Scores by category

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

Safety7#14,569/15,637
Economy38#9,617/15,631
Housing37#9,492/14,977
Health26#11,521/15,609
Healthcare24#11,878/15,650
Environment99#134/15,453
Education41#9,209/15,649
Infrastructure6#14,773/15,650
Community30#10,909/15,651
Leisure & amenities46#8,401/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Florence, Colorado ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Fremont 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

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · low4.3 µg/m³
99/100Colorado 5.8 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyFremont County value
Median Air Quality Index · low23
97/100Colorado 482025U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyFremont County value
Preventable hospital stays · low1,709 /100k
93/100Colorado 1,686 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteFremont County value
Hot days · low2 days
93/100Colorado 23 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationFremont County value
Effective property tax rate · low0.44%
92/100Colorado 0.50%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Drinking water violations · low0
86/100Colorado 1United States 02024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteFremont County value

Weaknesses

Suicide rate · high47.7 /100k
1/100Colorado 22.4 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataFremont County value
Firearm deaths · high29.8 /100k
3/100Colorado 15.5 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataFremont County value
Distance to an emergency room · high15.5 mi
7/100Colorado 5.2 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesFremont County value
Grocery stores · low0.8 /10k
7/100Colorado 1.0 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsFremont County value
Injury deaths · high135 /100k
8/100Colorado 97 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteFremont County value
Pharmacies · low0.8 /10k
8/100Colorado 0.9 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsFremont County value

Trends

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

New homes permittedImproving
1.8 /1k (2021) → 4.6 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+155%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Home price to income ratioWorsening
2.7× (2015-2019) → 5.0× (2020-2024)
+82%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
30.1% (2015-2019) → 45.7% (2020-2024)
+16 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Broadband subscriptionsWorsening
88.5% (2015-2019) → 78.7% (2020-2024)
−9.8 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Rent as share of incomeWorsening
23.5% (2015-2019) → 28.4% (2020-2024)
+4.9 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Child poverty rateImproving
16.5% (2015-2019) → 12.1% (2020-2024)
−4.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%

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, Florence, Colorado improved on 0 of 13 measures with a comparison and declined on 2. 11 moved within the margin of error and 0 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.

Improved0

No measure improved by more than its margin of error.

Declined2

Price / income+2.2×2.7× → 5.0×
Broadband−9.8 points88.5% → 78.7%

All 13 measures

Change of every measure of Florence, Colorado between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	24.1 min2015-2019	27.5 min2020-2024	+3.4 min	Within the margin of error	17%
Bachelor's degree or higher	21.5%2015-2019	17.1%2020-2024	−4.4 points	Within the margin of error	8%
Broadband subscriptions	88.5%2015-2019	78.7%2020-2024	−9.8 points	Declined	1%
Effective property tax rate	0.39%2015-2019	0.44%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	11%
High school diploma or higher	94.2%2015-2019	91.5%2020-2024	−2.7 points	Within the margin of error	12%
Home price to income ratio	2.7×2015-2019	5.0×2020-2024	+2.2×	Declined	3%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4012015-2019	0.3822020-2024	−0.019	Within the margin of error	67%
Median household income	$50,0422015-2019	$50,2622020-2024	+0.4%	Within the margin of error	8%
Poverty rate	15.3%2015-2019	12.2%2020-2024	−3.1 points	Within the margin of error	70%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	23.5%2015-2019	28.4%2020-2024	+4.9 points	Within the margin of error	23%
Rent-burdened households	30.1%2015-2019	45.7%2020-2024	+16 points	Within the margin of error	14%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	12.4%2015-2019	8.7%2020-2024	−3.6 points	Within the margin of error	80%

“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 Florence, Colorado five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Florence, 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, Florence, Colorado itself moved −24.4 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

3,885 residents (±37)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 30–39 men (+6.2 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

3,885 residents (±37)

Florence, Colorado
Colorado share

White73%2,841
Black0.3%†10
Hispanic or Latino16%†626

Education

2,722 residents (±178)

Florence, Colorado
Colorado share

No high school diploma8.5%†231
High school or GED33%891
Some college33%909

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

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

Household income

1,571 households (±151)

Florence, Colorado
Colorado share

Under $25k19%†297
$25k–50k31%†480
$50k–75k18%†287
$75k–100k14%†214
$100k–150k15%†238
$150k–200k2.0%†32
$200k or more1.5%†23

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $100k–150k (+7.7 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

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

Owners and renters

1,571 households (±151)

Florence, Colorado
Colorado share

Own68%1,066
Rent32%†505

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

505 households (±152)

Florence, Colorado
Colorado share

Under $75050%†252
$750–1,00014%†69
$1,000–1,50035%†176

Home values

1,066 homes (±155)

Florence, Colorado
Colorado share

Under $150k28%†298
$150k–250k22%†236
$250k–400k36%†382

Age of homes

1,631 homes (±158)

Florence, Colorado
Colorado share

2010 or later9.0%†146
2000–20095.8%†94
1980–199924%†391

Size of homes

1,631 homes (±158)

Florence, Colorado
Colorado share

Studio4.2%†68
1 bedroom7.0%†114
2 bedrooms35%†566

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

1,789 workers (±214)

Florence, Colorado
Colorado share

Drive alone81%1,448
Carpool3.0%†54
Public transit0.0%0
Walk2.5%†45
Bike3.8%†68
Work from home7.8%†140
Other1.9%†34

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Carpool (−9.1 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

1,649 workers (±226)

Florence, Colorado
Colorado share

Under 15 min31%†504
15–29 min43%†707
30–44 min6.6%†109

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

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 Cañon City, 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 Fremont County, the county holding most of Florence's residents.

Fremont County has 938 employer establishments, 186 for every 10,000 residents (0.75× the US rate of 248; 0.60× Colorado's), with 8,603 paid employees at an average annual pay of $42,161. The Census Bureau also counts 3,511 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 938; 3,511 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 186; US 248 · Colorado 309
Paid employees: 8,603
Average annual pay: $42,161; US $68,342

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

Specialty trade contractors	105	20.9	1.35×More than typical	497	$50,565	329
Ambulatory health care services	74	14.7	0.71×Fewer than typical	753	$60,603	173
Restaurants and other eating places	70	13.9	0.76×Fewer than typical	1,133	$21,872	19
Lessors of real estate	56	11.1	0.90×About typical	163	$32,908	358
Building equipment contractors	46	9.1	1.52×More than typical	228	$45,917	40
Religious organizations	38	7.6	1.36×More than typical	175	$22,840	—
Full-service restaurants	36	7.2	0.93×About typical	537	$25,974	—
Construction of buildings	32	6.4	0.84×About typical	64	$47,313	178
Offices of other health practitioners	29	5.8	0.95×About typical	381	$61,126	90
Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors	29	5.8	1.75×More than typical	159	$47,006	18
Other specialty trade contractors	27	5.4	2.14×More than typical	150	$56,140	126
Real estate agents and brokers	27	5.4	1.10×About typical	55	$37,582	109

Rank places for an industry Open Fremont County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 50,315 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 $627.8K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Florence, Colorado: $162 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $627.8K; +177% vs FY2025
Per resident: $162; US $1,994
Sole-source: 56%; US 30%
Single offer: 3.4%; 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

Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons$627.8K100%

Top recipients

BERING STRAITS PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, LLC$263.7K42%
AMERICAN CORRECTIONAL HEALTHCARE, INC.$198.3K32%
CITY OF FLORENCE$65.7K10%
AFILY8 GOVERNMENT SOLUTIONS LLC$24.1K3.8%
ONE STOP RECRUITING LLC$17.7K2.8%
AMERICAN MEDICAL RESPONSE OF COLORADO, INC.$8,0081.3%
BLACK HILLS SERVICE COMPANY, LLC$7,8791.3%
WILLIAMSVILLE RESOURCES II, INC.$7,3381.2%

Spending by fiscal year

329.4KFY2017
167.6KFY2018
204.5KFY2019
238.7KFY2020
198.8KFY2021
106.8KFY2022
45KFY2023
171.4K

Top industries (NAICS)

Nonresidential building construction · 2362$263.7K42%
General medical and surgical hospitals · 6221$204.9K33%
Water, sewage and other systems · 2213$65.7K10%
Employment services · 5613$34.4K5.5%
Other food manufacturing · 3119$15.4K2.4%
Electric power generation, transmission and distribution · 2211$7,879

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 Florence, Colorado, so they do not add up across cities.

Florence, Colorado's figures are part of those of Fremont County, CO ($23.9M in FY2026), never added to them: 2.6% of that total.

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

See federal money in Fremont 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.

Florence, Colorado is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Brittany PettersenD-CO-7 · 100% of residentsWith party 98%Missed 15.4%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

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

Fremont County37100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Cañon City, CO35

Other cities and towns in Fremont County

Largest first.

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/0827040

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends