City · Denver County, Colorado

Denver, Colorado

Denver is a city in Denver County, Colorado, part of the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area. It has 718,877 residents. Denver, Colorado has a quality-of-life score of 76 out of 100 (high), ranking #3,796 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Colorado it ranks #85 of 220 cities and towns. It ranks best on new business applications (high), distance to an emergency room (low) and average weekly wage (high). It ranks worst on property crime rate (high), violent crime rate (high) and drug overdose deaths (high).

76High

Quality-of-life score: #3,796 of 15,651 cities and towns
Colorado: #85 of 220 in CO
Population: 718,877 (2020-2024)
Land area: 153 mi²
Density: 4,696.3 /mi²
FIPS code: 0820000

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 73 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety10#14,024/15,637
Economy58#6,630/15,631
Housing66#5,167/14,977
Health68#4,957/15,609
Healthcare86#2,114/15,650
Environment32#10,469/15,453
Education71#4,546/15,649
Infrastructure89#1,732/15,650
Community85#2,276/15,651
Leisure & amenities88#1,891/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Denver, Colorado ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Denver County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

New business applications · high41.7 /1k
99/100Colorado 23.9 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauDenver County value
Distance to an emergency room · low2.3 mi
98/100Colorado 5.2 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesDenver County value
Average weekly wage · high$2,051
98/100Colorado $1,618United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsDenver County value
Mental health providers · high834 /100k
98/100Colorado 518 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteDenver County value
Adult obesity · low21.8%
98/100Colorado 27.1%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Gyms and fitness centers · high2.4 /10k
97/100Colorado 1.7 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsDenver County value

Weaknesses

Property crime rate · high4,116 /100k
0/100Colorado 2,144 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationDenver County value
Violent crime rate · high876 /100k
1/100Colorado 422 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationDenver County value
Drug overdose deaths · high49.7 /100k
2/100Colorado 28.0 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataDenver County value
Child care cost burden · high43.0%
3/100Colorado 32.6%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteDenver County value
High ozone days · high16 days
4/100Colorado 10 daysUnited States 7 days2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyDenver County value
Home price to income ratio · high6.5×
7/100Colorado 5.7×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

New homes permittedWorsening
14.1 /1k (2021) → 8.7 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−39%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Median household incomeImproving
$68,592 (2015-2019) → $94,718 (2020-2024)
+38%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
49.4% (2015-2019) → 56.5% (2020-2024)
+7.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
86.6% (2015-2019) → 92.9% (2020-2024)
+6.3 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
High school diploma or higherImproving
88.0% (2015-2019) → 91.2% (2020-2024)
+3.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
5.7× (2015-2019) → 6.5× (2020-2024)
+14%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Denver, Colorado improved on 7 of 15 measures with a comparison and declined on 3. 4 moved within the margin of error and 1 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved7

Bachelor's++7.1 points49.4% → 56.5%
Household income+38%$68,592 → $94,718
High school++3.1 points88.0% → 91.2%
Commute−1.0 min25.9 min → 24.9 min
Poverty−1.6 points12.9% → 11.2%

Declined3

Unemployment+1.1 points3.8% → 4.9%
Price / income+0.8×5.7× → 6.5×
Transit use−2.7 points6.5% → 3.8%

All 15 measures

Change of every measure of Denver, Colorado between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	25.9 min2015-2019	24.9 min2020-2024	−1.0 min	Improved	60%
Bachelor's degree or higher	49.4%2015-2019	56.5%2020-2024	+7.1 points	Improved	80%
Broadband subscriptions	86.6%2015-2019	92.9%2020-2024	+6.3 points	Improved	39%
Child poverty rate	18.2%2015-2019	16.0%2020-2024	−2.2 points	Improved	57%
Effective property tax rate	0.52%2015-2019	0.47%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Little change	25%
High school diploma or higher	88.0%2015-2019	91.2%2020-2024	+3.1 points	Improved	69%
Home price to income ratio	5.7×2015-2019	6.5×2020-2024	+0.8×	Declined	30%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4912015-2019	0.4912020-2024	−0.000	Within the margin of error	51%
Median household income	$68,5922015-2019	$94,7182020-2024	+38%	Improved	71%
Poverty rate	12.9%2015-2019	11.2%2020-2024	−1.6 points	Improved	59%
Public transit commuters	6.5%2015-2019	3.8%2020-2024	−2.7 points	Declined	11%
Rent as share of income	28.8%2015-2019	29.2%2020-2024	+0.4 points	Within the margin of error	52%
Rent-burdened households	47.1%2015-2019	47.6%2020-2024	+0.5 points	Within the margin of error	54%
Unemployment rate	3.8%2015-2019	4.9%2020-2024	+1.1 points	Declined	27%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	10.3%2015-2019	10.1%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	50%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Denver, Colorado five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Denver, Colorado in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Denver, Colorado itself moved +1.6 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

718,877 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

335,428 households (±1,490)

Denver, Colorado
Colorado share

Under $25k13%42,572
$25k–50k13%43,683
$50k–75k14%48,287

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

335,428 households (±1,490)

Denver, Colorado
Colorado share

Own49%163,555
Rent51%171,873

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (−1.1 points).

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

419,619 workers (±2,405)

Denver, Colorado
Colorado share

Drive alone56%235,611
Carpool6.3%26,533
Public transit3.8%15,926

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Denver County, the county holding most of Denver's residents.

Denver County has 27,422 employer establishments, 377 for every 10,000 residents (1.52× the US rate of 248; 1.22× Colorado's), with 489,563 paid employees at an average annual pay of $89,764. The Census Bureau also counts 86,399 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 27,422; 86,399 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 377; US 248 · Colorado 309
Paid employees: 489,563
Average annual pay: $89,764; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Denver County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Lessors of real estate	2,235	30.8	2.50×More than typical	10,800	$87,667	10,143
Ambulatory health care services	2,144	29.5	1.42×More than typical	22,411	$83,481	4,808
Restaurants and other eating places	1,851	25.5	1.39×More than typical	37,414	$34,601	320
Management, scientific and technical consulting	1,534	21.1	3.15×More than typical	13,438	$138,380	5,583
Legal services	1,255	17.3	3.21×More than typical	10,522	$151,582	1,176
Real estate agents and brokers	1,183	16.3	3.34×More than typical	3,879	$82,754	2,239
Specialty trade contractors	1,049	14.4	0.93×About typical	11,723	$74,664	4,645
Offices of other health practitioners	922	12.7	2.09×More than typical	3,296	$55,267	2,730
Full-service restaurants	840	11.6	1.50×More than typical	19,975	$40,986	138
Limited-service restaurants	725	10	1.24×About typical	13,763	$27,738	114
Computer systems design and related services	709	9.8	2.25×More than typical	12,694	$132,604	1,293
Personal care services	688	9.5	1.98×More than typical	3,399	$39,305	2,614

Rank places for an industry Open Denver County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 726,763 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $2.4B of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Denver, Colorado: $3,278 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $2.4B; −15% vs FY2025
Per resident: $3,278; US $1,994
Sole-source: 17%; US 30%
Single offer: 6.2%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of the Air Force$1.7B70%
Department of Veterans Affairs$204.6M8.7%
Office of the Chief Financial Officer$122.9M5.2%
Defense Logistics Agency$75.2M3.2%
U.S. Coast Guard$45.7M1.9%
Internal Revenue Service$42.1M1.8%
Environmental Protection Agency$29.5M1.3%
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Financial Resources$22.6M1.0%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

744.1MFY2017
904.3MFY2018
421.8MFY2019
318.3MFY2020
734.8MFY2021
1.1BFY2022
1.4BFY2023
1.9B

Top industries (NAICS)

Aerospace product and parts manufacturing · 3364$1.5B62%
Other professional, scientific, and technical services · 5419$184.1M7.8%
Outpatient care centers · 6214$182.2M7.7%
Software publishers · 5132$171.3M7.3%
Warehousing and storage · 4931$72.2M3.1%
Ship and boat building · 3366$45.7M

Largest awards whose ZIP code lies mostly in Denver, Colorado

SURVIVABLE AIRBORNE OPERATIONS CENTER (SAOC)$3.4B
SIERRA NEVADA COMPANY, LLC· Denver County, CO· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Apr 26, 2024 – Jun 9, 2026· FA283424CB002
BIG SAFARI$442.3M
SIERRA NEVADA COMPANY, LLC· Denver County, CO· Professional services· Oct 31, 2018 – Mar 19, 2026· FA862019F4000
BIG SAFARI$265.6M
SIERRA NEVADA COMPANY, LLC· Denver County, CO· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Apr 6, 2023 – Nov 19, 2025· FA862023F4075
BIG SAFARI

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Denver, Colorado, so they do not add up across cities.

Denver, Colorado's figures are part of those of Denver County, CO ($2.4B in FY2026), never added to them: 100.0% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Denver is mostly in Denver County.

See federal money in Denver County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Denver, Colorado is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).

House

Senate

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Denver County73100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO78

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/0820000

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends