Counties in Colorado by employer firms

Denver County had the highest employer firms of 64 counties in 2018, at 19,035. Crowley County had the lowest, at 31. The median was 403 and the figure for Colorado was 120,242. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest19,035Denver County
Median40364 counties
Colorado120,242History

Map of counties, 2018

Adams County: 7,693 countAlamosa County: 432 countArapahoe County: 14,074 countArchuleta County: 444 countBaca County: 67 countBent County: 52 countBoulder County: 9,772 countBroomfield County: 1,817 countChaffee County: 790 countCheyenne County: 53 countClear Creek County: 283 countConejos County: 99 countCostilla County: 42 countCrowley County: 31 countCuster County: 117 countDelta County: 692 countDenver County: 19,035 countDolores County: 49 countDouglas County: 6,868 countEagle County: 2,614 countElbert County: 541 countEl Paso County: 12,819 countFremont County: 736 countGarfield County: 1,959 countGilpin County: 113 countGrand County: 759 countGunnison County: 929 countHinsdale County: 47 countHuerfano County: 131 countJackson County: 59 countJefferson County: 13,038 countKiowa County: 33 countKit Carson County: 234 countLake County: 187 countLa Plata County: 1,999 countLarimer County: 8,711 countLas Animas County: 328 countLincoln County: 125 countLogan County: 504 countMesa County: 3,615 countMineral County: 51 countMoffat County: 335 countMontezuma County: 657 countMontrose County: 1,099 countMorgan County: 596 countOtero County: 353 countOuray County: 236 countPark County: 374 countPhillips County: 113 countPitkin County: 1,203 countProwers County: 303 countPueblo County: 2,554 countRio Blanco County: 176 countRio Grande County: 295 countRoutt County: 1,398 countSaguache County: 109 countSan Juan County: 55 countSan Miguel County: 495 countSedgwick County: 68 countSummit County: 1,602 countTeller County: 614 countWashington County: 96 countWeld County: 5,192 countYuma County: 277 count
  • Under 100
  • 100 to 200
  • 200 to 400
  • 400 to 800
  • 800 to 2,600
  • 2,600 and over
count, 2018. 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, 2018

Denver County: 19,035 countDenver County19,035Arapahoe County: 14,074 countArapahoe County14,074Jefferson County: 13,038 countJefferson County13,038El Paso County: 12,819 countEl Paso County12,819Boulder County: 9,772 countBoulder County9,772Larimer County: 8,711 countLarimer County8,711Adams County: 7,693 countAdams County7,693Douglas County: 6,868 countDouglas County6,868Weld County: 5,192 countWeld County5,192Mesa County: 3,615 countMesa County3,615Eagle County: 2,614 countEagle County2,614Pueblo County: 2,554 countPueblo County2,554La Plata County: 1,999 countLa Plata County1,999Garfield County: 1,959 countGarfield County1,959Broomfield County: 1,817 countBroomfield County1,817Summit County: 1,602 countSummit County1,602Routt County: 1,398 countRoutt County1,398Pitkin County: 1,203 countPitkin County1,203Montrose County: 1,099 countMontrose County1,099Gunnison County: 929 countGunnison County929Chaffee County: 790 countChaffee County790Grand County: 759 countGrand County759Fremont County: 736 countFremont County736Delta County: 692 countDelta County692Montezuma County: 657 countMontezuma County657Teller County: 614 countTeller County614Morgan County: 596 countMorgan County596Elbert County: 541 countElbert County541Logan County: 504 countLogan County504San Miguel County: 495 countSan Miguel County495Archuleta County: 444 countArchuleta County444Alamosa County: 432 countAlamosa County432Park County: 374 countPark County374Otero County: 353 countOtero County353Moffat County: 335 countMoffat County335Las Animas County: 328 countLas Animas County328Prowers County: 303 countProwers County303Rio Grande County: 295 countRio Grande County295Clear Creek County: 283 countClear Creek County283Yuma County: 277 countYuma County277Denver County: 19,035 countDenver County19,035Arapahoe County: 14,074 countArapahoe County14,074Jefferson County: 13,038 countJefferson County13,038El Paso County: 12,819 countEl Paso County12,819Boulder County: 9,772 countBoulder County9,772Larimer County: 8,711 countLarimer County8,711Adams County: 7,693 countAdams County7,693Douglas County: 6,868 countDouglas County6,868Weld County: 5,192 countWeld County5,192Mesa County: 3,615 countMesa County3,615Eagle County: 2,614 countEagle County2,614Pueblo County: 2,554 countPueblo County2,554La Plata County: 1,999 countLa Plata County1,999Garfield County: 1,959 countGarfield County1,959Broomfield County: 1,817 countBroomfield County1,817Summit County: 1,602 countSummit County1,602Routt County: 1,398 countRoutt County1,398Pitkin County: 1,203 countPitkin County1,203Montrose County: 1,099 countMontrose County1,099Gunnison County: 929 countGunnison County929Chaffee County: 790 countChaffee County790Grand County: 759 countGrand County759Fremont County: 736 countFremont County736Delta County: 692 countDelta County692Montezuma County: 657 countMontezuma County657Teller County: 614 countTeller County614Morgan County: 596 countMorgan County596Elbert County: 541 countElbert County541Logan County: 504 countLogan County504San Miguel County: 495 countSan Miguel County495Archuleta County: 444 countArchuleta County444Alamosa County: 432 countAlamosa County432Park County: 374 countPark County374Otero County: 353 countOtero County353Moffat County: 335 countMoffat County335Las Animas County: 328 countLas Animas County328Prowers County: 303 countProwers County303Rio Grande County: 295 countRio Grande County295Clear Creek County: 283 countClear Creek County283Yuma County: 277 countYuma County277
count. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Full ranking

RankCounties2018
count
Change on 2017
1Denver County19,035+1.8%
2Arapahoe County14,074+1.1%
3Jefferson County13,038+0.5%
4El Paso County12,819+2.3%
5Boulder County9,772+1.3%
6Larimer County8,711+2.6%
7Adams County7,693+2.6%
8Douglas County6,868+3%
9Weld County5,192+3.5%
10Mesa County3,615+1.3%
11Eagle County2,614+1.4%
12Pueblo County2,554+1.3%
13La Plata County1,999+0.9%
14Garfield County1,959+2.2%
15Broomfield County1,817+3.8%
16Summit County1,602-0.1%
17Routt County1,398+0.4%
18Pitkin County1,203+3.4%
19Montrose County1,099+2.1%
20Gunnison County929+1.1%
21Chaffee County790+2.2%
22Grand County759+4%
23Fremont County736-1.1%
24Delta County692+0.9%
25Montezuma County657-0.8%
26Teller County614+5.1%
27Morgan County596+0.7%
28Elbert County541+3.6%
29Logan County504-0.6%
30San Miguel County495+0.8%
31Archuleta County444+4.5%
32Alamosa County432+0.7%
33Park County374+3.6%
34Otero County3530%
35Moffat County335+0.3%
36Las Animas County328+0.6%
37Prowers County303-0.3%
38Rio Grande County295+7.7%
39Clear Creek County283+1.8%
40Yuma County277-1.1%
41Ouray County236+6.3%
42Kit Carson County234-2.5%
43Lake County187+4.5%
44Rio Blanco County176-5.4%
45Huerfano County1310%
46Lincoln County125+3.3%
47Custer County117+1.7%
48Gilpin County113+4.6%
48Phillips County113-5.8%
50Saguache County109+6.9%
51Conejos County99+3.1%
52Washington County96-5%
53Sedgwick County68-1.4%
54Baca County670%
55Jackson County59-1.7%
56San Juan County55+3.8%
57Cheyenne County530%
58Bent County52-3.7%
59Mineral County51-3.8%
60Dolores County49+4.3%
61Hinsdale County470%
62Costilla County42+10.5%
63Kiowa County33+3.1%
64Crowley County310%

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, 2018) [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, 2018. 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=2018. 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, 2018. 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=2018.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2025) Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties, Counties in Colorado by employer firms, 2018 [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=2018 (Accessed: 11 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_colorado_by_2018,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties: Counties in Colorado by employer firms, 2018}},
  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=2018. 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, 2018
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=2018
Y2  - 2026/10/11
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/colorado-counties?period=2018.
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 19,035 in 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest employer firms?

Crowley County, with 31 in 2018.

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