Colorado
#1of 5171B
Below: Utah (68).
Starting up
How many businesses get founded here, and what the state takes in tax.
89+34 vs median
- Business applications per 1,000 residents2.996 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Census Bureau
- State tax collected per resident$3,40182 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections
Population health
One comparable public-health read, asked the same way of every state.
71+21 vs median
- Adult obesity, 202425.0%100 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsCDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
- Firearm-injury deaths per 100,000 (crude)16.442 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsCDC NCIPC, CDC NCIPC 2024
Productive base
Output per worker and how much of the job base is manufacturing.
49-2 vs median
- Output per worker$183,23178 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
- Manufacturing share of jobs4.9%19 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Labour market
How tight the market is, and which way it moved last month.
68+19 vs median
- Unemployment rate3.9%50 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Employment change, latest month+0.20%86 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Prosperity
What the average person in the state actually earns.
89+37 vs median
- Per-capita personal income$86,18182 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
- Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher47.8%96 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year
Things get built
Housing authorised per worker — a direct read on whether projects clear.
48-10 vs median
- Housing units authorised per 1,000 workers0.968 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Census Bureau
- House price index (FHFA)853.228 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsFederal Housing Finance Agency
Fiscal standing
What the bond market thinks of the state as a counterparty.
92+0 vs median
- General-obligation ratingAa1 · Stable92 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsMoody's, indicative 2025
Openness
Whether you can get an answer out of the state without telephoning it.
61+10 vs median
- Open-data portal answers an APIYes · data.colorado.gov100 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsCEFA probe, 2026-09
- Incentive, permit & finance datasets982 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsCEFA discovery, 2026-09
- Government or agency newsroom feeds10 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsCEFA probe, 2026-09