of 1,243 patients per year. This represents a 0.404% increase from the previous year (1,238 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Colorado in comparison to neighboring states.

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Behavioral Health Conditions

Data only available at the state level.

State with the Highest Prevalence

  1. West Virginia

    8.26% of the population affected

  2. Arkansas

    8.13% of the population affected

  3. New Hampshire

    7.98% of the population affected

In 2016, West Virginia had the highest prevalence of adults with major depressive episode, with 8.26% of the population affected. The second highest is Arkansas (8.13%), followed by New Hampshire (7.98%).

The following map shows the percent of individuals with major depressive episode by state over multiple years.

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Access and Quality

Data only available at state level.

Most prevalent states

  1. Mississippi

    19.2% of adults

  2. Texas

    17.9% of adults

  3. Louisiana

    17.6% of adults

In 2016, Mississippi had the highest prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost, at 19.2%. It is followed by Texas (17.9%) and Louisiana (17.6%).

The following map shows the prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost by state over multiple years.

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Health Care Spending

$6,804

Total Per Capita Spending on Personal Health Care 

$4,623

Per Enrollee Private Health Insurance Spending on Personal Health Care

$7,143

Per Enrollee Medicaid Spending on Personal Health Care

$9,287

Per Enrollee Medicare Spending on Personal Health Care

Between 2013 and 2014, all personal health care spending per capita in Colorado (including private, Medicare, and Medicaid) grew 5.13%, from $6,472 to $6,804.

The following chart shows how this spending changed over time in comparison to Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance spending, per enrollee.

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Health Care Coverage

7.51%

Uninsured

49%

Employer Coverage

16.6%

Medicaid

10.1%

Medicare

14%

Non-Group

2.84%

Military or VA

Between 2016 and 2017, the percent of uninsured citizens in Colorado declined by 0.158% from 7.52% to 7.51%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Colorado changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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Health Risks

Data available at the county level.

Most at risk counties

  1. Fremont County

    8.8% prevalence

  2. Pueblo County

    8.7% prevalence

  3. Sedgwick County

    8.4% prevalence

Fremont County has the highest prevalence of diabetes in Colorado, at 8.8%.

The following map shows the prevalence of diabetes in Colorado by county over multiple years.

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Diversity

Colorado is home to a population of 5.61M people, from which 94.4% are citizens. As of 2017, 9.52% of Colorado residents were born outside of the country.

The ethnic composition of the population of Colorado is composed of 3.82M White Alone residents (68.2%), 1.21M Hispanic or Latino residents (21.5%), 220k Black or African American Alone residents (3.91%), 176k Asian Alone residents (3.14%), 132k Two or More Races residents (2.35%), 32.1k American Indian & Alaska Native Alone residents (0.573%), 11.5k Some Other Race Alone residents (0.206%), and 7.14k Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander Alone residents (0.127%).

The most common foreign languages spoken in Colorado are Spanish or Spanish Creole (623,404 speakers), Chinese (25,283 speakers), and German (24,325 speakers).

Age

Age by Nativity

36

Median Native-Born Age

± 0.1

41

Median Foreign-Born Age

± 0.5

In 2017, the median age of all people in Colorado was 36.8. Native-born citizens, with a median age of 36, were generally younger than than foreign-born citizens, with a median age of 41. But people in Colorado are getting getting older. In 2016, the average age of all Colorado residents was 37.

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Heritage

Foreign-Born Population

9.52%

2017 Foreign-Born Population

9.47%

2016 Foreign-Born Population

As of 2017, 9.52% of Colorado residents were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.7%. In 2016, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Colorado was 9.47%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Colorado compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

  1. Mexico

    234,816 ± 11,645 people

  2. India

    20,457 ± 3,505 people

  3. China

    19,921 ± 3,459 people

In 2017, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Colorado was Mexico, the natal country of 234,816 Colorado residents, followed by India with 20,457 and China with 19,921.

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Citizenship

94.4%

2017 Citizenship

94.1%

2016 Citizenship

As of 2017, 94.4% of Colorado residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.1%. In 2016, the percentage of US citizens in Colorado was 94.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Colorado compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Race and Ethnicity

Most Common

  1. White Alone

    3.82M ± 2.9k

  2. Hispanic or Latino

    1.21M ± 19.4k

  3. Black or African American Alone

    220k ± 5.71k

In 2017, there were 3.17 times more White Alone residents (3.82M people) in Colorado than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.21M Hispanic or Latino and 220k Black or African American Alone residents, the second and third most common racial or ethnic groups.

The following bar chart shows the 8 races and ethnicities represented in Colorado as a share of the total population.

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Non-English Speakers

Most Common Languages

  1. Spanish or Spanish Creole

    623,404 speakers (12.2%)

  2. Chinese

    25,283 speakers (0.494%)

  3. German

    24,325 speakers (0.475%)

17.2% of Colorado citizens are speakers of a non-English language, which is lower than the national average of 21.5%. In 2015, the most common non-English language spoken in Colorado was Spanish or Spanish Creole. 12.2% of the overall population of Colorado are native Spanish or Spanish Creole speakers. 0.494% speak Chinese and 0.475% speak Spanish or Spanish Creole, the next two most common languages.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

  1. Vietnam

    119,667 ± 4,301

  2. Gulf War (2001-)

    92,110 ± 5,836

  3. Gulf War (1990s)

    58,354 ± 3,962

Colorado has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.3 times greater than any other conflict.

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Education

In 2016, universities in Colorado awarded 89,611 degrees. The student population of Colorado is skewed towards women, with 164,770 male students and 201,836 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Colorado are White (57,222 and 66%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (12,621 and 14.6%), Black or African American (5,107 and 5.89%), and Unknown (4,991 and 5.76%).

The largest universities in Colorado by number of degrees awarded are University of Colorado Boulder (7,761 and 8.66%), Colorado State University-Fort Collins (7,353 and 8.21%), and Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs (5,498 and 6.14%).

The most popular majors in Colorado are General Business Administration & Management (8,437 and 9.42%), Liberal Arts & Sciences (3,698 and 4.13%), and Registered Nursing (3,024 and 3.37%).

The median tuition costs in Colorado are $22,360 for private four year colleges, and $6,765 and $17,922 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Concentrations

Most Common

  1. General Business Administration & Management

    4,594 degrees awarded

  2. General Psychology

    1,834 degrees awarded

  3. Registered Nursing

    1,790 degrees awarded

In 2015, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Colorado was General Business Administration & Management with 4,594 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Colorado according to their major.

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Universities

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

  1. University of Colorado Boulder

    7,761 degrees awarded

  2. Colorado State University-Fort Collins

    7,353 degrees awarded

  3. Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs

    5,498 degrees awarded

$6,765

Median In-State Public

$22,360

Median Private

In 2016, the Colorado institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Colorado Boulder with 7,761 degrees awarded.

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Student Gender for Common Institutions

39,198

Degrees Awarded to Men

50,413

Degrees Awarded to Women

In 2016, 39,198 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Colorado, which is 0.778 times less than the 50,413 female students who received degrees in the same year.

This chart displays the gender disparity between the top 5 institutions in Colorado by degrees awarded.

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Student Race and Ethnicity

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

  1. White

    57,222 degrees awarded

  2. Hispanic or Latino

    12,621 degrees awarded

  3. Black or African American

    5,107 degrees awarded

In 2016 the majority of degrees awarded at institutions in Colorado were to White students. These 57,222 degrees mean that there were 4.53 times more White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 12,621 degrees awarded.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Colorado was $348,900 in 2017, which is 1.6 times larger than the national average of $217,600. Between 2016 and 2017 the median property value increased from $314,200 to $348,900, a 11% increase. The homeownership rate in Colorado is 65.2%, which is higher than the national average of 63.9%. People in Colorado have an average commute time of 23.7 minutes, and they commute by Drove Alone. Car ownership in Colorado is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Income

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$69,117

Median Household Income

± $780

2.14M

Number of Households

± 21,418

In 2017, the median household income of the 2.14M households in Colorado grew to $69,117 from the previous year's value of $65,685.

The following chart displays the households in Colorado distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

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Housing

Property Value

$348,900

2017 Median

± $2,122

$314,200

2016 Median

± $2,358

In 2017, the median property value in Colorado grew to to $348,900 from the previous year's value of $314,200.

The following charts display, first, the property values in Colorado compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies and, second, owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property value buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Colorado the largest share of households have a property value in the $300k - $400k range.

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Property Taxes

$800 - $1,499

Average Range

This chart shows the households in Colorado distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Colorado the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

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Rent vs Own

65.2%

2017 Homeownership

64.8%

2016 Homeownership

In 2017, 65.2% of the housing units in Colorado were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 64.8%.

This percentage of owner-occupation is higher than the national average of 63.9%. This chart shows the ownership percentage in Colorado compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Transportation

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Colorado distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Colorado have 2 cars, followed by 3 cars.

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Commute Time

23.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Colorado have a shorter commute time (23.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (25.5 minutes). Additionally, 2.02% of the workforce in Colorado have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Colorado compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Commuter Transportation

Most Common Method of Travel

  1. Drove Alone

    74.9%

  2. Carpooled

    8.55%

  3. Worked At Home

    8.46%

In 2017, the most common method of travel for workers in Colorado was Drove Alone, followed by those who Carpooled and those who Worked At Home.

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