Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment, is Colorado a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best counties to live in Colorado.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Centennial State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been using Saturday Night Science to rank places for years.
The question becomes if you wanted to relocate to the best part of Colorado, where would you go? To answer that, we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 64 counties in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Colorado For 2024
Pitkin County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Colorado. And you should avoid Jackson County if you can — at least according to the data.
Now you know exactly where to move in Colorado. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Colorado and the cheapest places to live in Colorado.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Best Counties To Live In Colorado For 2024
1. Pitkin County
Biggest Place: Aspen
Population: 17,325
Median Income: $96,123 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $2,168,275 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.1% (5th best)
More on Pitkin County: Data
2. Douglas County
Biggest Place: Aurora
Population: 360,206
Median Income: $139,010 (best)
Median Home Price: $702,099 (9th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.4% (20th best)
More on Douglas County: Data
3. Elbert County
Biggest Place: Ponderosa Park
Population: 26,457
Median Income: $124,360 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $673,506 (11th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.3% (8th best)
More on Elbert County: Data
4. Broomfield County
Biggest Place: Broomfield
Population: 73,946
Median Income: $117,541 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $634,234 (15th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.2% (17th best)
More on Broomfield County: Data
5. Routt County
Biggest Place: Steamboat Springs
Population: 24,944
Median Income: $95,144 (10th best)
Median Home Price: $1,036,143 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.9% (12th best)
More on Routt County: Data
6. Jefferson County
Biggest Place: Lakewood
Population: 580,519
Median Income: $103,167 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $608,234 (16th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.9% (28th best)
More on Jefferson County: Data
7. Boulder County
Biggest Place: Boulder
Population: 328,658
Median Income: $99,770 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $725,101 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.4% (35th best)
More on Boulder County: Data
8. Gunnison County
Biggest Place: Gunnison
Population: 17,018
Median Income: $76,538 (24th best)
Median Home Price: $698,282 (10th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.6% (22nd best)
More on Gunnison County: Data
9. Teller County
Biggest Place: Woodland Park
Population: 24,758
Median Income: $69,655 (28th best)
Median Home Price: $480,254 (27th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.8% (26th best)
More on Teller County: Data
10. San Miguel County
Biggest Place: Telluride
Population: 8,082
Median Income: $72,829 (25th best)
Median Home Price: $1,464,077 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.7% (25th best)
More on San Miguel County: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which Colorado county is the best?
To give you the best county in Colorado, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we made assumptions about what’s in a “best county” and what isn’t. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best data sources on the internet. Namely, the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in Colorado across each of the criteria from one to 64, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In Colorado.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and best counties to raise a family in the Centennial State.
We updated this article for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the best counties to live in Colorado.
Read on to see why Pitkin County is the best county, while Jackson County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Colorado.
Summary: The Best Counties In Colorado To Call Home For 2024
Living in Colorado can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
The best counties in Colorado are Pitkin County, Douglas County, Elbert County, Broomfield County, Routt County, Jefferson County, Boulder County, Gunnison County, Teller County, and San Miguel County.
But now you know the outstanding parts and the parts to avoid, and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Colorado according to the data:
- Jackson County
- Conejos County
- Crowley County
For more Colorado reading, check out:
- Cheapest Places To Live In Colorado
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Colorado
- Safest Places In Colorado
- Best Counties To Live In Colorado
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Colorado
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pitkin County | 17,325 | $96,123 | $2,168,275 |
| 2 | Douglas County | 360,206 | $139,010 | $702,099 |
| 3 | Elbert County | 26,457 | $124,360 | $673,506 |
| 4 | Broomfield County | 73,946 | $117,541 | $634,234 |
| 5 | Routt County | 24,944 | $95,144 | $1,036,143 |
| 6 | Jefferson County | 580,519 | $103,167 | $608,234 |
| 7 | Boulder County | 328,658 | $99,770 | $725,101 |
| 8 | Gunnison County | 17,018 | $76,538 | $698,282 |
| 9 | Teller County | 24,758 | $69,655 | $480,254 |
| 10 | San Miguel County | 8,082 | $72,829 | $1,464,077 |
| 11 | Summit County | 30,955 | $100,611 | $958,210 |
| 12 | Gilpin County | 5,856 | $95,902 | $529,766 |
| 13 | Park County | 17,597 | $85,019 | $537,836 |
| 14 | Clear Creek County | 9,403 | $87,169 | $566,351 |
| 15 | Larimer County | 359,363 | $87,199 | $537,197 |
| 16 | Ouray County | 4,936 | $78,750 | $803,655 |
| 17 | Eagle County | 55,650 | $98,887 | $1,241,530 |
| 18 | La Plata County | 55,983 | $81,936 | $636,920 |
| 19 | Arapahoe County | 654,453 | $92,292 | $524,759 |
| 20 | Hinsdale County | 911 | $58,712 | $425,602 |
| 21 | El Paso County | 730,323 | $82,748 | $445,569 |
| 22 | Lake County | 7,403 | $78,942 | $469,811 |
| 23 | Grand County | 15,724 | $79,367 | $752,675 |
| 24 | Cheyenne County | 1,726 | $65,577 | $182,828 |
| 25 | Garfield County | 61,683 | $82,772 | $638,767 |
| 26 | Archuleta County | 13,509 | $66,813 | $543,735 |
| 27 | Custer County | 4,885 | $66,250 | $380,840 |
| 28 | Washington County | 4,817 | $59,087 | $235,786 |
| 29 | Denver County | 710,800 | $85,853 | $560,073 |
| 30 | Weld County | 331,466 | $89,182 | $484,531 |
| 31 | Chaffee County | 19,564 | $65,703 | $642,669 |
| 32 | Dolores County | 2,329 | $64,708 | $246,600 |
| 33 | Logan County | 21,302 | $54,864 | $245,985 |
| 34 | Adams County | 520,149 | $86,297 | $485,669 |
| 35 | Mesa County | 156,131 | $68,077 | $387,749 |
| 36 | Phillips County | 4,493 | $58,474 | $244,606 |
| 37 | Mineral County | 794 | $58,929 | $398,735 |
| 38 | Lincoln County | 5,583 | $59,167 | $233,258 |
| 39 | Alamosa County | 16,460 | $52,271 | $290,044 |
| 40 | Pueblo County | 168,135 | $59,436 | $286,925 |
| 41 | Montezuma County | 26,070 | $61,377 | $357,643 |
| 42 | Rio Blanco County | 6,511 | $69,882 | $285,667 |
| 43 | Fremont County | 49,107 | $56,165 | $327,316 |
| 44 | Kiowa County | 1,347 | $45,250 | $137,364 |
| 45 | Kit Carson County | 7,039 | $58,992 | $229,434 |
| 46 | Montrose County | 42,823 | $62,817 | $411,022 |
| 47 | Sedgwick County | 2,391 | $45,855 | $149,823 |
| 48 | Morgan County | 29,045 | $70,471 | $322,562 |
| 49 | San Juan County | 690 | $67,344 | $485,226 |
| 50 | Moffat County | 13,232 | $63,983 | $282,815 |
| 51 | Huerfano County | 6,896 | $49,631 | $261,015 |
| 52 | Delta County | 31,173 | $56,349 | $375,900 |
| 53 | Baca County | 3,496 | $42,115 | $136,581 |
| 54 | Rio Grande County | 11,442 | $57,591 | $283,966 |
| 55 | Otero County | 18,580 | $47,500 | $151,142 |
| 56 | Yuma County | 9,938 | $60,118 | $252,294 |
| 57 | Las Animas County | 14,422 | $48,965 | $249,004 |
| 58 | Prowers County | 11,968 | $49,422 | $159,794 |
| 59 | Saguache County | 6,454 | $51,946 | $250,818 |
| 60 | Bent County | 5,561 | $45,776 | $103,390 |
| 61 | Costilla County | 3,534 | $34,578 | $185,030 |
| 62 | Crowley County | 5,782 | $40,685 | $142,369 |
| 63 | Conejos County | 7,553 | $44,093 | $205,938 |
| 64 | Jackson County | 1,440 | $38,686 | $259,355 |