Colorado Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Colorado, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Colorado. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Colorado. The estimated population of Colorado is 5,723,176 people, with a median age of 37.1.

We can look at the total population in Colorado over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
5,723,176
+0.67%
+5.27%
2020
5,684,926
+1.33%
-
2019
5,610,349
+1.43%
-
2018
5,531,141
+1.74%
-
2017
5,436,519
 - -

Population of Colorado by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
66.8%
68.6%
 -2.62%
Black/African American
3.9%
3.9%
 0.00%
Native
0.5%
0.5%
 0.00%
Hispanic
21.9%
21.3%
 +2.82%
Asian
3.1%
3%
 +3.33%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0.1%
0.1%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
3.4%
2.4%
 +41.67%
Other
0.3%
0.2%
 +50.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Colorado by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 37.1 +0.54% 36.4 +1.11% 37.9 0%
2020 36.9 +0.54% 36 +0.56% 37.9 +0.26%
2019 36.7 +0.27% 35.8 +0.28% 37.8 +0.53%
2018 36.6 +0.27% 35.7 +0.28% 37.6 +0.27%
2017 36.5 - 35.6 - 37.5 -

The median age of Colorado gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 352,219 -2.69% 335,512 -1.91% 342,794 329,105
10 to 19 362,084 +5.65% 343,352 +4% 382,975 357,275
20 to 29 410,305 +3.47% 377,094 +3.89% 424,519 391,912
30 to 39 407,507 +10.38% 383,969 +8.41% 451,493 417,232
40 to 49 362,684 +6.73% 346,786 +3.88% 387,670 360,444
50 to 59 356,542 +0.53% 367,269 -3.3% 358,410 355,291
60 to 69 283,763 +9.12% 298,400 +9.59% 310,524 327,965
70+ 196,211 +19.62% 252,822 +13.3% 237,551 288,016

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Colorado is $80,184.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Colorado.

  • Under 25
    $43,365.00
  • 25 to 44
    $87,239.00
  • 45 to 64
    $96,439.00
  • 65 and over
    $58,270.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Colorado, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Colorado, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Colorado is currently $107,446.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

11.13% of households in Colorado are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Colorado against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    13.14%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    16.94%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    16.82%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    13.42%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    18.80%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    9.76%
  • $200,000 or more
    11.13%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Colorado is $42,807.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Colorado by the total population of Colorado.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Colorado, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Colorado to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    18.81%
  • Bachelor's degree
    42.51%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    9.84%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    26.59%
  • Less than high school diploma
    2.25%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Colorado that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Colorado over the age of 16 is 4,606,399.

Of those people, a total of 68.50% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Colorado is 64.60%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 295,372 45.70% 14.70%
20 to 24 years 373,987 80.90% 7.10%
25 to 29 years 442,444 86.60% 4.70%
30 to 34 years 447,489 85.40% 4.30%
35 to 44 years 805,249 85.20% 3.90%
45 to 54 years 712,196 84.00% 3.60%
55 to 59 years 365,606 76.90% 3.50%
60 to 64 years 344,802 61.90% 3.70%
65 to 74 years 518,368 29.40% 3.50%
75 years and over 300,886 7.70% 3.20%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Colorado. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 3,698,156 68.30% 4.20%
Black or African American 183,520 69.20% 7.80%
American Indian and Alaska Native 43,015 62.90% 6.30%
Asian 151,341 69.00% 3.90%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 6,637 71.50% 5.30%
Other 199,923 70.20% 6.20%
Two or more races 323,807 71.10% 6.90%
Hispanic or Latino 900,609 70.10% 5.70%
Not Hispanic or Latino 3,213,765 68.00% 4.10%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Colorado as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Colorado is 2,975,830, with median earnings of $45,786.00.

Women in Colorado earning approximately 72.80% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 2,975,830 $45,786.00
Male 1,600,877 $53,637.00
Female 1,374,953 $39,034.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 380,406 $78,604.00
Business and Financial 195,705 $69,523.00
Computer and Mathematical 136,689 $91,332.00
Architecture and Engineering 81,973 $88,464.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 38,206 $64,470.00
Community and Social Service 51,508 $44,756.00
Legal 34,985 $84,206.00
Educational and Library 171,246 $42,133.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 70,406 $42,969.00
Healthcare Practitioners 170,570 $64,422.00
Healthcare Support 80,363 $27,303.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 35,162 $39,969.00
Law Enforcement 25,701 $69,103.00
Food Preparation and Serving 159,385 $18,132.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 90,737 $25,114.00
Personal Care and Service 79,458 $21,630.00
Sales 297,593 $40,224.00
Office and Administrative Support 311,774 $36,805.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 15,770 $26,966.00
Construction and Extraction 166,327 $44,028.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 83,362 $51,448.00
Production 108,736 $39,440.00
Transportation and Material Moving 103,982 $41,921.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 228,469 $88,941.00 151,937 $66,859.00
Business and Financial 91,333 $79,455.00 104,372 $62,555.00
Computer and Mathematical 104,870 $96,134.00 31,819 $77,248.00
Architecture and Engineering 67,046 $91,973.00 14,927 $76,338.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 20,168 $69,444.00 18,038 $59,819.00
Community and Social Service 16,054 $47,443.00 35,454 $44,004.00
Legal 16,410 $110,586.00 18,575 $69,698.00
Educational and Library 48,956 $48,079.00 122,290 $39,497.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 34,559 $48,960.00 35,847 $37,200.00
Healthcare Practitioners 43,511 $82,706.00 127,059 $60,988.00
Healthcare Support 12,677 $29,759.00 67,686 $26,898.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 25,758 $45,816.00 9,404 $26,570.00
Law Enforcement 19,679 $72,311.00 6,022 $59,496.00
Food Preparation and Serving 76,125 $21,035.00 83,260 $16,218.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 51,270 $29,659.00 39,467 $19,494.00
Personal Care and Service 18,716 $25,238.00 60,742 $21,101.00
Sales 159,829 $51,782.00 137,764 $29,639.00
Office and Administrative Support 85,304 $39,346.00 226,470 $35,949.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 11,808 $31,149.00 3,962 $17,246.00
Construction and Extraction 160,003 $44,436.00 6,324 $28,537.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 79,982 $51,792.00 3,380 $40,236.00
Production 76,958 $43,830.00 31,778 $29,589.00
Transportation and Material Moving 88,221 $43,804.00 15,761 $29,427.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 2,227,932 households in Colorado, with an average household size of 2.52 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 1,408,477 families in Colorado with an average family size of 3.1 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 1,104,368 101,139 202,970 819,455
Average Household Size 3.16 3.22 3.37 1.36
Total Families 1,104,368 101,139 202,970 0
Average Household Size 3.12 2.83 3.11 0

Poverty

Of the 1,408,477 families in Colorado, 6.10% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Colorado:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 2,454,873 housing units in Colorado.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 2,227,932 90.76%
Vacant 226,941 9.24%

29.71% of the total 2,454,873 housing units in Colorado are rental units. This is approximately 729,309 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 1,473,449 are occupied by the owner - or 60.02% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Colorado is $1,437.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Colorado that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    25,174
  • Less than $500
    39,458
  • $500 to $999
    120,559
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    235,056
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    201,924
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    83,847
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    29,825
  • $3,000 or more
    18,640

Property Value

The median value of a property in Colorado is $397,500.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Colorado that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    48,658
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    36,662
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    45,024
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    72,333
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    227,821
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    577,888
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    394,644
  • $1,000,000 or more
    70,419

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Colorado. The chart below shows the number of properties in Colorado that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    181,996
  • 1940 to 1949
    60,811
  • 1950 to 1959
    178,841
  • 1960 to 1969
    198,834
  • 1970 to 1979
    424,630
  • 1980 to 1989
    344,000
  • 1990 to 1999
    399,453
  • 2000 to 2009
    414,423
  • 2010 to 2013
    244,319
  • 2014 or later
    7,566

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Colorado that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    110,958
  • 1 vehicle available
    658,025
  • 2 vehicles available
    877,456
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    581,493

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Colorado get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Colorado that commute to work in a particular way.

25.8 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Colorado.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    69,981
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    244,729
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    339,539
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    395,223
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    383,612
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    173,583
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    369,160
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    85,629
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    97,547
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    201,678
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    129,511
  • 90 or more minutes
    54,968

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Colorado in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

Counties in Colorado

We have data for 64 counties in Colorado. Click on a county below to see more information about the demographics of that county, with links to cities and towns within that county.

Zip Codes in Colorado

If you want to find out more about the population and demographics of specific zip codes in Colorado, click on the links below.