Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety54#428/924
Economy46#499/925
Housing14#795/925
Health67#308/925
Healthcare14#791/923
Environment66#316/917
Education14#797/925
Infrastructure73#253/925
Community68#294/925
Leisure & amenities41#546/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Fort Morgan, CO micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Distance to an Amtrak station · low5 mi
97/100Colorado 30 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · low5.6 µg/m³
91/100Colorado 5.8 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAggregated from counties
Broadband subscriptions · high92.6%
90/100Colorado 93.5%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002
Income inequality (Gini index) · low0.419
89/100Colorado 0.458United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Adult obesity · low32.3%
85/100Colorado 27.1%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Effective property tax rate · low0.52%
83/100Colorado 0.50%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090

Weaknesses

Arts, entertainment and recreation · low1.3 /10k
2/100Colorado 6.9 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Public transit commuters · low0.0%
3/100Colorado 1.6%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301
Job growth · low-3.6%
5/100Colorado -0.7%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional data
Traffic deaths · high31.8 /100k
5/100Colorado 11.9 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationAggregated from counties
Mammography screening · low37.0%
11/100Colorado 45.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
New homes permitted · low0.6 /1k
12/100Colorado 5.6 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data

Trends

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

New homes permittedWorsening
6.7 /1k (2021) → 0.6 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−91%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Violent crime rateImproving
390 /100k (2020) → 163 /100k (2025)
−58%5 yearsUS 389 /100k → 328 /100k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
83.1% (2015-2019) → 92.6% (2020-2024)
+9.5 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
New business applicationsImproving
10.0 /1k (2020) → 14.7 /1k (2025)
+47%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Traffic deathsWorsening
21.8 /100k (2015-2019) → 31.8 /100k (2020-2024)
+46%5 yearsUS 11.3 /100k → 12.3 /100k
Property crime rateImproving
1,846 /100k (2020) → 1,021 /100k (2025)
−45%5 yearsUS 1,929 /100k → 1,535 /100k

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, Fort Morgan, CO micropolitan area improved on 14 of 31 measures with a comparison and declined on 7. 5 moved within the margin of error and 5 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved14

High school++6.7 points78.9% → 85.6%
Violent crime−58%390 /100k → 163 /100k
Restaurants+15%8.6 /10k → 9.9 /10k
Household income+37%$53,682 → $73,278
Grocery stores+15%1.7 /10k → 2.0 /10k

Declined7

Commute+4.3 min19.0 min → 23.3 min
Uninsured+3.9 points10.5% → 14.4%
Arts & recreation−36%2.1 /10k → 1.3 /10k
Poverty+3.4 points11.0% → 14.3%
Child poverty+5.9 points13.3% → 19.2%

All 31 measures

Change of every measure of Fort Morgan, CO micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	2.1 /10k2020	1.3 /10k2025	−36%	Declined	1%
Average commute time	19.0 min2015-2019	23.3 min2020-2024	+4.3 min	Declined	1%
Average weekly wage	$9512020	$1,1162025	+17%	Improved	9%
Bachelor's degree or higher	17.5%2015-2019	17.8%2020-2024	+0.3 points	Within the margin of error	10%
Broadband subscriptions	83.1%2015-2019	92.6%2020-2024	+9.5 points	Improved	57%
Child poverty rate	13.3%2015-2019	19.2%2020-2024	+5.9 points	Declined	2%
Distance to an airport	54 mi2020	54 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	14.1 /100k2020	14.1 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	0%	Little change	27%
Effective property tax rate	0.56%2015-2019	0.52%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	20%
Firearm deaths	16.6 /100k2020	14.6 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−12%	Improved	70%
Grocery stores	1.7 /10k2020	2.0 /10k2025	+15%	Improved	84%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.7 /10k2020	0.7 /10k2025	−4%	Little change	31%
High school diploma or higher	78.9%2015-2019	85.6%2020-2024	+6.7 points	Improved	99%
Home price to income ratio	3.7×2015-2019	4.6×2020-2024	+0.9×	Declined	17%
Homicide rate	4.1 /100k2020	3.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−9.8%	Improved	31%
Income adjusted for local prices	$45,6412019	$56,4742024	+24%	Improved	5%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4082015-2019	0.4202020-2024	+0.012	Within the margin of error	26%
Median household income	$53,6822015-2019	$73,2782020-2024	+37%	Improved	89%
New business applications	10.0 /1k2020	14.7 /1k2025	+47%	Improved	51%
Pharmacies	1.0 /10k2020	1.0 /10k2025	−4%	Little change	59%
Poverty rate	11.0%2015-2019	14.3%2020-2024	+3.4 points	Declined	3%
Property crime rate	1,846 /100k2020	1,021 /100k2025	−45%	Improved	74%
Public libraries	0.7 /10k2019	0.7 /10k2024	−4.5%	Little change	26%
Rent as share of income	28.4%2015-2019	30.9%2020-2024	+2.5 points	Within the margin of error	16%
Rent-burdened households	44.9%2015-2019	51.3%2020-2024	+6.4 points	Within the margin of error	11%
Restaurants and bars	8.6 /10k2020	9.9 /10k2025	+15%	Improved	87%
Suicide rate	22.1 /100k2020	19.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−10%	Improved	78%
Traffic deaths	21.8 /100k2015-2019	31.8 /100k2020-2024	+46%	Declined	8%
Unemployment rate	5.5%2020	4.1%2025	−1.4 points	Improved	10%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	10.5%2015-2019	14.4%2020-2024	+3.9 points	Declined	2%
Violent crime rate	390 /100k2020	163 /100k2025	−58%	Improved	97%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 925 metro and micro areas 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.

Metro and micro areas like Fort Morgan, CO micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Fort Morgan, CO micropolitan area 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, Fort Morgan, CO micropolitan area itself moved −6.1 points in standing on average over the same 30 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

29,520 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

11,069 households (±220)

Fort Morgan, CO micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k17%1,926
$25k–50k16%1,778
$50k–75k18%2,042

Homes

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

Owners and renters

11,069 households (±220)

Fort Morgan, CO micropolitan area
United States share

Own67%7,453
Rent33%3,616

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

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

13,469 workers (±494)

Fort Morgan, CO micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone75%10,054
Carpool11%1,464
Public transit0.0%0

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 no occupation wages for Fort Morgan, CO micropolitan area.

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.

Fort Morgan, CO has 711 employer establishments, 237 for every 10,000 residents (0.96× the US rate of 248), with 10,323 paid employees at an average annual pay of $52,716. The Census Bureau also counts 2,386 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 711; 2,386 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 237; US 248
Paid employees: 10,323
Average annual pay: $52,716; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Fort Morgan, CO by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	69	23	1.49×More than typical	352	$61,477	177
Ambulatory health care services	42	14	0.67×Fewer than typical	325	$69,114	63
Restaurants and other eating places	41	13.7	0.75×Fewer than typical	619	$20,801	21
Truck transportation	36	12	2.38×More than typical	135	$59,741	259
Building equipment contractors	27	9	1.50×More than typical	213	$65,038	22
Religious organizations	26	8.7	1.57×More than typical	92	$19,598	—
Foundation, structure and building exterior contractors	23	7.7	2.44×More than typical	89	$58,652	41
Lessors of real estate	23	7.7	0.62×Fewer than typical	47	$38,298	194
Automotive repair and maintenance	21	7	1.39×More than typical	130	$48,415	59
Construction of buildings	21	7	0.93×About typical	322	$85,612	93
Full-service restaurants	21	7	0.91×About typical	307	$22,143	9
Services to buildings and dwellings	19	6.3	0.94×About typical	171	$39,287	147

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 29,945 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.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
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 contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $13.1M on contracts performed in Fort Morgan, CO micropolitan area: $432 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $13.1M; −27% vs FY2025
Per resident: $432; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; 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

Departmental Offices$13.5M100%

Top recipients

CO FIRE AVIATION, INC.$13.5M100%
AMERICAN CONTRACTING, LLC$00.0%
GREENLEE MECHANICAL SYSTEMS INCORPORATED$00.0%
FRONT RANGE CONSTRUCTION INC$00.0%
TEAGUE RANCH CO, LLC-$370.4K0.0%

Spending by fiscal year

1.3MFY2017
4.5MFY2018
2.9MFY2019
5.1MFY2020
7.5MFY2021
6MFY2022
7.1MFY2023
12.1M

Top industries (NAICS)

Support activities for forestry · 1153$13.5M100%

Largest awards

SINGLE ENGINE AIR TANKER (SEAT) EXCLUSIVE USE FLIGHT SERVICES - DURANGO, CO AND GRAND JUNCTION, CO$19.6M
CO FIRE AVIATION, INC.· Morgan County, CO· Facilities & utilities· Jun 3, 2024 – Aug 26, 2026· 140D0424F0683
SINGLE ENGINE AIR TANKER (SEAT) EXCLUSIVE USE FLIGHT SERVICES - STEAD, NV$9.7M
CO FIRE AVIATION, INC.· Morgan County, CO· Facilities & utilities· May 2, 2024 – Sep 22, 2026· 140D0424F0530
SINGLE ENGINE AIR TANKER (SEAT) FLIGHT SERVICES$3.5M
CO FIRE AVIATION, INC.· Morgan County, CO· Facilities & utilities· Jun 22, 2026 – Sep 24, 2026· 140D0426F0210
SINGLE ENGINE AIR TANKER (SEAT) FLIGHT SERVICES TASK ORDER

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.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $171.6M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Fort Morgan, CO micropolitan area: $5,661 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $171.6M; +21% vs FY2025
Per resident: $5,661; US $12,955
Loan face value: $5.9M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 3.4%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$90.4M53%
20.934 · Nationally Significant Freight and Highway Projects$29.2M17%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$10.5M6.1%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$10.3M6.0%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$8.9M5.2%
20.205 · Highway Planning and Construction$4.2M2.4%
10.924 · Conservation Stewardship Program$3.6M2.1%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$3M1.7%

Top recipients (organizations)

COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$33.9M20%
DENVER, CO
MORGAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE$1.8M1.1%
FORT MORGAN, CO
BRUSH SCHOOL DISTRICT RE 2J$872.9K0.5%
BRUSH, CO
R & J MAY FARMS LLC$600K0.3%
BRUSH, CO
CAPITAL G RANCH LLC$600K

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$114.2M67%
Federal Highway Administration$33.9M20%
Department of Transportation
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$10.1M5.9%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Natural Resources Conservation Service$3.8M2.2%
Department of Agriculture
Farm Service Agency

Assistance by fiscal year

142.6MFY2021
128.4MFY2022
129.9MFY2023
123.6MFY2024
141.8MFY2025
171.6MFY2026

County aggregates

73%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Fort Morgan, CO

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Morgan CountyCentral county4530,306

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

Fort MorganPrincipal city11,605

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Colorado

Areas based in Colorado, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

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.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
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
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M22820

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved14

Declined7

Metro and micro areas like Fort Morgan, CO micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Fort Morgan, CO

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Colorado

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved14

Declined7

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought