Counties in Colorado by business establishments (QCEW)

Denver County had the highest business establishments (QCEW) of 64 counties in 2014, at 27,852. Crowley County had the lowest, at 51. The median was 506 and the figure for Colorado was 179,397. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest27,852Denver County
Median50664 counties
Colorado179,397History

Map of counties, 2014

Adams County: 9,364 countAlamosa County: 536 countArapahoe County: 19,662 countArchuleta County: 510 countBaca County: 112 countBent County: 89 countBoulder County: 13,612 countBroomfield County: 2,378 countChaffee County: 888 countCheyenne County: 90 countClear Creek County: 320 countConejos County: 140 countCostilla County: 84 countCrowley County: 51 countCuster County: 149 countDelta County: 877 countDenver County: 27,852 countDolores County: 73 countDouglas County: 10,308 countEagle County: 3,222 countElbert County: 607 countEl Paso County: 17,156 countFremont County: 873 countGarfield County: 2,517 countGilpin County: 158 countGrand County: 821 countGunnison County: 1,089 countHinsdale County: 81 countHuerfano County: 189 countJackson County: 91 countJefferson County: 18,152 countKiowa County: 55 countKit Carson County: 299 countLake County: 231 countLa Plata County: 2,441 countLarimer County: 10,589 countLas Animas County: 435 countLincoln County: 158 countLogan County: 644 countMesa County: 4,673 countMineral County: 72 countMoffat County: 460 countMontezuma County: 798 countMontrose County: 1,304 countMorgan County: 727 countOtero County: 502 countOuray County: 301 countPark County: 487 countPhillips County: 163 countPitkin County: 1,742 countProwers County: 389 countPueblo County: 3,074 countRio Blanco County: 272 countRio Grande County: 408 countRoutt County: 1,684 countSaguache County: 169 countSan Juan County: 70 countSan Miguel County: 634 countSedgwick County: 84 countSummit County: 2,141 countTeller County: 751 countWashington County: 144 countWeld County: 6,212 countYuma County: 413 count
  • Under 100
  • 100 to 300
  • 300 to 500
  • 500 to 900
  • 900 to 3,100
  • 3,100 and over
count, 2014. Source: BLS, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2014

Denver County: 27,852 countDenver County27,852Arapahoe County: 19,662 countArapahoe County19,662Jefferson County: 18,152 countJefferson County18,152El Paso County: 17,156 countEl Paso County17,156Boulder County: 13,612 countBoulder County13,612Larimer County: 10,589 countLarimer County10,589Douglas County: 10,308 countDouglas County10,308Adams County: 9,364 countAdams County9,364Weld County: 6,212 countWeld County6,212Mesa County: 4,673 countMesa County4,673Eagle County: 3,222 countEagle County3,222Pueblo County: 3,074 countPueblo County3,074Garfield County: 2,517 countGarfield County2,517La Plata County: 2,441 countLa Plata County2,441Broomfield County: 2,378 countBroomfield County2,378Summit County: 2,141 countSummit County2,141Pitkin County: 1,742 countPitkin County1,742Routt County: 1,684 countRoutt County1,684Montrose County: 1,304 countMontrose County1,304Gunnison County: 1,089 countGunnison County1,089Chaffee County: 888 countChaffee County888Delta County: 877 countDelta County877Fremont County: 873 countFremont County873Grand County: 821 countGrand County821Montezuma County: 798 countMontezuma County798Teller County: 751 countTeller County751Morgan County: 727 countMorgan County727Logan County: 644 countLogan County644San Miguel County: 634 countSan Miguel County634Elbert County: 607 countElbert County607Alamosa County: 536 countAlamosa County536Archuleta County: 510 countArchuleta County510Otero County: 502 countOtero County502Park County: 487 countPark County487Moffat County: 460 countMoffat County460Las Animas County: 435 countLas Animas County435Yuma County: 413 countYuma County413Rio Grande County: 408 countRio Grande County408Prowers County: 389 countProwers County389Clear Creek County: 320 countClear Creek County320Denver County: 27,852 countDenver County27,852Arapahoe County: 19,662 countArapahoe County19,662Jefferson County: 18,152 countJefferson County18,152El Paso County: 17,156 countEl Paso County17,156Boulder County: 13,612 countBoulder County13,612Larimer County: 10,589 countLarimer County10,589Douglas County: 10,308 countDouglas County10,308Adams County: 9,364 countAdams County9,364Weld County: 6,212 countWeld County6,212Mesa County: 4,673 countMesa County4,673Eagle County: 3,222 countEagle County3,222Pueblo County: 3,074 countPueblo County3,074Garfield County: 2,517 countGarfield County2,517La Plata County: 2,441 countLa Plata County2,441Broomfield County: 2,378 countBroomfield County2,378Summit County: 2,141 countSummit County2,141Pitkin County: 1,742 countPitkin County1,742Routt County: 1,684 countRoutt County1,684Montrose County: 1,304 countMontrose County1,304Gunnison County: 1,089 countGunnison County1,089Chaffee County: 888 countChaffee County888Delta County: 877 countDelta County877Fremont County: 873 countFremont County873Grand County: 821 countGrand County821Montezuma County: 798 countMontezuma County798Teller County: 751 countTeller County751Morgan County: 727 countMorgan County727Logan County: 644 countLogan County644San Miguel County: 634 countSan Miguel County634Elbert County: 607 countElbert County607Alamosa County: 536 countAlamosa County536Archuleta County: 510 countArchuleta County510Otero County: 502 countOtero County502Park County: 487 countPark County487Moffat County: 460 countMoffat County460Las Animas County: 435 countLas Animas County435Yuma County: 413 countYuma County413Rio Grande County: 408 countRio Grande County408Prowers County: 389 countProwers County389Clear Creek County: 320 countClear Creek County320
count. Source: BLS, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2014
count
Change on 2013
1Denver County27,852+3%
2Arapahoe County19,662+1.7%
3Jefferson County18,152+1.1%
4El Paso County17,156+0.7%
5Boulder County13,612+1.9%
6Larimer County10,589+2.6%
7Douglas County10,308+2.6%
8Adams County9,364+3.4%
9Weld County6,212+3.9%
10Mesa County4,673-0.3%
11Eagle County3,222+1%
12Pueblo County3,074-0.7%
13Garfield County2,517-0.3%
14La Plata County2,441+0.8%
15Broomfield County2,378+3.6%
16Summit County2,141+2.3%
17Pitkin County1,742+0.4%
18Routt County1,684+0.4%
19Montrose County1,304-2.3%
20Gunnison County1,089+1.3%
21Chaffee County888+0.5%
22Delta County877-0.2%
23Fremont County873-2.3%
24Grand County821-1.4%
25Montezuma County798+0.6%
26Teller County751-0.1%
27Morgan County727+0.1%
28Logan County644-0.9%
29San Miguel County634-1.4%
30Elbert County607+3.9%
31Alamosa County536+0.6%
32Archuleta County510-0.4%
33Otero County502-1.4%
34Park County487-0.2%
35Moffat County460-2.5%
36Las Animas County435-4.8%
37Yuma County413+1%
38Rio Grande County408-1.2%
39Prowers County389-0.3%
40Clear Creek County320-0.3%
41Ouray County301-1.6%
42Kit Carson County2990%
43Rio Blanco County272-1.8%
44Lake County231+3.6%
45Huerfano County189-9.1%
46Saguache County169-3.4%
47Phillips County163+1.9%
48Gilpin County158+1.9%
48Lincoln County158+0.6%
50Custer County149-2.6%
51Washington County144+5.1%
52Conejos County140-2.8%
53Baca County112-3.4%
54Jackson County91+3.4%
55Cheyenne County90-2.2%
56Bent County89-3.3%
57Costilla County84-1.2%
57Sedgwick County84+3.7%
59Hinsdale County81+2.5%
60Dolores County73+7.4%
61Mineral County72+5.9%
62San Juan County70-5.4%
63Kiowa County550%
64Crowley County51-3.8%

Other periods

About this ranking

Average number of establishments with jobs covered by unemployment insurance during the year, all industries, private and government, from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. An establishment is a single place of business, such as a factory, store or office; a company with several locations has several.

Counts places of business, not firms: for firms use employer_firms. Changes in how large employers report their locations can move the count without any change in activity.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2014/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2026). Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties (Counties in Colorado by business establishments (QCEW), 2014) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2014/a/industry/10.csv

MLA 9

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties, Counties in Colorado by business establishments (QCEW), 2014. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2014/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/colorado-counties?period=2014. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2026. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Counties in Colorado by business establishments (QCEW), 2014. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2014/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/colorado-counties?period=2014.

Harvard

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2026) Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties, Counties in Colorado by business establishments (QCEW), 2014 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2014/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/colorado-counties?period=2014 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_colorado_by_2014,
  author = {{U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics}},
  title = {{Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties: Counties in Colorado by business establishments (QCEW), 2014}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2014/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/colorado-counties?period=2014. Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2014/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
TI  - Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties: Counties in Colorado by business establishments (QCEW), 2014
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2014/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/colorado-counties?period=2014
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/colorado-counties?period=2014.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2014/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Questions

Which county has the highest business establishments (QCEW)?

Denver County, with 27,852 in 2014, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest business establishments (QCEW)?

Crowley County, with 51 in 2014.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Business establishments (QCEW): other rankings

Counties in Colorado: more rankings