Rio Grande County, Colorado: commercial real estate data.
Rio Grande County, Colorado has a population of 11,321 across 912 square miles, down 3.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $579.8 m in 2024, 374 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 14 7(a) approvals worth $13.1 m.
118 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Rio Grande County
How many people live in Rio Grande County
- Population11,321
- Households5,133
- Average household size2.21
- Median household income$64,411
- Median age41.7
- Median gross rent$945 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$239,500
- Home value to household income3.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher34.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree12.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over8,190
- Population under 182,281
- Share under 1820.1 percent
- Population 65 and over2,578
- Share 65 and over22.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 646,462
- Civilian labor force5,765
- Unemployment rate10.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over63.8 percent
- Rank by population among Colorado counties37th of 64
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2398th
Rio Grande County is the 37th largest of 64 Colorado counties by population. A median home costs 3.7 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 22.8 percent against 20.1 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Rio Grande County
Is Rio Grande County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-3.56 percent
- Census 2020 base population11,543
- Births, 2024128
- Deaths, 2024159
- Natural change, 2024-31
- Net domestic migration, 2024-28
- Net international migration, 2024-3
- Total net migration, 2024-31
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-233
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2830th
The county has lost 3.56 percent of its population since the 2020 census base.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Rio Grande County
Where people moving to Rio Grande County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving407
- People arriving, from those returns725
- Adjusted gross income arriving$22.5 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$55,292
- Largest single originRio Grande County Non-migrants (4,901 households)
- Largest single destination (4,901 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rio Grande County Non-migrants | 4,901 | 9,914 | $336.5 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 156 | 252 | $10.0 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 142 | 243 | $7.6 m |
| Alamosa County | 81 | 170 | $3.8 m |
| Other flows - West | 66 | 108 | $4.5 m |
| Other flows - South | 53 | 90 | $3.5 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 37 | 54 | $2.0 m |
| Saguache County | 28 | 60 | $1.1 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Rio Grande 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.
Rio Grande County
What the Rio Grande County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$579.8 m
- County GDP, 2023$606.4 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-4.4 percent
- GDP change over five years18.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among Colorado counties43rd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2303rd
- GDP per resident$51,213
Output grew -4.4 percent in the latest year and 18.5 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.
Rio Grande County
Who employs people in Rio Grande County
- Covered employment, annual average4,482
- Establishments reporting500
- Average annual pay$49,025
- Average weekly wage$943
- Sector 11, employment827
- Sector 11, average annual pay$42,331
- Sector 72, employment430
- Sector 72, average annual pay$22,158
- Sector 44-45, employment387
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$30,914
- Sector 42, employment302
- Sector 42, average annual pay$88,060
- Sector 23, employment177
- Sector 31-33, employment154
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 11 | 827 | 62 | $42,331 |
| Sector 72 | 430 | 48 | $22,158 |
| Sector 44-45 | 387 | 47 | $30,914 |
| Sector 42 | 302 | 31 | $88,060 |
| Sector 23 | 177 | 56 | $45,708 |
| Sector 31-33 | 154 | 13 | $47,895 |
| Sector 81 | 116 | 37 | $47,568 |
| Sector 52 | 98 | 13 | $74,108 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 827 jobs, 18.5 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Rio Grande County
What businesses operate in Rio Grande County
- Establishments, all industries374
- Employment at those establishments2,894
- Annual payroll$121.9 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents33.0
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.
Rio Grande County
What is being built in Rio Grande County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202447
- Declared construction value permitted$12.8 m
- Single family units authorised45
- Multifamily units authorised2
- Multifamily share of units4.3 percent
- Average declared value per unit$273,009
- Units authorised per 1,000 households9.2
Multifamily is 4.3 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Rio Grande County
How much SBA lending happens in Rio Grande County
- 7(a) approvals recorded14
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$13.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$938,429
- Median 7(a) approval$950,000
- 10th percentile approval$50,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,792,000
- Largest single approval$2,150,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)76
- Jobs per approval5.4
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active6
- Distinct industries receiving approvals11
- Median 7(a) term240 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer50.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms7
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter6
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (3)
- Most active lenderFirst Southwest Bank (9)
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$94,000
- Average 504 approval$94,000
- Median 504 approval$94,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval10.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved106.4
- Most active CDCPikes Peak Regional Development Corporation (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals93.3 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$13.2 m
The average approval of $938,429 sits close to the median of $950,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. 50.0 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
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.
Rio Grande County
Do SBA loans in Rio Grande County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded4
- Paid in full4
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure7
- Status: Paid in full4
- Status: Cancelled3
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 4 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Rio Grande County
Which parts of Rio Grande County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending4
- MONTE VISTA, approvals8
- CENTER, approvals2
- DEL NORTE, approvals2
- South Fork, approvals2
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| MONTE VISTA | 8 | $9,619,200 |
| CENTER | 2 | $455,000 |
| DEL NORTE | 2 | $1,778,000 |
| South Fork | 2 | $1,285,800 |
MONTE VISTA accounts for 8 approvals against 2 in CENTER. 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.
Rio Grande County
How big is Rio Grande County
- Land area912 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Colorado counties45th of 64
- Width, east to west36.9 mi
- Height, north to south30 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land12
- Establishments per square mile0.41
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 Rio Grande 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 Rio Grande County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population11,321
- Households5,133
- Average household size2.21
- Median household income$64,411
- Median age41.7
Common questions
Rio Grande County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Rio Grande County, Colorado?
11,321, in 5,133 households, ranking 37th of 64 Colorado counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Rio Grande County growing?
The population has fallen 3.56 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 128 births against 159 deaths, with net migration of -31. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Rio Grande County?
$64,411. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $239,500, which is 3.7 times income, and median gross rent is $945 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Rio Grande County?
374 establishments, employing 2,894 people with an annual payroll of $121.9 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Rio Grande County?
Average annual pay is $49,025, or $943 a week, across 4,482 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Rio Grande County?
14 7(a) approvals totalling $13.1 m since FY2020, across 6 lenders, with a median approval of $950,000, plus 1 504 approvals worth $94,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Rio Grande County?
47 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $12.8 m. Multifamily was 4.3 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Rio Grande County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 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 Rio Grande County come from?
The largest single origin is Rio Grande County Non-migrants, with 4,901 households. Arriving households report an average income of $55,292 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 Rio Grande 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 Rio Grande 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.