Colorado Income Statistics
Colorado Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a state's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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B
Colorado Around averageWealthier than 84% of states in US
Source: Map AI Methodology
Wealthiest and Least Wealthy Counties in Colorado
- Douglas County (138% of U.S. avg)
- Broomfield County (130% of U.S. avg)
- Elbert County (128% of U.S. avg)
- Bent County (55% of U.S. avg)
- Crowley County (64% of U.S. avg)
- Lincoln County (65% of U.S. avg)
Ranked by the Map AI Wealth Index, which combines income, employment, and income inequality metrics.
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Colorado | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $95,803 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $68,113 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 5.4% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 18.1% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 17.0% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Colorado is about 19% higher than in US. Income has been growing faster in Colorado (5.4%/yr) than in US (4.8%/yr).
About 18% of adults in Colorado earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, higher than the US average of 14%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Colorado grew by 70.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $95,803 in 2024. That's an average of about 5.4% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Colorado
| Metric | Colorado | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.524 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $78,863 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $64,818 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 17.8% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Colorado, it is 0.524, lower than US's 0.552, so income is more evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 22% more than women's income in Colorado. Over a 35-year career, a 22% wage gap accumulates to roughly $491,575 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Colorado has narrowed from about 21% to 18% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 22% in 2010, and was narrowest at 17% in 2020. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $3,454 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Colorado | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 4.6% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 21.0% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 22 | 22 |
Approximately 149,572 people are unemployed in Colorado.
The average commute time in Colorado is 22 minutes, about the same as in US.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Colorado has fallen from 7.5% to 4.6% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 8.4% in 2013 and fell as low as 4.3% in 2019.
Colorado Wealth Compared With Nearby States
Colorado is the largest of the 6 states compared here, 5,842,429 residents against a local median of 2,118,085. Colorado's income growth, at 5.4%/yr, runs 27% above the 4.3%/yr typical of the states around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $95,803 against a local median of $76,390, 25% above it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: income growth runs ahead of the neighbourhood while unemployment runs behind it, so Colorado is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The states themselves spread 2.1%/yr on income growth, so Colorado sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Colorado has the highest income growth of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | 5,842,429 | $95,803 #1/6 | 5.4%/yr #1/6 | 4.6% #5/6 | 0.524 #3/6 |
| Wyoming | 582,314 | $76,390 | 3.2%/yr | 3.7% | 0.519 |
| New Mexico | 2,118,085 | $64,523 | 4.4%/yr | 5.9% | 0.567 |
| Utah | 3,390,702 | $95,466 | 5.4%/yr | 3.5% | 0.551 |
| Nebraska | 1,978,686 | $76,615 | 4.3%/yr | 3.0% | 0.515 |
| Kansas | 2,945,842 | $74,287 | 4.1%/yr | 3.8% | 0.525 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Colorado has an overall wealth index grade of B, making it somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Colorado.
How Rich Is Colorado?
Colorado has a wealth index grade of B. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a B grade means residents are quite well off compared to the U.S. average. The median household income is $95,803, about 19% higher than the US average of $80,455.
Are incomes growing in Colorado?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Colorado rose 70%, from $56,274 to $95,803. Over the same years, income here outpaced the U.S. as a whole: +70% against +57%.
What was the median household income in Colorado in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Colorado was $93,071, up 5% from $88,533 in 2022. The US median that year was $78,147.
What was the median household income in Colorado in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Colorado was $75,378. By 2024 it had risen 27% to $95,803.
How many people earn six figures in Colorado?
Yes. 18% of adults in Colorado earn $100,000 or more a year (about 1 in 6), against 14% (about 1 in 7) in the U.S.. 17% of households have a combined income of $200,000 or more, compared with 13% in the U.S..
What is the Gini coefficient in Colorado?
The Gini coefficient in Colorado is 0.524. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is lower than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed more equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Colorado?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Colorado has narrowed from about 21% to 18% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 22% in 2010, and was narrowest at 17% in 2020. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $3,454 since 2009.
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