Colorado

Add Comparison

Population

5.7M

1.58% growth

Median Age

36.9


Median Household Income

$71,953

4.1% growth

Poverty Rate

11.5%


Number of Employees

2.86M

2.59% growth

Median Property Value

$373,300

6.99% growth

About

Economy

Health

Diversity

Education

Housing & Living

About

In 2018, Colorado had a population of 5.7M people with a median age of 36.9 and a median household income of $71,953. Between 2017 and 2018 the population of Colorado grew from 5.61M to 5.7M, a 1.58% increase and its median household income grew from $69,117 to $71,953, a 4.1% increase.

The population of Colorado is 67.8% White Alone, 21.7% Hispanic or Latino, and 3.92% Black or African American Alone. 16.7% of the people in Colorado speak a non-English language, and 94.7% are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Colorado are University of Colorado Boulder (7,973 degrees awarded in 2017), Colorado State University-Fort Collins (7,504 degrees), and Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs (5,669 degrees).

The median property value in Colorado is $373,300, and the homeownership rate is 65.1%. 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 2.86M people. The largest industries in Colorado are Construction (213,485 people), Restaurants & Food Services (197,305 people), and Elementary & secondary schools (163,389 people), and the highest paying industries are Software publishing ($132,320), Internet publishing, broadcasting & web search portals ($127,380), and Petroleum refining ($119,946).

Median household income in Colorado is $71,953. Males in Colorado have an average income that is 1.31 times higher than the average income of females, which is $54,774. The income inequality in Colorado (measured using the Gini index) is 0.46, which is lower than than the national average.

Wages

Median Household Income

$71,953

2018 value

± $655

4.1%

1 Year Growth

± 1.39%

Households in Colorado have a median annual income of $71,953, which is more than the median annual income of $61,937 across the entire United States. This is in comparison to a median income of $69,117 in 2017, which represents a 4.1% 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.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Wage by Gender in Common Jobs

$71,627

Average Male Salary

± $1,528

$54,774

Average Female Salary

± $1,246

In 2018, 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.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Wage by Race and Ethnicity in Common Jobs

Highest Average Salaries by Race & Ethnicity

  1. Asian

    $64,200 ± $6,182

  2. White

    $57,410 ± $991

  3. Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander

    $52,978 ± $31,442

In 2018 the highest paid race/ethnicity of Colorado workers was Asian. These workers were paid 1.12 times more than White 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.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Wage Distribution

0.46

2018 Wage GINI

0.471

2017 Wage GINI

In 2018, the income inequality in Colorado was 0.46 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 2.24% decline from 2017 to 2018, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even.

The 2018 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.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

  1. Douglas County, CO

  2. Broomfield County, CO

  3. Jefferson County, CO

In 2018, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Colorado was Douglas County, CO with a value of $119,615, followed by Broomfield County, CO and Jefferson County, CO, with respective values of $95,800 and $85,890.

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

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

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 13.1%. 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.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

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.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Occupations

Employment by Occupations

2.86M

2018 Value

2.59%

1 Year growth

± 2.59%

From 2017 to 2018, employment in Colorado grew at a rate of 2.59%, from 2.79M employees to 2.86M employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Colorado, are Other managers (79,702 people), Elementary & middle school teachers (76,882 people), and Retail salespersons (67,149 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Colorado.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Most Common

The most common jobs held by residents of Colorado, by number of employees, are Other managers (79,702 people), Elementary & middle school teachers (76,882 people), and Retail salespersons (67,149 people).

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart
View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Most Specialized

Compared to other states, Colorado has an unusually high number of residents working as Buyers & purchasing agents, farm products (4.71 times higher than expected), Atmospheric & space scientists (3.65 times), and Geoscientists and hydrologists, except geographers (3.37 times).

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart
View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Highest Paid

The highest paid jobs held by residents of Colorado, by average salary, are Surgeons ($370,704), Physicians ($236,019), and Petroleum, mining & geological engineers, including mining safety engineers ($178,548).

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart
View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Industries

Employment by Industries

2.86M

2018 Value

2.59%

1 Year growth

± 2.59%

From 2017 to 2018, employment in Colorado grew at a rate of 2.59%, from 2.79M employees to 2.86M employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Colorado, are Construction (213,485 people), Restaurants & Food Services (197,305 people), and Elementary & secondary schools (163,389 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.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Most Common

The most common industries in Colorado, by number of employees, are Construction (213,485 people), Restaurants & Food Services (197,305 people), and Elementary & secondary schools (163,389 people).

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart
View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Most Specialized

Compared to other states, Colorado has an unusually high number of Oil & gas extraction (4.15 times higher than expected), Pottery, ceramics, & plumbing fixture manufacturing (4.01 times), and Aerospace products & parts manufacturing (3.84 times) industries.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart
View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Highest Paying

The highest paying industries in Colorado, by average salary, are Software publishing ($132,320), Internet publishing, broadcasting & web search portals ($127,380), and Petroleum refining ($119,946).

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart
View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

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.

    $35B

  2. Mixed freight

    $24.9B

  3. Electronics

    $18.5B

In 2015, the top outbound Colorado product (by dollars) was Coal-n.e.c. with $35B, followed by Mixed freight ($24.9B) and Electronics ($18.5B).

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

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Domestic Trade Growth

$229B

2020 Value

$314B

Projected 2045 Value

37.2% growth

In 2020, total outbound Colorado trade was $229B. This is expected to increase 37.2% to $314B by 2045.

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

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

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

    $13.9B

  2. Nebraska

    $10.6B

  3. California

    $8.3B

In 2015, the top outbound Colorado domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Wyoming with $13.9B, followed by Nebraska with $10.6B and California and $8.3B.

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

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

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.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

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.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

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.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

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.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

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.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

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.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Diversity

Colorado is home to a population of 5.7M people, from which 94.7% are citizens. As of 2017, 9.52% of Colorado residents were born outside of the country (534k people).

The ethnic composition of the population of Colorado is composed of 3.86M White Alone residents (67.8%), 1.24M Hispanic or Latino residents (21.7%), 223k Black or African American Alone residents (3.92%), 177k Asian Alone residents (3.12%), 151k Two or More Races residents (2.65%), 32k American Indian & Alaska Native Alone residents (0.561%), 10.8k Some Other Race Alone residents (0.189%), and 6.62k Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander Alone residents (0.116%).

The most common foreign languages spoken in Colorado are Spanish (623,015 speakers), German (23,793 speakers), and Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese) (22,779 speakers).

Age

Age by Nativity

36

Median Native-Born Age

± 0.2

42

Median Foreign-Born Age

± 0.6

In 2018, the median age of all people in Colorado was 36.9. Native-born citizens, with a median age of 36, were generally younger than than foreign-born citizens, with a median age of 42. But people in Colorado are getting getting older. In 2017, the average age of all Colorado residents was 37.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Heritage

Foreign-Born Population

9.52%

2017 Foreign-Born Population

534k people

9.47%

2016 Foreign-Born Population

524k people

As of 2017, 9.52% of Colorado residents (534k people) 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.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

  1. Mexico

    221,927 ± 11,338 people

  2. India

    25,376 ± 3,902 people

  3. China

    18,220 ± 3,309 people

In 2018, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Colorado was Mexico, the natal country of 221,927 Colorado residents, followed by India with 25,376 and China with 18,220.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Citizenship

94.7%

2018 Citizenship

94.4%

2017 Citizenship

As of 2018, 94.7% of Colorado residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2017, the percentage of US citizens in Colorado was 94.4%, 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.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Race and Ethnicity

Most Common

  1. White Alone

    3.86M ± 2.53k

  2. Hispanic or Latino

    1.24M ± 23.4k

  3. Black or African American Alone

    223k ± 5.7k

In 2018, there were 3.12 times more White Alone residents (3.86M people) in Colorado than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.24M Hispanic or Latino and 223k 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.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Non-English Speakers

Most Common Languages

  1. Spanish

    623,015 speakers (11.6%)

  2. German

    23,793 speakers (0.444%)

  3. Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese)

    22,779 speakers (0.425%)

16.7% of Colorado citizens are speakers of a non-English language, which is lower than the national average of 21.9%. In 2018, the most common non-English language spoken in Colorado was Spanish. 11.6% of the overall population of Colorado are native Spanish speakers. 0.444% speak German and 0.425% speak Spanish, the next two most common languages.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

  1. Vietnam

    115,972 ± 4,280

  2. Gulf War (2001-)

    98,231 ± 5,670

  3. Gulf War (1990s)

    60,650 ± 4,090

Colorado has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.18 times greater than any other conflict.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Education

In 2017, universities in Colorado awarded 91,346 degrees. The student population of Colorado is skewed towards women, with 167,757 male students and 205,449 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Colorado are White (58,021 and 65.8%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (13,172 and 14.9%), Black or African American (5,180 and 5.87%), and Unknown (4,629 and 5.25%).

The largest universities in Colorado by number of degrees awarded are University of Colorado Boulder (7,973 and 8.73%), Colorado State University-Fort Collins (7,504 and 8.21%), and Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs (5,669 and 6.21%).

The most popular majors in Colorado are General Business Administration & Management (8,810 and 9.64%), Liberal Arts & Sciences (3,808 and 4.17%), and Registered Nursing (3,197 and 3.5%).

The median tuition costs in Colorado are $26,484 for private four year colleges, and $6,888 and $18,096 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Concentrations

Most Common

  1. General Business Administration & Management

    4,805 degrees awarded

  2. Registered Nursing

    1,998 degrees awarded

  3. General Psychology

    1,813 degrees awarded

In 2015, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Colorado was General Business Administration & Management with 4,805 degrees awarded.

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

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Universities

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

  1. University of Colorado Boulder

    7,973 degrees awarded

  2. Colorado State University-Fort Collins

    7,504 degrees awarded

  3. Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs

    5,669 degrees awarded

$6,888

Median In-State Public

$26,484

Median Private

In 2017, the Colorado institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Colorado Boulder with 7,973 degrees awarded.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart
View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Student Gender for Common Institutions

40,407

Degrees Awarded to Men

50,939

Degrees Awarded to Women

In 2017, 40,407 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Colorado, which is 0.793 times less than the 50,939 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.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Student Race and Ethnicity

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

  1. White

    58,021 degrees awarded

  2. Hispanic or Latino

    13,172 degrees awarded

  3. Black or African American

    5,180 degrees awarded

In 2017 the majority of degrees awarded at institutions in Colorado were to White students. These 58,021 degrees mean that there were 4.4 times more White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 13,172 degrees awarded.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Housing & Living

The median property value in Colorado was $373,300 in 2018, which is 1.63 times larger than the national average of $229,700. Between 2017 and 2018 the median property value increased from $348,900 to $373,300, a 6.99% increase. The homeownership rate in Colorado is 65.1%, 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.

Housing

Property Value

$373,300

2018 Median

± $2,652

$348,900

2017 Median

± $2,122

In 2018, the median property value in Colorado grew to to $373,300 from the previous year's value of $348,900.

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.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart
View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Household Income

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

$71,953

Median Household Income

± $655

2.18M

Number of Households

± 22,628

In 2018, the median household income of the 2.18M households in Colorado grew to $71,953 from the previous year's value of $69,117.

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.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

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.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Rent vs Own

65.1%

2018 Homeownership

65.2%

2017 Homeownership

In 2018, 65.1% of the housing units in Colorado were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 65.2%.

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.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

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 (25.7 minutes). Additionally, 2.11% 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.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart
View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Method of Travel

  1. Drove Alone

    74.9%

  2. Worked At Home

    8.56%

  3. Carpooled

    8.55%

In 2018, the most common method of travel for workers in Colorado was Drove Alone (74.9%), followed by those who Worked At Home (8.56%) and those who Carpooled (8.55%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

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.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart