Denver County, Colorado: commercial real estate data.
Denver County, Colorado has a population of 718,877 across 153 square miles, up 1.9 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $128.54 bn in 2024, 27,422 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 1,541 7(a) approvals worth $853.2 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Denver County
How many people live in Denver County
- Population718,877
- Households335,428
- Average household size2.14
- Median household income$94,718
- Median age35.3
- Median gross rent$1,831 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$616,000
- Home value to household income6.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income23.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher56.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree22.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over532,052
- Population under 18129,515
- Share under 1818.0 percent
- Population 65 and over89,711
- Share 65 and over12.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64499,651
- Civilian labor force447,681
- Unemployment rate4.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over76.0 percent
- Rank by population among Colorado counties2nd of 64
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents92nd
Denver County is the 2nd largest of 64 Colorado counties by population. A median home costs 6.5 times median household income, which is a stretched ownership market and usually shows up as rental demand. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 18.0 percent against 12.5 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Denver County
Is Denver County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.89 percent
- Census 2020 base population715,513
- Births, 20248,576
- Deaths, 20245,195
- Natural change, 20243,381
- Net domestic migration, 2024-2,114
- Net international migration, 20246,391
- Total net migration, 20244,277
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-16,842
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1203rd
The county has grown 1.89 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Denver County
Where people moving to Denver County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving49,115
- People arriving, from those returns64,582
- Adjusted gross income arriving$4.33 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$88,211
- Largest single originDenver County Non-migrants (278,185 households)
- Largest single destination (278,185 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver County Non-migrants | 278,185 | 475,766 | $38.51 bn |
| Arapahoe County | 8,000 | 11,955 | $621.9 m |
| Jefferson County | 5,271 | 7,157 | $353.1 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 5,096 | 6,238 | $310.0 m |
| Adams County | 3,546 | 5,698 | $184.6 m |
| Other flows - South | 1,889 | 2,423 | $112.1 m |
| Douglas County | 1,632 | 2,161 | $137.9 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 1,595 | 1,889 | $88.0 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Denver County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Denver County
What the Denver County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$128.54 bn
- County GDP, 2023$122.31 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.1 percent
- GDP change over five years52.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among Colorado counties1st
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents46th
- GDP per resident$178,813
Output grew 5.1 percent in the latest year and 52.8 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Denver County
Who employs people in Denver County
- Covered employment, annual average565,183
- Establishments reporting43,024
- Average annual pay$101,834
- Average weekly wage$1,958
- Sector 54, employment78,471
- Sector 54, average annual pay$149,937
- Sector 62, employment54,788
- Sector 62, average annual pay$71,944
- Sector 72, employment52,730
- Sector 72, average annual pay$41,682
- Sector 56, employment35,910
- Sector 56, average annual pay$70,895
- Sector 48-49, employment35,838
- Sector 44-45, employment32,173
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 54 | 78,471 | 12,199 | $149,937 |
| Sector 62 | 54,788 | 3,380 | $71,944 |
| Sector 72 | 52,730 | 2,419 | $41,682 |
| Sector 56 | 35,910 | 2,237 | $70,895 |
| Sector 48-49 | 35,838 | 734 | $107,935 |
| Sector 44-45 | 32,173 | 2,415 | $50,120 |
| Sector 52 | 30,020 | 2,656 | $171,062 |
| Sector 42 | 28,716 | 2,922 | $120,340 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 78,471 jobs, 13.9 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job exceeds median household income, which usually means single earner households and a wage base that can carry rent.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Denver County
What businesses operate in Denver County
- Establishments, all industries27,422
- Employment at those establishments489,563
- Annual payroll$43.95 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents38.1
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Denver County
What is being built in Denver County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20243,994
- Declared construction value permitted$788.5 m
- Single family units authorised872
- Multifamily units authorised3,122
- Multifamily share of units78.2 percent
- Average declared value per unit$197,420
- Units authorised per 1,000 households11.9
Multifamily is 78.2 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Denver County
How much SBA lending happens in Denver County
- 7(a) approvals recorded1,541
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$853.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$553,675
- Median 7(a) approval$254,000
- 10th percentile approval$29,300
- 90th percentile approval$1,480,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)16,122
- Jobs per approval10.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active141
- Distinct industries receiving approvals333
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer14.9 percent
- Loans on real estate terms230
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter1,255
- Franchise loans152
- Franchise share of approvals9.9 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (70)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (204)
- 504 approvals recorded432
- 504 gross approval dollars$384.2 m
- Average 504 approval$889,329
- Median 504 approval$552,000
- Distinct CDCs active6
- 504 jobs per approval9.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved10.6
- Most active CDCB:Side Capital (318)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals78.1 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$1.24 bn
The average approval of $553,675 sits well above the median of $254,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 14.9 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Denver County
Do SBA loans in Denver County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded297
- Paid in full270
- Charged off27
- Charge off rate on resolved loans9.1 percent
- Status: Paid in full270
- Status: Exempt from disclosure954
- Status: Cancelled209
- Status: Charged off27
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed81
| NAICS | Industry | Resolved loans | Charged off | Charge off rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 722513 | Limited-Service Restaurants | 13 | 2 | 15.4% |
| 492210 | Local Messengers and Local Delivery | 11 | 0 | 0.0% |
Of the 297 loans that have reached a final outcome, 9.1 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong. Among industries with at least ten resolved loans, Limited-Service Restaurants carries the highest charge off rate at 15.4 percent.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Denver County
Which parts of Denver County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending17
- Denver, approvals1,499
- Englewood, approvals13
- Lakewood, approvals8
- Littleton, approvals5
- Glendale, approvals3
- THORNTON, approvals2
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Denver | 1,499 | $828,987,400 |
| Englewood | 13 | $7,444,600 |
| Lakewood | 8 | $6,826,400 |
| Littleton | 5 | $2,089,000 |
| Glendale | 3 | $150,000 |
| THORNTON | 2 | $142,000 |
| AURORA | 1 | $146,000 |
| Commerce City | 1 | $1,716,800 |
Denver accounts for 1,499 approvals against 13 in Englewood. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Denver County
How big is Denver County
- Land area153 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Colorado counties62nd of 64
- Width, east to west27.1 mi
- Height, north to south20.7 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land4,699
- Establishments per square mile179.23
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Denver County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Denver County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population718,877
- Households335,428
- Average household size2.14
- Median household income$94,718
- Median age35.3
Common questions
Denver County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Denver County, Colorado?
718,877, in 335,428 households, ranking 2nd of 64 Colorado counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Denver County growing?
The population has grown 1.89 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 8,576 births against 5,195 deaths, with net migration of 4,277. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Denver County?
$94,718. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $616,000, which is 6.5 times income, and median gross rent is $1,831 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Denver County?
27,422 establishments, employing 489,563 people with an annual payroll of $43.95 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Denver County?
Average annual pay is $101,834, or $1,958 a week, across 565,183 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Denver County?
1,541 7(a) approvals totalling $853.2 m since FY2020, across 141 lenders, with a median approval of $254,000, plus 432 504 approvals worth $384.2 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Denver County get paid back?
Of the 297 loans that have reached a final outcome, 270 were paid in full and 27 charged off, a charge off rate of 9.1 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Denver County?
3,994 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $788.5 m. Multifamily was 78.2 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Denver County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Denver County come from?
The largest single origin is Denver County Non-migrants, with 278,185 households. Arriving households report an average income of $88,211 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Denver County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Denver County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.