Data / Rankings / Job destruction rate / Counties in Colorado

Counties in Colorado by job destruction rate

Pitkin County had the highest job destruction rate of 64 counties in 2021, at 35.949%. Baca County had the lowest, at 8.637%. The median was 15.668% and the figure for Colorado was 17.03%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest35.949Pitkin County
Lowest8.637Baca County
Median15.66864 counties
Colorado17.03History

Map of counties, 2021

Adams County: 14.135 %Alamosa County: 11.491 %Arapahoe County: 16.876 %Archuleta County: 13.476 %Baca County: 8.637 %Bent County: 16.291 %Boulder County: 16.77 %Broomfield County: 20.854 %Chaffee County: 17.708 %Cheyenne County: 24.814 %Clear Creek County: 28.078 %Conejos County: 13.232 %Costilla County: 12.148 %Crowley County: 10.87 %Custer County: 15.728 %Delta County: 16.127 %Denver County: 21.161 %Dolores County: 21.12 %Douglas County: 16.23 %Eagle County: 16.797 %Elbert County: 18.173 %El Paso County: 16.07 %Fremont County: 13.716 %Garfield County: 15.313 %Gilpin County: 19.306 %Grand County: 23.318 %Gunnison County: 12.318 %Hinsdale County: 30.986 %Huerfano County: 10.488 %Jackson County: 19.062 %Jefferson County: 15.607 %Kiowa County: 10.164 %Kit Carson County: 9.174 %Lake County: 24.069 %La Plata County: 16.609 %Larimer County: 16.18 %Las Animas County: 12.882 %Lincoln County: 13.493 %Logan County: 16.593 %Mesa County: 14.014 %Mineral County: 18.537 %Moffat County: 13.949 %Montezuma County: 9.838 %Montrose County: 11.85 %Morgan County: 11.417 %Otero County: 11.608 %Ouray County: 16.521 %Park County: 17.117 %Phillips County: 8.85 %Pitkin County: 35.949 %Prowers County: 13.149 %Pueblo County: 14.151 %Rio Blanco County: 13.176 %Rio Grande County: 8.779 %Routt County: 20.207 %Saguache County: 15.014 %San Juan County: 19.273 %San Miguel County: 21.802 %Sedgwick County: 11.792 %Summit County: 16.586 %Teller County: 13.18 %Washington County: 9.552 %Weld County: 16.762 %Yuma County: 9.402 %
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%, 2021. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: job destruction rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2021

Pitkin County: 35.949 %Pitkin County35.949Hinsdale County: 30.986 %Hinsdale County30.986Clear Creek County: 28.078 %Clear Creek County28.078Cheyenne County: 24.814 %Cheyenne County24.814Lake County: 24.069 %Lake County24.069Grand County: 23.318 %Grand County23.318San Miguel County: 21.802 %San Miguel County21.802Denver County: 21.161 %Denver County21.161Dolores County: 21.12 %Dolores County21.12Broomfield County: 20.854 %Broomfield County20.854Routt County: 20.207 %Routt County20.207Gilpin County: 19.306 %Gilpin County19.306San Juan County: 19.273 %San Juan County19.273Jackson County: 19.062 %Jackson County19.062Mineral County: 18.537 %Mineral County18.537Elbert County: 18.173 %Elbert County18.173Chaffee County: 17.708 %Chaffee County17.708Park County: 17.117 %Park County17.117Arapahoe County: 16.876 %Arapahoe County16.876Eagle County: 16.797 %Eagle County16.797Boulder County: 16.77 %Boulder County16.77Weld County: 16.762 %Weld County16.762La Plata County: 16.609 %La Plata County16.609Logan County: 16.593 %Logan County16.593Summit County: 16.586 %Summit County16.586Ouray County: 16.521 %Ouray County16.521Bent County: 16.291 %Bent County16.291Douglas County: 16.23 %Douglas County16.23Larimer County: 16.18 %Larimer County16.18Delta County: 16.127 %Delta County16.127El Paso County: 16.07 %El Paso County16.07Custer County: 15.728 %Custer County15.728Jefferson County: 15.607 %Jefferson County15.607Garfield County: 15.313 %Garfield County15.313Saguache County: 15.014 %Saguache County15.014Pueblo County: 14.151 %Pueblo County14.151Adams County: 14.135 %Adams County14.135Mesa County: 14.014 %Mesa County14.014Moffat County: 13.949 %Moffat County13.949Fremont County: 13.716 %Fremont County13.716Pitkin County: 35.949 %Pitkin County35.949Hinsdale County: 30.986 %Hinsdale County30.986Clear Creek County: 28.078 %Clear Creek County28.078Cheyenne County: 24.814 %Cheyenne County24.814Lake County: 24.069 %Lake County24.069Grand County: 23.318 %Grand County23.318San Miguel County: 21.802 %San Miguel County21.802Denver County: 21.161 %Denver County21.161Dolores County: 21.12 %Dolores County21.12Broomfield County: 20.854 %Broomfield County20.854Routt County: 20.207 %Routt County20.207Gilpin County: 19.306 %Gilpin County19.306San Juan County: 19.273 %San Juan County19.273Jackson County: 19.062 %Jackson County19.062Mineral County: 18.537 %Mineral County18.537Elbert County: 18.173 %Elbert County18.173Chaffee County: 17.708 %Chaffee County17.708Park County: 17.117 %Park County17.117Arapahoe County: 16.876 %Arapahoe County16.876Eagle County: 16.797 %Eagle County16.797Boulder County: 16.77 %Boulder County16.77Weld County: 16.762 %Weld County16.762La Plata County: 16.609 %La Plata County16.609Logan County: 16.593 %Logan County16.593Summit County: 16.586 %Summit County16.586Ouray County: 16.521 %Ouray County16.521Bent County: 16.291 %Bent County16.291Douglas County: 16.23 %Douglas County16.23Larimer County: 16.18 %Larimer County16.18Delta County: 16.127 %Delta County16.127El Paso County: 16.07 %El Paso County16.07Custer County: 15.728 %Custer County15.728Jefferson County: 15.607 %Jefferson County15.607Garfield County: 15.313 %Garfield County15.313Saguache County: 15.014 %Saguache County15.014Pueblo County: 14.151 %Pueblo County14.151Adams County: 14.135 %Adams County14.135Mesa County: 14.014 %Mesa County14.014Moffat County: 13.949 %Moffat County13.949Fremont County: 13.716 %Fremont County13.716
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: job destruction rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)Change on 2020
1Pitkin County35.949+24.05 pts
2Hinsdale County30.986+13.92 pts
3Clear Creek County28.078+16.18 pts
4Cheyenne County24.814+6.16 pts
5Lake County24.069+11.26 pts
6Grand County23.318+11.06 pts
7San Miguel County21.802+12.13 pts
8Denver County21.161+8.89 pts
9Dolores County21.12+5.16 pts
10Broomfield County20.854+5.57 pts
11Routt County20.207+7.17 pts
12Gilpin County19.306-7.56 pts
13San Juan County19.273+2.57 pts
14Jackson County19.062+1.19 pts
15Mineral County18.537-0.17 pts
16Elbert County18.173+4.25 pts
17Chaffee County17.708+5.92 pts
18Park County17.117-0.04 pts
19Arapahoe County16.876+2.24 pts
20Eagle County16.797-3.64 pts
21Boulder County16.77+4.15 pts
22Weld County16.762+6.09 pts
23La Plata County16.609+2.8 pts
24Logan County16.593+3.11 pts
25Summit County16.586+1.17 pts
26Ouray County16.521-2.02 pts
27Bent County16.291+2.04 pts
28Douglas County16.23+5.24 pts
29Larimer County16.18+2.41 pts
30Delta County16.127+2.44 pts
31El Paso County16.07+4.65 pts
32Custer County15.728+0.79 pts
33Jefferson County15.607+4.12 pts
34Garfield County15.313+2.2 pts
35Saguache County15.014-0.04 pts
36Pueblo County14.151+5.48 pts
37Adams County14.135+2.84 pts
38Mesa County14.014+3.13 pts
39Moffat County13.949+1.57 pts
40Fremont County13.716+0.44 pts
41Lincoln County13.493+0.69 pts
42Archuleta County13.476+0.83 pts
43Conejos County13.232-1.56 pts
44Teller County13.18+4.45 pts
45Rio Blanco County13.176+3.05 pts
46Prowers County13.149+0.41 pts
47Las Animas County12.882-2.31 pts
48Gunnison County12.318-0.77 pts
49Costilla County12.148+2.57 pts
50Montrose County11.85-1.54 pts
51Sedgwick County11.792+3.67 pts
52Otero County11.608-0.7 pts
53Alamosa County11.491+2.45 pts
54Morgan County11.417-6.65 pts
55Crowley County10.87-0.28 pts
56Huerfano County10.488-0.05 pts
57Kiowa County10.164+7.8 pts
58Montezuma County9.838-1.33 pts
59Washington County9.552-0.87 pts
60Yuma County9.402-5.61 pts
61Kit Carson County9.174-3.3 pts
62Phillips County8.85-1 pts
63Rio Grande County8.779-9.11 pts
64Baca County8.637-2.6 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Jobs lost at closing and shrinking establishments during the year, as a percentage of average employment in the two years. United States: Census Bureau Business Dynamics Statistics.

A gross flow: jobs added elsewhere are not subtracted, so the net change is job_creation_rate minus this rate. Not a layoff rate: it counts positions lost at establishments, not people who lost a job. The year is the twelve months to March: 2023 compares March 2022 with March 2023.

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: job destruction rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.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. Census Bureau. (2025). Business Dynamics Statistics: job destruction rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010 (Counties in Colorado by job destruction rate, 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv

MLA 9

Business Dynamics Statistics: job destruction rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010, Counties in Colorado by job destruction rate, 2021. 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/job-destruction-rate/colorado-counties?period=2021. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2025. Business Dynamics Statistics: job destruction rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. Counties in Colorado by job destruction rate, 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/job-destruction-rate/colorado-counties?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2025) Business Dynamics Statistics: job destruction rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010, Counties in Colorado by job destruction rate, 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/job-destruction-rate/colorado-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_colorado_by_2021,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Business Dynamics Statistics: job destruction rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010: Counties in Colorado by job destruction rate, 2021}},
  year = {2025},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/job-destruction-rate/colorado-counties?period=2021. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Business Dynamics Statistics: job destruction rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023\_st\_cty.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - Business Dynamics Statistics: job destruction rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010: Counties in Colorado by job destruction rate, 2021
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/job-destruction-rate/colorado-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/job-destruction-rate/colorado-counties?period=2021.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Business Dynamics Statistics: job destruction rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which county has the highest job destruction rate?

Pitkin County, with 35.949% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest job destruction rate?

Baca County, with 8.637% in 2021.

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: job destruction rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Job destruction rate: other rankings

Counties in Colorado: more rankings