Colorado

State

Add Comparison

2023 Population

5.81M

0.693% 1-year growth

US Senator

Michael Bennet

Democratic Party

US Senator

John Hickenlooper

Democratic Party

2023 Median Age

37.5

0.536% 1-year increase

2023 Median Household Income

$92,470

5.56% 1-year growth

2022 Employed Population

2.9M

1.74% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Colorado had a population of 5.81M people with a median age of 37.5 and a median household income of $92,470. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Colorado grew from 5.77M to 5.81M, a 0.693% increase and its median household income grew from $87,598 to $92,470, a 5.56% increase.

N/A

16.1% of the households in Colorado reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

The largest universities in Colorado are University of Colorado Boulder (10,241 degrees awarded in 2023), Colorado State University-Fort Collins (7,794 degrees), and Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs (6,776 degrees).

Most people in Colorado drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Colorado was 2 cars per household.

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

Photo by Zach Dischner

United States

Population & Diversity

In N/A, there were N/A times more N/A residents (N/A people) in Colorado than any other race or ethnicity. There were N/A N/A and N/A N/A residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

The most common non-English languages spoken as the primary langauge in households in Colorado are Spanish (606,804 households), Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese) (23,749 households), and German (21,624 households).

Population & Diversity

Population by Location

Sex

RACE/ETHNICITY

The 3 PUMAS with the highest resident population

In 2022 there were 5,770,790 residents in Colorado.

The Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMA) with the highest resident population were Northeast Denver PUMA, CO (180,479 people), Glendale PUMA, CO (175,543 people), and Commerce City PUMA, CO (172,979 people).

The following map shows all of the states in Colorado colored by the resident population.

Residents by Gender and Age

RACE/ETHNICITY

2,845,680

Women

49.3%

2,925,110

Men

50.7%

The resident population of United States in 2022 was 5,770,790 inhabitants, with 50.7% men, and 49.3% women.

The visualization shows the distribution of the residents by gender and age in the United States.

With the upper buttons you can add a filter by race.

Diversity

Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

Mexico
206,571 ± 10,957 people
India
22,427 ± 3,670 people
China
17,909 ± 3,280 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Colorado was Mexico, the natal country of 206,571 Colorado residents, followed by India with 22,427 and China with 17,909.

Foreign-Born Population

9.51%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

552k people

9.42%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

544k people

As of 2023, 9.51% of Colorado residents (552k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Colorado was 9.42%, 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.

Non-English Households

Most Common Non-English Languages

Spanish
606,804 households (11%)
Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese)
23,749 households (0.432%)
German
21,624 households (0.393%)

16.1% of the households in Colorado reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language, which is lower than the national average of 22%. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

In 2023, the most common non-English language spoken in households in Colorado was Spanish. 11% of the households in Colorado reported speaking Spanish at home as the primary shared language between all members living in the household.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
110,730 ± 2,887
Vietnam
100,404 ± 2,209
Gulf War (1990s)
58,491 ± 1,961

Colorado has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.1 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Colorado employs 2.9M people. The largest industries in Colorado are Construction (217,597 people), Restaurants & Food Services (173,269 people), and Elementary & secondary schools (162,169 people), and the highest paying industries are Internet publishing, broadcasting & web search portals ($167,927), Carpet & rug mills ($144,979), and Metal ore mining ($144,764).

Males in Colorado have an average income that is 1.31 times higher than the average income of females, which is $67,859. The income inequality in Colorado (measured using the Gini index) is 0.464, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Workforce Diversity

Measure

RACE/ETHNICITY

1,301,823

Women

46.2%

1,513,952

Men

53.8%

The workforce of Colorado in 2020 was 2,815,775 people, with 46.2% woman, and 53.8% men.

The visualization shows the distribution of the workforce by gender and age in Colorado.

With the upper buttons you can see the distribution of the average salary and add a filter by race.

Workforce and Wage by Location

Measure

RACE/ETHNICITY

In 2022 there were 2,903,294 people working in Colorado. The Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMA) that concentrated the largest workforce were Glendale PUMA, CO (99,626 people), Northeast Denver PUMA, CO (95,422 people), and Downtown Denver PUMA, CO (94,248 people).

The following map shows all of the PUMAs in Colorado colored by workforce or average wage.

With the upper buttons you can see the yearly change and add a filter by race.

Occupations

2.9M

2022 Value

1.74%

1 Year growth

± 1.74%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Colorado grew at a rate of 1.74%, from 2.85M employees to 2.9M employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Colorado, are Other managers (92,047 people), Retail salespersons (63,829 people), and Driver/sales workers & truck drivers (58,884 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Colorado.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

2.9M

2022 Value

1.74%

1 Year growth

± 1.74%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Colorado grew at a rate of 1.74%, from 2.85M employees to 2.9M employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Colorado, are Construction (217,597 people), Restaurants & Food Services (173,269 people), and Elementary & secondary schools (162,169 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.

Median Earnings by Industry

$61,819

Median earning men ± $406

$45,694

Median earning women ± $273

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($93,218), Information ($91,670), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($88,453).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Public Administration ($65,853), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($63,094), and Information ($61,825).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

1.73%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 2.87M people employed in Colorado. This represents a 1.73% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 11.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Colorado.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

21,251
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
14,064
Construction
12,268
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$25.1M
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
$20.6M
Health Care and Social Assistance
$13.6M
Finance and Insurance

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Colorado went to Kamala Harris with 54.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (43.1%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.12%).

The most partisan county was Kiowa County, CO with 88% of the vote going to Donald J. Trump running for the Republican Party.

Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper are the senators currently representing the state of Colorado. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Colorado is currently represented by 8 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (54.1%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (43.1%)
Republican Party
Robert Kennedy (1.12%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Colorado went to Kamala Harris with 54.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (43.1%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.12%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Colorado for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Presidential Popular Vote by County

Kamala Harris

Popular Vote for Colorado

54.1% for the Democratic Party

Most Partisan Counties in Colorado

Kiowa County, CO
88% for Donald J. Trump (Republican Party)
Cheyenne County, CO
87.4% for Donald J. Trump (Republican Party)
Washington County, CO
86.3% for Donald J. Trump (Republican Party)

In the 2024 presidential election, the most partisan county in Colorado was Kiowa County, CO with 88% of the vote going to Donald J. Trump running for the Republican Party.

The following map shows the counties in Colorado colored by their party leaning.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Colorado

Michael Bennet

Senator from Colorado

Assumed office on January 21, 2009
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Ken Salazar, who had become Secretary of the Interior.

John Hickenlooper

Senator from Colorado

Assumed office on January 3, 2021

Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper are the senators currently representing Colorado.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Colorado over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Colorado

Colorado is currently represented by 8 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Colorado have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2023, universities in Colorado awarded 94,997 degrees. The student population of Colorado in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 163,735 male students and 207,892 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Colorado are White (54,145 and 58.9%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (17,530 and 19.1%), Black or African American (6,346 and 6.9%), and Unknown (5,216 and 5.67%).

The largest universities in Colorado by number of degrees awarded are University of Colorado Boulder (10,241 and 10.8%), Colorado State University-Fort Collins (7,794 and 8.2%), and Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs (6,776 and 7.13%).

The most popular majors in Colorado are General Business Administration & Management (9,384 and 9.88%), Liberal Arts & Sciences (3,693 and 3.89%), and Registered Nursing (3,113 and 3.28%).

The median tuition costs in Colorado are $38,195 for private four year colleges, and $6,870 and $16,176 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Colorado, the percentage of applicants admitted was 78.8%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 17%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 371,627 (44.1% men and 55.9% women).

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

The line chart below shows the annual evolution of the indicator by gender.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 371,627 students enrolled in Colorado, 44.1% men and 55.9% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 200,281 records, of which 54.3% were women and 45.7% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
5,243 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
2,095 degrees awarded
General Psychology
1,940 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Colorado was General Business Administration & Management with 5,243 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

University of Colorado Boulder
10,241 degrees awarded
Colorado State University-Fort Collins
7,794 degrees awarded
Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs
6,776 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Colorado Boulder with 10,241 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 39,483 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Colorado, which is 0.711 times less than the 55,514 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 54,145 degrees mean that there were 3.09 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 17,530 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

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($38,195) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,280) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Private for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,886) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Measure

In 2022, 0.886% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.84% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population of Colorado in 2022 were Bachelors Degree (1.16M), Some college (997k), and High School or Equivalent (997k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

People in Colorado have an average commute time of 25.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Colorado is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Colorado is $92,470. In 2023, the county with the highest Median Household Income in Colorado was Douglas County, CO with a value of $145,737, followed by Elbert County, CO and Broomfield County, CO, with respective values of $129,477 and $121,025.

In 2023, 16% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Colorado. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 1.43%.

Housing

Rent vs Own

66.3%

Homeownership

2023

70.8%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 66.3% of the housing units in Colorado were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 66.2%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

In 2023, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Colorado was Douglas County, CO with a value of $145,737, followed by Elbert County, CO and Broomfield County, CO, with respective values of $129,477 and $121,025.

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

Household Income

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

$92,470

Median Household Income

± $483

N/A

Number of Households

± 0

In 2023, the median household income of the N/A households in Colorado grew to $92,470 from the previous year's value of $87,598.

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 $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

0.464

2022 Wage GINI in Colorado

0.465

2021 Wage GINI in Colorado

In 2022, the income inequality in Colorado was 0.464 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.265% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Colorado was lower than than the national average of 0.478. 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 2023

Drove Alone (66.8%)
Worked At Home (18.8%)
Carpooled (7.87%)

In 2023, 66.8% of workers in Colorado drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (18.8%) and those who carpooled to work (7.87%).

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

25.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Colorado have a shorter commute time (25.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 2.09% 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.

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.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 16% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Colorado. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 1.43%.

The map show the severe housing problems rate in the counties of California. The graph underneath the paragraph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

N/A% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Colorado (N/A out of N/A people) live below the poverty line, a number that is approximately the same as the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are N/A N/A, followed by N/A N/A and then N/A N/A.

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

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.

Children in Poverty

In 2023, 11.8% of the children was living in poverty in Colorado. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 6.3%.

The map show the children in poverty rate in the counties of California. The graph underneath the paragraph shows the trend of the percentage of children in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

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

Health

92.3% of the population of Colorado has health coverage, with 50.4% on employee plans, 15% on Medicaid, 11.1% on Medicare, 13.4% on non-group plans, and 2.36% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Colorado see 1204 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.166% increase from the previous year (1202 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1183 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 234 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,204 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Colorado

Primary care physicians in Colorado see an average of 1,204 patients per year. This represents a 0.166% increase from the previous year (1,202 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 its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23% under 18 years, 23.1% between 18 and 34 years, 38.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 15.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.6% were men and 50.4% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

7.7%

Uninsured

50.4%

Employer Coverage

15%

Medicaid

11.1%

Medicare

13.4%

Non-Group

2.36%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Colorado declined by 1.57% from 7.82% to 7.7%.

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.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2023, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 44.5 in Colorado.

The map shows the distribution of the indicator in the counties of Colorado and the graphic underneath the paragraph shows the trend of the indicator in Colorado.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2023, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 24.2% in Colorado.

The map shows the distribution of the indicator in the counties of Colorado and the graphic underneath the paragraph shows the trend of the indicator in Colorado.

Clinical Care

Indicator

In 2023, the percentage of population under age 65 without health insurance was 9.89% in Colorado.

The map shows the distribution of the indicator in the counties of Colorado and the graphic underneath the paragraph shows the trend of the indicator in Colorado.

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