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 places 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 helping people find the best places to live in America for years.
So, 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.
After the analytic dust settled, we identified the 10 best counties to live in Centennial State for 2022.
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Colorado For 2022
Elbert County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Colorado. And you might want to avoid Costilla County if you can — at least according to the data.
So if you’re thinking of making the move Colorado, we’ve got you covered. Keep on reading for a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Colorado and the cheapest places to live in Colorado.
The Best Counties To Live In Colorado For 2022
1. Elbert County
Biggest Place: Ponderosa Park
Population: 26,230
Median Income: $104,231.0 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $492,300.0 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.8% (4th best)
More on Elbert County: Photos | Data
2. Pitkin County
Biggest Place: Aspen
Population: 17,980
Median Income: $82,455.0 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $599,000.0 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.4% (13th best)
More on Pitkin County: Photos | Data
3. Broomfield County
Biggest Place: Broomfield
Population: 69,444
Median Income: $101,206.0 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $450,600.0 (9th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.6% (15th best)
More on Broomfield County: Photos | Data
4. Douglas County
Biggest Place: Aurora
Population: 344,280
Median Income: $121,393.0 (best)
Median Home Price: $493,500.0 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.5% (14th best)
More on Douglas County: Photos | Data
5. Ouray County
Biggest Place: Ouray
Population: 4,890
Median Income: $68,893.0 (22nd best)
Median Home Price: $486,200.0 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.2% (29th best)
More on Ouray County: Data
6. Routt County
Biggest Place: Steamboat Springs
Population: 25,317
Median Income: $76,198.0 (13th best)
Median Home Price: $534,100.0 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.9% (20th best)
More on Routt County: Photos | Data
7. San Miguel County
Biggest Place: Telluride
Population: 8,110
Median Income: $66,898.0 (24th best)
Median Home Price: $448,900.0 (10th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.0% (10th best)
More on San Miguel County: Photos | Data
8. Gilpin County
Biggest Place: Coal Creek
Population: 6,108
Median Income: $90,547.0 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $387,000.0 (17th best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.9% (5th best)
More on Gilpin County: Photos | Data
9. Boulder County
Biggest Place: Boulder
Population: 324,682
Median Income: $87,476.0 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $539,100.0 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.5% (37th best)
More on Boulder County: Photos | Data
10. Jefferson County
Biggest Place: Lakewood
Population: 578,795
Median Income: $87,793.0 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $433,100.0 (11th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.0% (23rd best)
More on Jefferson County: Photos | 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 need to make some assumptions about what’s a “best county” and what isn’t. And, for reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, don’t take this analysis to court.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best sources of data on the internet; the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent time 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, quiet, and best counties to raise a family in the Centennial State.
Read on to see why Elbert County is the best county, while Costilla County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Colorado.
Summary: The Best Counties In Colorado To Call Home For 2018
It turns out living in Colorado can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
But now you the know the really good parts and the parts to avoid and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day. And for that, you are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Colorado according to the data:
- Costilla County
- Conejos County
- Saguache County
For more Colorado reading, check out:
- Cheapest Places To Live In Colorado
- Best Places To Retire In Colorado
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Colorado
- Safest Places In Colorado
