You’re probably never going to make enough money to live in the richest counties in Colorado.
The median household income in Pitkin County, the richest county in Colorado is $96,123, significantly higher than the US median of $74,580, which means based purely on math most people never make enough to live there.
And that’s okay because it’s still fun to look at the people living in the lap of luxury.
So we used Saturday Night Science and the most recent Census to rank home prices and incomes for all 64 counties in the Centennial State. Let’s star gaze together.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | Summary
The 10 Richest Counties In Colorado For 2024
What is the richest county in Colorado? The richest county in Colorado is Pitkin County. In contrast, the poorest county in state is Baca County, according to the Census 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.
The Richest Counties In Colorado For 2024
1. Pitkin County
Biggest Place: Aspen
Population: 17,325
Median Income: $96,123 (8th highest)
Median Home Price: $2,168,275 (highest)
More on Pitkin County: Data
2. Douglas County
Biggest Place: Aurora
Population: 360,206
Median Income: $139,010 (highest)
Median Home Price: $702,099 (9th highest)
More on Douglas County: Data
3. Eagle County
Biggest Place: Edwards
Population: 55,650
Median Income: $98,887 (7th highest)
Median Home Price: $1,241,530 (3rd highest)
More on Eagle County: Data
4. Summit County
Biggest Place: Breckenridge
Population: 30,955
Median Income: $100,611 (5th highest)
Median Home Price: $958,210 (5th highest)
More on Summit County: Data
5. Elbert County
Biggest Place: Ponderosa Park
Population: 26,457
Median Income: $124,360 (2nd highest)
Median Home Price: $673,506 (11th highest)
More on Elbert County: Data
6. Routt County
Biggest Place: Steamboat Springs
Population: 24,944
Median Income: $95,144 (10th highest)
Median Home Price: $1,036,143 (4th highest)
More on Routt County: Data
7. Boulder County
Biggest Place: Boulder
Population: 328,658
Median Income: $99,770 (6th highest)
Median Home Price: $725,101 (8th highest)
More on Boulder County: Data
8. Broomfield County
Biggest Place: Broomfield
Population: 73,946
Median Income: $117,541 (3rd highest)
Median Home Price: $634,234 (15th highest)
More on Broomfield County: Data
9. Jefferson County
Biggest Place: Lakewood
Population: 580,519
Median Income: $103,167 (4th highest)
Median Home Price: $608,234 (16th highest)
More on Jefferson County: Data
10. San Miguel County
Biggest Place: Telluride
Population: 8,082
Median Income: $72,829 (25th highest)
Median Home Price: $1,464,077 (2nd highest)
More on San Miguel County: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which Colorado county is the richest?
To determine the richest county in Colorado, we have to look at a handful of metrics that correlate with how rich people are. To do that, we made assumptions about what makes a county rich. 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 the American Community Survey data and Zillow for the most recent reporting period for data on the following:
- Average Home Price
- Median Income
We then ranked each county in Colorado for each of the criteria from one to 64, with one being the richest.
Taking the average rank across the two criteria, we created a Rich Score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Richest County In Colorado.”
The result is some of the places with the most expensive real estate and highest earners in the Centennial State.
We updated this article for 2024. This report is our first time ranking the richest counties to live in Colorado. We have also ranked the richest states and richest cities in the United States.
Summary: The Richest Counties In Colorado For 2024
Living in Colorado can vary from one part of the state to the next, with pretty extreme variance in home prices and incomes across counties.
The richest counties in Colorado are Pitkin County, Douglas County, Eagle County, Summit County, Elbert County, Routt County, Boulder County, Broomfield County, Jefferson County, and San Miguel County.
Now you know the parts of the state where Goodwill will have the best goodies, and that’s what you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the poorest counties in Colorado according to the data:
- Baca County
- Crowley County
- Bent County
For more Colorado reading, check out:
- Best Counties To Live In Colorado
- Richest Cities In Colorado
- Best Places To Live In Colorado
- Safest Places In Colorado
Detailed List Of The Richest Counties In Colorado
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pitkin County | 17,325 | $96,123 | $2,168,275 |
| 2 | Douglas County | 360,206 | $139,010 | $702,099 |
| 3 | Eagle County | 55,650 | $98,887 | $1,241,530 |
| 4 | Summit County | 30,955 | $100,611 | $958,210 |
| 5 | Elbert County | 26,457 | $124,360 | $673,506 |
| 6 | Routt County | 24,944 | $95,144 | $1,036,143 |
| 7 | Boulder County | 328,658 | $99,770 | $725,101 |
| 8 | Broomfield County | 73,946 | $117,541 | $634,234 |
| 9 | Jefferson County | 580,519 | $103,167 | $608,234 |
| 10 | San Miguel County | 8,082 | $72,829 | $1,464,077 |
| 11 | Grand County | 15,724 | $79,367 | $752,675 |
| 12 | Ouray County | 4,936 | $78,750 | $803,655 |
| 13 | Garfield County | 61,683 | $82,772 | $638,767 |
| 14 | Clear Creek County | 9,403 | $87,169 | $566,351 |
| 15 | Gilpin County | 5,856 | $95,902 | $529,766 |
| 16 | Denver County | 710,800 | $85,853 | $560,073 |
| 17 | Gunnison County | 17,018 | $76,538 | $698,282 |
| 18 | La Plata County | 55,983 | $81,936 | $636,920 |
| 19 | Arapahoe County | 654,453 | $92,292 | $524,759 |
| 20 | Larimer County | 359,363 | $87,199 | $537,197 |
| 21 | Park County | 17,597 | $85,019 | $537,836 |
| 22 | Weld County | 331,466 | $89,182 | $484,531 |
| 23 | Adams County | 520,149 | $86,297 | $485,669 |
| 24 | Chaffee County | 19,564 | $65,703 | $642,669 |
| 25 | El Paso County | 730,323 | $82,748 | $445,569 |
| 26 | Archuleta County | 13,509 | $66,813 | $543,735 |
| 27 | Lake County | 7,403 | $78,942 | $469,811 |
| 28 | San Juan County | 690 | $67,344 | $485,226 |
| 29 | Teller County | 24,758 | $69,655 | $480,254 |
| 30 | Mesa County | 156,131 | $68,077 | $387,749 |
| 31 | Morgan County | 29,045 | $70,471 | $322,562 |
| 32 | Custer County | 4,885 | $66,250 | $380,840 |
| 33 | Montrose County | 42,823 | $62,817 | $411,022 |
| 34 | Rio Blanco County | 6,511 | $69,882 | $285,667 |
| 35 | Montezuma County | 26,070 | $61,377 | $357,643 |
| 36 | Hinsdale County | 911 | $58,712 | $425,602 |
| 37 | Mineral County | 794 | $58,929 | $398,735 |
| 38 | Moffat County | 13,232 | $63,983 | $282,815 |
| 39 | Pueblo County | 168,135 | $59,436 | $286,925 |
| 40 | Delta County | 31,173 | $56,349 | $375,900 |
| 41 | Dolores County | 2,329 | $64,708 | $246,600 |
| 42 | Yuma County | 9,938 | $60,118 | $252,294 |
| 43 | Fremont County | 49,107 | $56,165 | $327,316 |
| 44 | Rio Grande County | 11,442 | $57,591 | $283,966 |
| 45 | Alamosa County | 16,460 | $52,271 | $290,044 |
| 46 | Cheyenne County | 1,726 | $65,577 | $182,828 |
| 47 | Washington County | 4,817 | $59,087 | $235,786 |
| 48 | Lincoln County | 5,583 | $59,167 | $233,258 |
| 49 | Phillips County | 4,493 | $58,474 | $244,606 |
| 50 | Kit Carson County | 7,039 | $58,992 | $229,434 |
| 51 | Huerfano County | 6,896 | $49,631 | $261,015 |
| 52 | Saguache County | 6,454 | $51,946 | $250,818 |
| 53 | Logan County | 21,302 | $54,864 | $245,985 |
| 54 | Las Animas County | 14,422 | $48,965 | $249,004 |
| 55 | Jackson County | 1,440 | $38,686 | $259,355 |
| 56 | Prowers County | 11,968 | $49,422 | $159,794 |
| 57 | Otero County | 18,580 | $47,500 | $151,142 |
| 58 | Conejos County | 7,553 | $44,093 | $205,938 |
| 59 | Sedgwick County | 2,391 | $45,855 | $149,823 |
| 60 | Costilla County | 3,534 | $34,578 | $185,030 |
| 61 | Kiowa County | 1,347 | $45,250 | $137,364 |
| 62 | Bent County | 5,561 | $45,776 | $103,390 |
| 63 | Crowley County | 5,782 | $40,685 | $142,369 |
| 64 | Baca County | 3,496 | $42,115 | $136,581 |
