Golden, CO

Census Place

2024 Population

20,417

US Senator

Michael Bennet

Democratic Party

US Senator

John Hickenlooper

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

34.6

1.42% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

12.6%

2.86% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$98,582

2.78% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$837,700

Population & Diversity

Golden, CO is home to a population of 20.4k people, from which 97% are citizens.

As of 2024, 6.3% of Golden, CO residents were born outside of the country (1.29k people).

In 2024, there were 20.7 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (16.8k people) in Golden, CO than any other race or ethnicity. There were 811 Asian (Non-Hispanic) and 628 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97%

2024 Citizenship

97.3%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97% of Golden, CO residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Golden, CO was 97.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Golden, CO

White (Non-Hispanic)
16.8k ± 465
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
811 ± 340
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
628 ± 197

7.89%

Hispanic Population

1.61k people

7.89% of the people in Golden, CO are hispanic (1.61k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Golden, CO as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Colorado.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
205,206 ± 10,925 people
India
23,918 ± 3,789 people
China
18,011 ± 3,290 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Colorado was Mexico, the natal country of 205,206 Colorado residents, followed by India with 23,918 and China with 18,011.

Foreign-Born Population

6.3%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

1.29k people

5.84%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1.2k people

As of 2024, 6.3% of Golden, CO residents (1.29k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Golden, CO was 5.84%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (1990s)
202 ± 128
Gulf War (2001-)
181 ± 93
Vietnam
171 ± 87

Golden, CO has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (1990s), 1.12 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Golden, CO.

Economy

The economy of Golden, CO employs 10.6k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Golden, CO were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (1,792 people), Educational Services (1,609 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (1,283 people), and the highest paying industries were Management of Companies & Enterprises ($202,870), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting ($161,750), and Information ($156,328).

Employment

Occupations

10.6k

2024 Value

± 791

0.0283%

1 Year growth

± 10.6%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Golden, CO grew at a rate of 0.0283%, from 10.6k employees to 10.6k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Golden, CO, are Management Occupations (1,673 people), Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (1,001 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (945 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Golden, CO.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Colorado.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Colorado (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

10.6k

2024 Value

± 791

0.0283%

1 Year growth

± 10.6%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Golden, CO grew at a rate of 0.0283%, from 10.6k employees to 10.6k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Golden, CO, are Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (1,792 people), Educational Services (1,609 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (1,283 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Golden, CO, though some of these residents may live in Golden, CO and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$62,652

Median earning men ± $9,298

$51,102

Median earning women ± $4,443

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($163,580), Public Administration ($146,845), and Wholesale Trade ($131,316).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($89,063), Wholesale Trade ($78,056), and Public Administration ($69,926).

Education

The student population of Golden, CO in 2024 is skewed towards men, with 5,474 male students and 2,570 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Golden, CO are White (1,330 and 73.4%), Hispanic or Latino (190 and 10.5%), Two or More Races (114 and 6.29%), and Asian (105 and 5.79%).

The largest universities in Golden, CO by number of degrees awarded are Colorado School of Mines (1,997 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Golden, CO are Mechanical Engineering (378 and 18.9%), Computer Science (352 and 17.6%), and Chemical Engineering (150 and 7.51%).

The median tuition cost for a public four year colleges is $18,930 for in-state students and $42,840 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2024 in Golden, CO, the percentage of applicants admitted was 60.7%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 23.1%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 8,044 (68.1% men and 31.9% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2024 there were 8,044 students enrolled in Golden, CO, 68.1% men and 31.9% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 5,236 records, of which 30.7% were women and 69.3% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Mechanical Engineering
301 degrees awarded
Computer Science
272 degrees awarded
Chemical Engineering
112 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Golden, CO was Mechanical Engineering with 301 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Colorado School of Mines

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

1,997 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Colorado School of Mines with 1,997 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2024, 1,394 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Golden, CO, which is 2.31 times more than the 603 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 1,330 degrees mean that there were 7 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 190 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($18,930) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($2,984) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,500) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Golden, CO was $837,700 in 2024, which is 2.52 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $790,500 to $837,700, a 5.97% increase. The homeownership rate in Golden, CO is 56.8%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Golden, CO have an average commute time of 24.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Golden, CO is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$837,700

Median Property Value 2024

±$45,272

$4,419

Median Property Taxes

±$436

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Golden, CO the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Golden, CO compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

56.8%

Homeownership

2024

63.5%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 56.8% of the housing units in Golden, CO were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 58.8%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Golden, CO compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

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

$98,582

Median Household Income

± $10,849

7.78k

Number of Households

± 649

In 2024, the median household income of the 7.78k households in Golden, CO grew to $98,582 from the previous year's value of $95,913.

The following chart displays the households in Golden, CO 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 $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Golden, CO is from Colorado.

0.46

2024 Wage GINI in Colorado

0.462

2023 Wage GINI in Colorado

In 2024, the income inequality in Colorado was 0.46 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.498% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Colorado was lower than than the national average of 0.474. 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.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (50.9%)
Worked At Home (30.8%)
Walked (7.25%)

In 2024, 50.9% of workers in Golden, CO drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (30.8%) and those who walked to work (7.25%).

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.

Commute Time

24.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Golden, CO have a shorter commute time (24.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.97% of the workforce in Golden, CO have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

12.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Golden, CO (2.28k out of 18.2k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 18 - 24, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Males 45 - 54.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Golden, CO is White, followed by Two Or More and Hispanic.

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.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

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