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 2025
- Pitkin County
- Douglas County
- Elbert County
- Broomfield County
- Jefferson County
- Routt County
- Park County
- Clear Creek County
- Summit County
- Boulder County
Pitkin County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Colorado. And you should avoid Saguache 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 2025
1. Pitkin County
Biggest Place: Aspen
Population: 17,119
Median Income: $100,318 (9th best)
Median Home Price: $1,131,200 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.5% (4th best)
More on Pitkin County:
2. Douglas County
Biggest Place: Aurora
Population: 368,283
Median Income: $145,737 (best)
Median Home Price: $674,000 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.6% (25th best)
More on Douglas County:
3. Elbert County
Biggest Place: Ponderosa Park
Population: 27,152
Median Income: $129,477 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $664,600 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.0% (16th best)
More on Elbert County:
4. Broomfield County
Biggest Place: Broomfield
Population: 75,110
Median Income: $121,025 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $631,600 (9th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.3% (20th best)
More on Broomfield County:
5. Jefferson County
Biggest Place: Lakewood
Population: 579,715
Median Income: $107,800 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $604,400 (11th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.9% (28th best)
More on Jefferson County:
6. Routt County
Biggest Place: Steamboat Springs
Population: 24,990
Median Income: $104,803 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $756,200 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.5% (11th best)
More on Routt County:
7. Park County
Biggest Place: Fairplay
Population: 17,739
Median Income: $95,450 (12th best)
Median Home Price: $489,300 (22nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.5% (24th best)
More on Park County:
8. Clear Creek County
Biggest Place: Idaho Springs
Population: 9,358
Median Income: $96,667 (11th best)
Median Home Price: $572,800 (15th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.2% (3best)
More on Clear Creek County:
9. Summit County
Biggest Place: Breckenridge
Population: 30,857
Median Income: $106,255 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $850,700 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.3% (2best)
More on Summit County:
10. Boulder County
Biggest Place: Boulder
Population: 328,317
Median Income: $102,772 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $713,900 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.6% (45th best)
More on Boulder County:
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 2025. 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 Saguache County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Colorado.
Summary: The Best Counties In Colorado To Call Home For 2025
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, Jefferson County, Routt County, Park County, Clear Creek County, Summit County, and Boulder 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:
- Saguache County
- Crowley County
- Bent County
For more Colorado reading, check out:
- Cheapest Places To Live In Colorado
- Best Places To Retire In Colorado
- Best Places To Buy A House In Colorado
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Colorado
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Colorado
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pitkin County | 17,119 | $100,318 | $1,131,200 |
| 2 | Douglas County | 368,283 | $145,737 | $674,000 |
| 3 | Elbert County | 27,152 | $129,477 | $664,600 |
| 4 | Broomfield County | 75,110 | $121,025 | $631,600 |
| 5 | Jefferson County | 579,715 | $107,800 | $604,400 |
| 6 | Routt County | 24,990 | $104,803 | $756,200 |
| 7 | Park County | 17,739 | $95,450 | $489,300 |
| 8 | Clear Creek County | 9,358 | $96,667 | $572,800 |
| 9 | Summit County | 30,857 | $106,255 | $850,700 |
| 10 | Boulder County | 328,317 | $102,772 | $713,900 |
| 11 | Teller County | 24,774 | $80,666 | $445,000 |
| 12 | Hinsdale County | 939 | $64,327 | $438,800 |
| 13 | Larimer County | 363,561 | $91,364 | $532,200 |
| 14 | Ouray County | 5,024 | $84,556 | $670,100 |
| 15 | Eagle County | 55,374 | $103,174 | $814,700 |
| 16 | Gilpin County | 5,877 | $88,654 | $512,600 |
| 17 | San Miguel County | 8,026 | $80,117 | $613,100 |
| 18 | Gunnison County | 17,158 | $77,358 | $597,200 |
| 19 | La Plata County | 56,088 | $85,296 | $549,100 |
| 20 | Archuleta County | 13,730 | $76,524 | $451,400 |
| 21 | El Paso County | 736,008 | $87,470 | $431,000 |
| 22 | Lake County | 7,411 | $93,655 | $401,300 |
| 23 | Arapahoe County | 655,709 | $97,215 | $526,000 |
| 24 | Chaffee County | 19,876 | $70,909 | $598,500 |
| 25 | Denver County | 713,734 | $91,681 | $586,700 |
| 26 | Custer County | 5,073 | $72,700 | $358,800 |
| 27 | Dolores County | 2,385 | $70,490 | $231,900 |
| 28 | Grand County | 15,794 | $84,558 | $507,200 |
| 29 | Phillips County | 4,491 | $60,372 | $255,300 |
| 30 | Washington County | 4,839 | $65,164 | $218,300 |
| 31 | Cheyenne County | 1,732 | $67,768 | $187,100 |
| 32 | Rio Blanco County | 6,518 | $72,620 | $243,400 |
| 33 | Weld County | 340,711 | $93,287 | $444,500 |
| 34 | Garfield County | 62,034 | $86,172 | $490,600 |
| 35 | Kiowa County | 1,356 | $56,389 | $148,600 |
| 36 | Fremont County | 49,394 | $61,027 | $282,100 |
| 37 | Moffat County | 13,258 | $70,975 | $262,500 |
| 38 | Lincoln County | 5,561 | $54,257 | $232,100 |
| 39 | Adams County | 524,408 | $91,387 | $458,400 |
| 40 | Mesa County | 157,316 | $71,485 | $349,400 |
| 41 | San Juan County | 690 | $73,889 | $406,900 |
| 42 | Kit Carson County | 7,015 | $59,810 | $221,400 |
| 43 | Montrose County | 43,272 | $66,072 | $357,900 |
| 44 | Alamosa County | 16,515 | $51,445 | $218,800 |
| 45 | Pueblo County | 168,726 | $62,250 | $271,800 |
| 46 | Montezuma County | 26,204 | $63,005 | $308,100 |
| 47 | Delta County | 31,353 | $58,330 | $318,000 |
| 48 | Sedgwick County | 2,346 | $52,833 | $142,700 |
| 49 | Huerfano County | 6,946 | $52,139 | $256,700 |
| 50 | Morgan County | 29,186 | $75,407 | $299,300 |
| 51 | Mineral County | 799 | $52,455 | $413,000 |
| 52 | Baca County | 3,460 | $40,380 | $122,000 |
| 53 | Logan County | 21,067 | $55,074 | $228,100 |
| 54 | Otero County | 18,460 | $54,897 | $160,700 |
| 55 | Costilla County | 3,571 | $36,519 | $171,300 |
| 56 | Las Animas County | 14,392 | $50,408 | $214,500 |
| 57 | Jackson County | 1,422 | $41,809 | $250,000 |
| 58 | Prowers County | 11,931 | $57,601 | $150,900 |
| 59 | Rio Grande County | 11,394 | $62,166 | $215,400 |
| 60 | Conejos County | 7,536 | $47,209 | $162,100 |
| 61 | Yuma County | 9,921 | $60,051 | $215,600 |
| 62 | Bent County | 5,524 | $49,194 | $137,900 |
| 63 | Crowley County | 5,734 | $47,563 | $106,700 |
| 64 | Saguache County | 6,511 | $54,283 | $200,000 |