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 2026
Douglas County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Colorado. And you should avoid Bent 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 2026
1. Douglas County
Biggest Place: Aurora
Population: 377,150
Median Income: $149,594 (best)
Median Home Price: $712,072 (10th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.6% (24th best)
More on Douglas County: Data
2. Pitkin County
Biggest Place: Aspen
Population: 16,985
Median Income: $102,645 (10th best)
Median Home Price: $2,661,787 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.5% (12th best)
More on Pitkin County: Data
3. Routt County
Biggest Place: Steamboat Springs
Population: 25,084
Median Income: $106,489 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $1,123,457 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.4% (8th best)
More on Routt County: Data
4. Elbert County
Biggest Place: Ponderosa Park
Population: 27,874
Median Income: $132,685 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $682,939 (12th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.4% (2best)
More on Elbert County: Data
5. Broomfield County
Biggest Place: Broomfield
Population: 76,304
Median Income: $123,874 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $629,328 (16th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.8% (28th best)
More on Broomfield County: Data
6. Park County
Biggest Place: Fairplay
Population: 17,907
Median Income: $103,670 (9th best)
Median Home Price: $521,570 (23rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.3% (19th best)
More on Park County: Data
7. Jefferson County
Biggest Place: Lakewood
Population: 579,377
Median Income: $110,656 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $630,481 (15th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.9% (32nd best)
More on Jefferson County: Data
8. Hinsdale County
Biggest Place: Lake City
Population: 1,005
Median Income: $75,972 (30th best)
Median Home Price: $472,779 (29th best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.0% (best)
More on Hinsdale County: Data
9. Boulder County
Biggest Place: Boulder
Population: 328,961
Median Income: $103,994 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $725,125 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.8% (48th best)
More on Boulder County: Data
10. Ouray County
Biggest Place: Ridgway
Population: 5,087
Median Income: $91,020 (20th best)
Median Home Price: $795,987 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.5% (22nd best)
More on Ouray 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 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best counties to live in Colorado.
Read on to see why Douglas County is the best county, while Bent County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Colorado.
Summary: The Best Counties In Colorado To Call Home For 2026
Living in Colorado can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
The best counties in Colorado are Douglas County, Pitkin County, Routt County, Elbert County, Broomfield County, Park County, Jefferson County, Hinsdale County, Boulder County, and Ouray 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:
- Bent County
- Saguache County
- Yuma County
For more Colorado reading, check out:
- Safest Places In Colorado
- Best Places To Retire In Colorado
- Richest Cities In Colorado
- Best Places To Buy A House In Colorado
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Colorado
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Douglas County | 377,150 | $149,594 | $712,072 |
| 2 | Pitkin County | 16,985 | $102,645 | $2,661,787 |
| 3 | Routt County | 25,084 | $106,489 | $1,123,457 |
| 4 | Elbert County | 27,874 | $132,685 | $682,939 |
| 5 | Broomfield County | 76,304 | $123,874 | $629,328 |
| 6 | Park County | 17,907 | $103,670 | $521,570 |
| 7 | Jefferson County | 579,377 | $110,656 | $630,481 |
| 8 | Hinsdale County | 1,005 | $75,972 | $472,779 |
| 9 | Boulder County | 328,961 | $103,994 | $725,125 |
| 10 | Ouray County | 5,087 | $91,020 | $795,987 |
| 11 | Gunnison County | 17,241 | $84,527 | $713,232 |
| 12 | Gilpin County | 5,901 | $95,361 | $547,968 |
| 13 | Clear Creek County | 9,262 | $94,577 | $563,106 |
| 14 | Archuleta County | 13,900 | $83,065 | $566,276 |
| 15 | Teller County | 24,825 | $85,361 | $479,237 |
| 16 | Summit County | 31,017 | $109,773 | $987,547 |
| 17 | San Miguel County | 7,968 | $79,024 | $1,581,198 |
| 18 | Eagle County | 55,135 | $104,096 | $1,311,796 |
| 19 | Chaffee County | 20,178 | $84,132 | $680,807 |
| 20 | Grand County | 15,895 | $88,612 | $749,416 |
| 21 | Larimer County | 367,368 | $93,765 | $552,909 |
| 22 | La Plata County | 56,331 | $86,056 | $673,257 |
| 23 | Lake County | 7,380 | $96,575 | $513,522 |
| 24 | Cheyenne County | 1,741 | $70,865 | $196,505 |
| 25 | El Paso County | 742,999 | $90,363 | $454,739 |
| 26 | Rio Blanco County | 6,544 | $65,473 | $330,882 |
| 27 | Custer County | 5,247 | $72,674 | $410,602 |
| 28 | Arapahoe County | 659,844 | $101,087 | $517,193 |
| 29 | Washington County | 4,831 | $67,167 | $268,630 |
| 30 | Garfield County | 62,479 | $91,131 | $708,392 |
| 31 | Weld County | 350,396 | $97,097 | $494,685 |
| 32 | Denver County | 718,877 | $94,718 | $546,602 |
| 33 | Dolores County | 2,432 | $64,907 | $306,338 |
| 34 | Lincoln County | 5,550 | $62,861 | $263,357 |
| 35 | Kiowa County | 1,376 | $58,618 | $181,075 |
| 36 | Fremont County | 49,634 | $62,664 | $336,799 |
| 37 | San Juan County | 724 | $77,824 | $551,661 |
| 38 | Moffat County | 13,207 | $73,849 | $301,763 |
| 39 | Mesa County | 158,601 | $73,658 | $430,880 |
| 40 | Adams County | 530,225 | $94,571 | $486,343 |
| 41 | Kit Carson County | 7,023 | $70,259 | $238,813 |
| 42 | Phillips County | 4,496 | $64,674 | $262,121 |
| 43 | Mineral County | 729 | $56,250 | $438,027 |
| 44 | Pueblo County | 169,356 | $64,010 | $284,547 |
| 45 | Sedgwick County | 2,304 | $52,386 | $161,454 |
| 46 | Alamosa County | 16,581 | $55,397 | $324,071 |
| 47 | Montezuma County | 26,412 | $65,244 | $407,794 |
| 48 | Huerfano County | 6,972 | $52,526 | $270,938 |
| 49 | Montrose County | 43,807 | $72,120 | $456,826 |
| 50 | Delta County | 31,598 | $57,774 | $408,109 |
| 51 | Baca County | 3,428 | $46,215 | $123,456 |
| 52 | Logan County | 20,892 | $51,829 | $253,326 |
| 53 | Costilla County | 3,607 | $36,861 | $182,489 |
| 54 | Morgan County | 29,520 | $73,278 | $327,910 |
| 55 | Jackson County | 1,372 | $47,667 | $240,684 |
| 56 | Las Animas County | 14,413 | $52,074 | $241,542 |
| 57 | Conejos County | 7,530 | $50,978 | $211,485 |
| 58 | Prowers County | 11,910 | $53,508 | $175,197 |
| 59 | Rio Grande County | 11,321 | $64,411 | $321,324 |
| 60 | Otero County | 18,321 | $54,037 | $157,784 |
| 61 | Crowley County | 5,647 | $48,826 | $152,856 |
| 62 | Yuma County | 9,979 | $60,545 | $285,312 |
| 63 | Saguache County | 6,580 | $50,082 | $233,071 |
| 64 | Bent County | 5,549 | $50,179 | $117,953 |