Scores by category

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

Safety1#911/924
Economy27#679/925
Housing12#818/925
Health28#667/925
Healthcare84#147/923
Environment84#144/917
Education49#469/925
Infrastructure69#292/925
Community43#531/925
Leisure & amenities14#793/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Strengths

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · low5.1 µg/m³
94/100Colorado 5.8 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAggregated from counties
Mental health providers · high599 /100k
92/100Colorado 518 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
New business applications · high17.3 /1k
88/100Colorado 23.9 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
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%
82/100Colorado 0.50%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Preventable hospital stays · low2,071 /100k
80/100Colorado 1,686 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Property crime rate · high3,513 /100k
0/100Colorado 2,144 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2024Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties
Violent crime rate · high944 /100k
0/100Colorado 422 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2024Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties
Firearm deaths · high33.6 /100k
2/100Colorado 15.5 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Grocery stores · low0.6 /10k
3/100Colorado 1.0 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Suicide rate · high33.6 /100k
3/100Colorado 22.4 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Drug overdose deaths · high40.1 /100k
4/100Colorado 28.0 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties

Trends

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

New business applicationsImproving
8.5 /1k (2020) → 17.3 /1k (2025)
+103%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
New homes permittedWorsening
4.4 /1k (2021) → 0.6 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−87%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Median Air Quality IndexWorsening
26 (2019) → 45 (2025)
+73%6 years
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
76.2% (2015-2019) → 89.1% (2020-2024)
+13 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Violent crime rateWorsening
660 /100k (2019) → 944 /100k (2024)
+43%5 yearsUS 369 /100k → 363 /100k
Child poverty rateImproving
26.6% (2015-2019) → 18.3% (2020-2024)
−8.3 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, Pueblo, CO metro area improved on 12 of 30 measures with a comparison and declined on 4. 6 moved within the margin of error and 8 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.

Improved12

New businesses+103%8.5 /1k → 17.3 /1k
Poverty−4.3 points18.9% → 14.6%
Child poverty−8.3 points26.6% → 18.3%
Household income+37%$46,783 → $64,010
Broadband+13 points76.2% → 89.1%

Declined4

Price / income+1.0×3.5× → 4.6×
Restaurants−11%8.7 /10k → 7.8 /10k
Traffic deaths+26%15.3 /100k → 19.2 /100k
Gyms−16%0.8 /10k → 0.6 /10k

All 30 measures

Change of every measure of Pueblo, CO metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	2.9 /10k2020	2.8 /10k2025	−4.6%	Little change	21%
Average commute time	22.2 min2015-2019	21.9 min2020-2024	−0.3 min	Within the margin of error	74%
Average weekly wage	$9272020	$1,1182025	+21%	Improved	27%
Bachelor's degree or higher	21.8%2015-2019	25.6%2020-2024	+3.9 points	Improved	74%
Broadband subscriptions	76.2%2015-2019	89.1%2020-2024	+13 points	Improved	84%
Child poverty rate	26.6%2015-2019	18.3%2020-2024	−8.3 points	Improved	92%
Distance to an airport	38 mi2020	38 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	40.4 /100k2020	40.1 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−0.7%	Little change	28%
Effective property tax rate	0.61%2015-2019	0.52%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Little change	35%
Firearm deaths	32.7 /100k2020	33.6 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+2.8%	Little change	44%
Grocery stores	0.5 /10k2020	0.6 /10k2025	+10%	Improved	78%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.8 /10k2020	0.6 /10k2025	−16%	Declined	21%
High school diploma or higher	89.7%2015-2019	90.8%2020-2024	+1.2 points	Within the margin of error	35%
Home price to income ratio	3.5×2015-2019	4.6×2020-2024	+1.0×	Declined	10%
Homicide rate	12.5 /100k2020	11.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−10%	Improved	31%
Income adjusted for local prices	$42,6482019	$56,1152024	+32%	Improved	50%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4552015-2019	0.4532020-2024	−0.002	Within the margin of error	60%
Median household income	$46,7832015-2019	$64,0102020-2024	+37%	Improved	90%
New business applications	8.5 /1k2020	17.3 /1k2025	+103%	Improved	95%
Pharmacies	1.1 /10k2020	1.1 /10k2025	+5%	Little change	84%
Poverty rate	18.9%2015-2019	14.6%2020-2024	−4.3 points	Improved	95%
Public libraries	0.5 /10k2019	0.5 /10k2024	−1%	Little change	55%
Public transit commuters	0.7%2015-2019	0.7%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	75%
Rent as share of income	32.5%2015-2019	31.6%2020-2024	−0.9 points	Within the margin of error	75%
Rent-burdened households	55.3%2015-2019	52.4%2020-2024	−2.9 points	Within the margin of error	78%
Restaurants and bars	8.7 /10k2020	7.8 /10k2025	−11%	Declined	11%
Suicide rate	32.1 /100k2020	33.6 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+4.7%	Little change	50%
Traffic deaths	15.3 /100k2015-2019	19.2 /100k2020-2024	+26%	Declined	22%
Unemployment rate	7.9%2020	5.5%2025	−2.4 points	Improved	33%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	8.0%2015-2019	6.4%2020-2024	−1.6 points	Improved	79%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 786 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; 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 Pueblo, CO metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Pueblo, CO metro 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, Pueblo, CO metro area itself moved +2.7 points in standing on average over the same 28 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

169,356 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

68,523 households (±559)

Pueblo, CO metro area
United States share

Under $25k19%13,250
$25k–50k19%13,076
$50k–75k19%13,174

Homes

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

Owners and renters

68,523 households (±559)

Pueblo, CO metro area
United States share

Own69%47,199
Rent31%21,324

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+4.2 points).

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

71,229 workers (±1,330)

Pueblo, CO metro area
United States share

Drive alone79%56,301
Carpool9.4%6,677
Public transit0.7%†475

Jobs and pay

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

The 10 largest occupations in Pueblo, CO employ 15,140 people. 6 pay a median above the US median and 4 below it.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Pueblo, CO by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Fast Food and Counter Workers2,160 jobs	2,160	$31,100US $31,200	0%	1.41×
Home Health and Personal Care Aides2,130 jobs	2,130

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.

Pueblo, CO has 3,250 employer establishments, 191 for every 10,000 residents (0.77× the US rate of 248), with 50,735 paid employees at an average annual pay of $51,759. The Census Bureau also counts 10,776 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 3,250; 10,776 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 191; US 248
Paid employees: 50,735
Average annual pay: $51,759; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	350	20.6	0.99×About typical	5,481	$58,667	578
Specialty trade contractors	275	16.2	1.05×About typical	2,228	$59,412	920
Restaurants and other eating places	274	16.1	0.88×About typical	5,317	$21,921	71
Lessors of real estate	142	8.4	0.68×Fewer than typical	356	$38,579	1,133
Limited-service restaurants	125	7.4	0.92×About typical	2,797	$19,409	24
Full-service restaurants	118	6.9	0.90×About typical	2,200	$24,857	33
Construction of buildings	111	6.5	0.86×About typical	550	$57,949	366
Building equipment contractors	109	6.4	1.07×About typical	997	$57,095	155
Automotive repair and maintenance	95	5.6	1.11×About typical	535	$46,621	184
Offices of other health practitioners	94	5.5	0.91×About typical	620	$44,503	288
Insurance agencies and brokerages	91	5.4	1.22×About typical	291	$54,326	164
Offices of physicians	87	5.1	0.79×Fewer than typical	781	$120,857	100

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 169,878 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 $84.6M on contracts performed in Pueblo, CO metro area: $500 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $84.6M; −73% vs FY2025
Per resident: $500; US $1,994
Sole-source: 15%; US 30%
Single offer: 22%; 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

Bureau of Reclamation$37.2M44%
Forest Service$19.2M23%
Federal Railroad Administration$16.6M20%
Department of the Army$8.7M10%
Defense Logistics Agency$1.9M2.3%
Department of Veterans Affairs$1.2M1.4%
USTRANSCOM$450.5K0.5%
Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons$344.5K0.4%

Top recipients

PATE CONSTRUCTION CO., INC.$37M44%
ENSCO INC$13.2M16%
ONEIDA ENVIRONMENTAL, LLC$6.8M8.0%
CHENEGA BASE & LOGISTICS SERVICES LLC$2.6M3.0%
PUEBLO HOTEL SUPPLY CO$2.3M2.7%

Spending by fiscal year

268.2MFY2017
513.2MFY2018
373.3MFY2019
474.8MFY2020
331MFY2021
322.1MFY2022
503.6MFY2023
516.9M

Top industries (NAICS)

Utility system construction · 2371$38.2M45%
Scientific research and development services · 5417$14.8M17%
Support activities for forestry · 1153$12.1M14%
Remediation and other waste management services · 5629$6.6M7.8%
Facilities support services · 5612$2.7M3.2%
Special food services · 7223$2M

Largest awards

RESTRUCTURED CONTRACT TO FACILITATE A CONTRACTUAL VEHICLE FOR THE LIFE OF THE DAAA09-02-D-0025 CONTRACT FROM SYSTEMIZATION THROUGH CLOSURE. THIS IS SEEN AS AN ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGE TO DAAA09-02-D-0025$4.6B
BECHTEL NATIONAL, INC.· Pueblo County, CO· Facilities & utilities· Oct 13, 2016 – Jun 3, 2026· W52P1J09C0012
$99.9M SINGLE AWARD TASK ORDER CONTRACT (SATOC) FOR ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION SERVICES (ERS), INCLUDING MILITARY MUNITIONS RESPONSE PROGRAM (MMRP) SERVICES. THIS TASK ORDER SERVES AS THE SEED PROJECT FOR THIS SATOC.$48.5M
ONEIDA ENVIRONMENTAL, LLC· Pueblo County, CO· Facilities & utilities· Sep 16, 2025 – Mar 16, 2026· W9128F25FA177
ARKANSAS VALLEY CONDUIT (AVC) BOONE REACH 1$47.5M
WCA CONSTRUCTION, LLC· Pueblo County, CO· Construction & real property· Sep 15, 2022 – Aug 20, 2026· 140R6022C0015

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 $1.2B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Pueblo, CO metro area: $6,934 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $1.2B; −2.1% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,934; US $12,955
Loan face value: $88.4M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.6%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$612.8M52%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$173.2M15%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$91.5M7.8%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$68.5M5.8%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$44.4M3.8%
57.001 · Social Insurance for Railroad Workers$27.4M2.3%
20.205 · Highway Planning and Construction$23M2.0%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$21M1.8%

Top recipients (organizations)

COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$47.5M4.0%
DENVER, CO
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PUEBLO$18.9M1.6%
PUEBLO, CO
STATE BOARD OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND OCCUPATIONAL EDUCATION$13.4M1.1%
PUEBLO, CO
COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY-PUEBLO$11.1M0.9%
PUEBLO, CO
PUEBLO SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 60

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$817.2M70%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$199.2M17%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$48.2M4.1%
Department of Transportation
Department of Education$33.8M2.9%
Railroad Retirement Board$27.4M

Assistance by fiscal year

1.1BFY2021
1BFY2022
1.1BFY2023
1.1BFY2024
1.2BFY2025
1.2BFY2026

County aggregates

89%

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 Pueblo, 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.

Pueblo CountyCentral county38169,277

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

PuebloPrincipal city111,561

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
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M39380

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved12

Declined4

Metro and micro areas like Pueblo, CO metro 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 Pueblo, 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

Improved12

Declined4

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

Look up any occupation

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