Counties in Colorado by employer firms

Denver County had the highest employer firms of 64 counties in 2012, at 16,633. Kiowa County had the lowest, at 30. The median was 386 and the figure for Colorado was 107,375. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest16,633Denver County
Lowest30Kiowa County
Median38664 counties
Colorado107,375History

Map of counties, 2012

Adams County: 6,400 countAlamosa County: 426 countArapahoe County: 12,596 countArchuleta County: 397 countBaca County: 78 countBent County: 57 countBoulder County: 8,896 countBroomfield County: 1,488 countChaffee County: 717 countCheyenne County: 51 countClear Creek County: 258 countConejos County: 77 countCostilla County: 35 countCrowley County: 36 countCuster County: 123 countDelta County: 676 countDenver County: 16,633 countDolores County: 38 countDouglas County: 5,717 countEagle County: 2,288 countElbert County: 459 countEl Paso County: 11,467 countFremont County: 720 countGarfield County: 1,858 countGilpin County: 115 countGrand County: 703 countGunnison County: 837 countHinsdale County: 49 countHuerfano County: 134 countJackson County: 59 countJefferson County: 12,094 countKiowa County: 30 countKit Carson County: 227 countLake County: 163 countLa Plata County: 1,877 countLarimer County: 7,438 countLas Animas County: 339 countLincoln County: 109 countLogan County: 518 countMesa County: 3,671 countMineral County: 52 countMoffat County: 358 countMontezuma County: 644 countMontrose County: 1,049 countMorgan County: 590 countOtero County: 375 countOuray County: 213 countPark County: 321 countPhillips County: 116 countPitkin County: 1,095 countProwers County: 299 countPueblo County: 2,478 countRio Blanco County: 196 countRio Grande County: 296 countRoutt County: 1,227 countSaguache County: 97 countSan Juan County: 51 countSan Miguel County: 461 countSedgwick County: 69 countSummit County: 1,456 countTeller County: 557 countWashington County: 91 countWeld County: 4,325 countYuma County: 282 count
  • Under 100
  • 100 to 200
  • 200 to 400
  • 400 to 700
  • 700 to 2,400
  • 2,400 and over
count, 2012. 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, 2012

Denver County: 16,633 countDenver County16,633Arapahoe County: 12,596 countArapahoe County12,596Jefferson County: 12,094 countJefferson County12,094El Paso County: 11,467 countEl Paso County11,467Boulder County: 8,896 countBoulder County8,896Larimer County: 7,438 countLarimer County7,438Adams County: 6,400 countAdams County6,400Douglas County: 5,717 countDouglas County5,717Weld County: 4,325 countWeld County4,325Mesa County: 3,671 countMesa County3,671Pueblo County: 2,478 countPueblo County2,478Eagle County: 2,288 countEagle County2,288La Plata County: 1,877 countLa Plata County1,877Garfield County: 1,858 countGarfield County1,858Broomfield County: 1,488 countBroomfield County1,488Summit County: 1,456 countSummit County1,456Routt County: 1,227 countRoutt County1,227Pitkin County: 1,095 countPitkin County1,095Montrose County: 1,049 countMontrose County1,049Gunnison County: 837 countGunnison County837Fremont County: 720 countFremont County720Chaffee County: 717 countChaffee County717Grand County: 703 countGrand County703Delta County: 676 countDelta County676Montezuma County: 644 countMontezuma County644Morgan County: 590 countMorgan County590Teller County: 557 countTeller County557Logan County: 518 countLogan County518San Miguel County: 461 countSan Miguel County461Elbert County: 459 countElbert County459Alamosa County: 426 countAlamosa County426Archuleta County: 397 countArchuleta County397Otero County: 375 countOtero County375Moffat County: 358 countMoffat County358Las Animas County: 339 countLas Animas County339Park County: 321 countPark County321Prowers County: 299 countProwers County299Rio Grande County: 296 countRio Grande County296Yuma County: 282 countYuma County282Clear Creek County: 258 countClear Creek County258Denver County: 16,633 countDenver County16,633Arapahoe County: 12,596 countArapahoe County12,596Jefferson County: 12,094 countJefferson County12,094El Paso County: 11,467 countEl Paso County11,467Boulder County: 8,896 countBoulder County8,896Larimer County: 7,438 countLarimer County7,438Adams County: 6,400 countAdams County6,400Douglas County: 5,717 countDouglas County5,717Weld County: 4,325 countWeld County4,325Mesa County: 3,671 countMesa County3,671Pueblo County: 2,478 countPueblo County2,478Eagle County: 2,288 countEagle County2,288La Plata County: 1,877 countLa Plata County1,877Garfield County: 1,858 countGarfield County1,858Broomfield County: 1,488 countBroomfield County1,488Summit County: 1,456 countSummit County1,456Routt County: 1,227 countRoutt County1,227Pitkin County: 1,095 countPitkin County1,095Montrose County: 1,049 countMontrose County1,049Gunnison County: 837 countGunnison County837Fremont County: 720 countFremont County720Chaffee County: 717 countChaffee County717Grand County: 703 countGrand County703Delta County: 676 countDelta County676Montezuma County: 644 countMontezuma County644Morgan County: 590 countMorgan County590Teller County: 557 countTeller County557Logan County: 518 countLogan County518San Miguel County: 461 countSan Miguel County461Elbert County: 459 countElbert County459Alamosa County: 426 countAlamosa County426Archuleta County: 397 countArchuleta County397Otero County: 375 countOtero County375Moffat County: 358 countMoffat County358Las Animas County: 339 countLas Animas County339Park County: 321 countPark County321Prowers County: 299 countProwers County299Rio Grande County: 296 countRio Grande County296Yuma County: 282 countYuma County282Clear Creek County: 258 countClear Creek County258
count. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Full ranking

RankCounties2012
count
Change on 2011
1Denver County16,633+1.7%
2Arapahoe County12,596+1.1%
3Jefferson County12,094+0.5%
4El Paso County11,467-0.5%
5Boulder County8,896+1.4%
6Larimer County7,438+2%
7Adams County6,400+0.9%
8Douglas County5,717+3.4%
9Weld County4,325+1%
10Mesa County3,671-0.6%
11Pueblo County2,478-1.2%
12Eagle County2,288+0.2%
13La Plata County1,877-0.1%
14Garfield County1,858-0.3%
15Broomfield County1,488+0.9%
16Summit County1,456+2.7%
17Routt County1,227+2.3%
18Pitkin County1,095-1.6%
19Montrose County1,049-0.7%
20Gunnison County837+1.2%
21Fremont County720-1.4%
22Chaffee County717+2.3%
23Grand County703-0.7%
24Delta County676-5.8%
25Montezuma County644-1.4%
26Morgan County590+4.2%
27Teller County557-0.7%
28Logan County518-0.6%
29San Miguel County461-2.3%
30Elbert County459+4.3%
31Alamosa County426-0.9%
32Archuleta County397-0.8%
33Otero County375-3.6%
34Moffat County358-0.8%
35Las Animas County339+0.3%
36Park County321-6.1%
37Prowers County299+1.7%
38Rio Grande County296-2.6%
39Yuma County282+0.7%
40Clear Creek County258-4.4%
41Kit Carson County227+4.6%
42Ouray County213+0.5%
43Rio Blanco County196-3.9%
44Lake County1630%
45Huerfano County134-6.9%
46Custer County1230%
47Phillips County116+6.4%
48Gilpin County115+2.7%
49Lincoln County109-2.7%
50Saguache County97-7.6%
51Washington County91+2.2%
52Baca County78-2.5%
53Conejos County770%
54Sedgwick County69+1.5%
55Jackson County59-1.7%
56Bent County57-5%
57Mineral County52+13%
58Cheyenne County51-12.1%
58San Juan County510%
60Hinsdale County49-2%
61Dolores County38+11.8%
62Crowley County36-12.2%
63Costilla County35-12.5%
64Kiowa County30-9.1%

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, 2012) [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, 2012. 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?period=2012. 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, 2012. 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?period=2012.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2025) Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties, Counties in Colorado by employer firms, 2012 [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?period=2012 (Accessed: 11 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_colorado_by_2012,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties: Counties in Colorado by employer firms, 2012}},
  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?period=2012. 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, 2012
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?period=2012
Y2  - 2026/10/11
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/colorado-counties?period=2012.
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 16,633 in 2012, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest employer firms?

Kiowa County, with 30 in 2012.

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