Counties in Colorado by employer firms, 2023

Denver County had the highest employer firms of 64 counties in 2023, at 20,672. Kiowa County had the lowest, at 29. The median was 418 and the figure for Colorado was 127,843. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest20,672Denver County
Lowest29Kiowa County
Median41864 counties
Colorado127,843History

Map of counties, 2023

Adams County: 8,373 countAlamosa County: 411 countArapahoe County: 15,030 countArchuleta County: 465 countBaca County: 70 countBent County: 52 countBoulder County: 10,197 countBroomfield County: 1,919 countChaffee County: 905 countCheyenne County: 48 countClear Creek County: 275 countConejos County: 102 countCostilla County: 42 countCrowley County: 37 countCuster County: 137 countDelta County: 707 countDenver County: 20,672 countDolores County: 56 countDouglas County: 7,698 countEagle County: 2,730 countElbert County: 575 countEl Paso County: 13,727 countFremont County: 795 countGarfield County: 2,117 countGilpin County: 129 countGrand County: 776 countGunnison County: 948 countHinsdale County: 45 countHuerfano County: 138 countJackson County: 53 countJefferson County: 13,550 countKiowa County: 29 countKit Carson County: 229 countLake County: 214 countLa Plata County: 2,014 countLarimer County: 9,163 countLas Animas County: 325 countLincoln County: 136 countLogan County: 478 countMesa County: 3,819 countMineral County: 52 countMoffat County: 323 countMontezuma County: 652 countMontrose County: 1,228 countMorgan County: 614 countOtero County: 349 countOuray County: 262 countPark County: 425 countPhillips County: 118 countPitkin County: 1,259 countProwers County: 276 countPueblo County: 2,609 countRio Blanco County: 168 countRio Grande County: 313 countRoutt County: 1,465 countSaguache County: 109 countSan Juan County: 61 countSan Miguel County: 558 countSedgwick County: 68 countSummit County: 1,662 countTeller County: 683 countWashington County: 98 countWeld County: 5,769 countYuma County: 274 count
  • Under 100
  • 100 to 200
  • 200 to 400
  • 400 to 800
  • 800 to 2,700
  • 2,700 and over
count, 2023. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2023

Denver County: 20,672 countDenver County20,672Arapahoe County: 15,030 countArapahoe County15,030El Paso County: 13,727 countEl Paso County13,727Jefferson County: 13,550 countJefferson County13,550Boulder County: 10,197 countBoulder County10,197Larimer County: 9,163 countLarimer County9,163Adams County: 8,373 countAdams County8,373Douglas County: 7,698 countDouglas County7,698Weld County: 5,769 countWeld County5,769Mesa County: 3,819 countMesa County3,819Eagle County: 2,730 countEagle County2,730Pueblo County: 2,609 countPueblo County2,609Garfield County: 2,117 countGarfield County2,117La Plata County: 2,014 countLa Plata County2,014Broomfield County: 1,919 countBroomfield County1,919Summit County: 1,662 countSummit County1,662Routt County: 1,465 countRoutt County1,465Pitkin County: 1,259 countPitkin County1,259Montrose County: 1,228 countMontrose County1,228Gunnison County: 948 countGunnison County948Chaffee County: 905 countChaffee County905Fremont County: 795 countFremont County795Grand County: 776 countGrand County776Delta County: 707 countDelta County707Teller County: 683 countTeller County683Montezuma County: 652 countMontezuma County652Morgan County: 614 countMorgan County614Elbert County: 575 countElbert County575San Miguel County: 558 countSan Miguel County558Logan County: 478 countLogan County478Archuleta County: 465 countArchuleta County465Park County: 425 countPark County425Alamosa County: 411 countAlamosa County411Otero County: 349 countOtero County349Las Animas County: 325 countLas Animas County325Moffat County: 323 countMoffat County323Rio Grande County: 313 countRio Grande County313Prowers County: 276 countProwers County276Clear Creek County: 275 countClear Creek County275Yuma County: 274 countYuma County274Denver County: 20,672 countDenver County20,672Arapahoe County: 15,030 countArapahoe County15,030El Paso County: 13,727 countEl Paso County13,727Jefferson County: 13,550 countJefferson County13,550Boulder County: 10,197 countBoulder County10,197Larimer County: 9,163 countLarimer County9,163Adams County: 8,373 countAdams County8,373Douglas County: 7,698 countDouglas County7,698Weld County: 5,769 countWeld County5,769Mesa County: 3,819 countMesa County3,819Eagle County: 2,730 countEagle County2,730Pueblo County: 2,609 countPueblo County2,609Garfield County: 2,117 countGarfield County2,117La Plata County: 2,014 countLa Plata County2,014Broomfield County: 1,919 countBroomfield County1,919Summit County: 1,662 countSummit County1,662Routt County: 1,465 countRoutt County1,465Pitkin County: 1,259 countPitkin County1,259Montrose County: 1,228 countMontrose County1,228Gunnison County: 948 countGunnison County948Chaffee County: 905 countChaffee County905Fremont County: 795 countFremont County795Grand County: 776 countGrand County776Delta County: 707 countDelta County707Teller County: 683 countTeller County683Montezuma County: 652 countMontezuma County652Morgan County: 614 countMorgan County614Elbert County: 575 countElbert County575San Miguel County: 558 countSan Miguel County558Logan County: 478 countLogan County478Archuleta County: 465 countArchuleta County465Park County: 425 countPark County425Alamosa County: 411 countAlamosa County411Otero County: 349 countOtero County349Las Animas County: 325 countLas Animas County325Moffat County: 323 countMoffat County323Rio Grande County: 313 countRio Grande County313Prowers County: 276 countProwers County276Clear Creek County: 275 countClear Creek County275Yuma County: 274 countYuma County274
count. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023
count
Change on 2022
1Denver County20,672+0.9%
2Arapahoe County15,030+0.3%
3El Paso County13,727+0.4%
4Jefferson County13,550-0.3%
5Boulder County10,197-1.1%
6Larimer County9,163-0.3%
7Adams County8,373+2%
8Douglas County7,698+0.6%
9Weld County5,769+1.1%
10Mesa County3,819+1.5%
11Eagle County2,730-0.2%
12Pueblo County2,609-0.4%
13Garfield County2,117+1.8%
14La Plata County2,014-0.7%
15Broomfield County1,919+0.3%
16Summit County1,662-1%
17Routt County1,465-1.6%
18Pitkin County1,259+0.2%
19Montrose County1,228+0.3%
20Gunnison County948-2%
21Chaffee County905+1.2%
22Fremont County795-0.1%
23Grand County776-1.3%
24Delta County707-0.1%
25Teller County683-2.1%
26Montezuma County652-3.6%
27Morgan County614-1%
28Elbert County575+2.3%
29San Miguel County558-0.5%
30Logan County478-1.6%
31Archuleta County465+1.5%
32Park County425+2.2%
33Alamosa County411-0.2%
34Otero County349-0.3%
35Las Animas County325+1.9%
36Moffat County323-1.8%
37Rio Grande County313-0.3%
38Prowers County276-6.8%
39Clear Creek County275-1.8%
40Yuma County274+3%
41Ouray County262-1.9%
42Kit Carson County229-1.3%
43Lake County214+6.5%
44Rio Blanco County168-0.6%
45Huerfano County138+4.5%
46Custer County137-2.8%
47Lincoln County136-1.4%
48Gilpin County129+15.2%
49Phillips County118-0.8%
50Saguache County109+3.8%
51Conejos County102-1%
52Washington County980%
53Baca County70-4.1%
54Sedgwick County68+4.6%
55San Juan County61+5.2%
56Dolores County56-3.4%
57Jackson County53-13.1%
58Bent County52+4%
58Mineral County52-5.5%
60Cheyenne County48-7.7%
61Hinsdale County45-10%
62Costilla County420%
63Crowley County37-5.1%
64Kiowa County29-6.5%

Other periods

About this ranking

Number of firms in the private nonfarm sectors covered by the US Census Bureau Business Dynamics Statistics. Establishments under common ownership form one firm.

Excludes nonemployer businesses. Differs from active_companies, the INE DIRCE count, which includes businesses without employees.

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. Census Bureau. Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

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. Census Bureau. (2025). Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties (Counties in Colorado by employer firms, 2023) [Data set]. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv

MLA 9

Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties, Counties in Colorado by employer firms, 2023. U.S. Census Bureau, 25 Sept. 2025, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/colorado-counties. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2025. Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. Counties in Colorado by employer firms, 2023. Dataset. Accessed October 11, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/colorado-counties.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2025) Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties, Counties in Colorado by employer firms, 2023 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/colorado-counties (Accessed: 11 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_colorado_by_2023,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties: Counties in Colorado by employer firms, 2023}},
  year = {2025},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-11},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/colorado-counties. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023\_st\_cty.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-11.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties: Counties in Colorado by employer firms, 2023
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/09/25
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/colorado-counties
Y2  - 2026/10/11
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/colorado-counties.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
ER  - 
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Questions

Which county has the highest employer firms?

Denver County, with 20,672 in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest employer firms?

Kiowa County, with 29 in 2023.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Employer firms: other rankings

Counties in Colorado: more rankings