El Paso County, Colorado: commercial real estate data.
El Paso County, Colorado has a population of 742,999 across 2,127 square miles, up 2.9 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $55.12 bn in 2024, 18,852 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 1,211 7(a) approvals worth $613.7 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections · underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency
El Paso County
How many people live in El Paso County
- Population742,999
- Households290,190
- Average household size2.56
- Median household income$90,363
- Median age35.1
- Median gross rent$1,696 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$461,000
- Home value to household income5.1 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income22.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher41.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree16.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over493,667
- Population under 18171,727
- Share under 1823.1 percent
- Population 65 and over104,287
- Share 65 and over14.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64466,985
- Civilian labor force369,615
- Unemployment rate5.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over64.7 percent
- Rank by population among Colorado counties1st of 64
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents88th
El Paso County is the 1st largest of 64 Colorado counties by population. A median home costs 5.1 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 23.1 percent against 14.0 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
El Paso County
Is El Paso County's population growing?
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.87 percent
- Census 2020 base population731,781
- Births, 20249,197
- Deaths, 20245,980
- Natural change, 20243,217
- Net domestic migration, 2024-40
- Net international migration, 20242,644
- Total net migration, 20242,604
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-296
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents903rd
The county has grown 2.87 percent since the 2020 census base.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
El Paso County
Where are people moving to El Paso County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving29,197
- People arriving, from those returns54,685
- Adjusted gross income arriving$2.01 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$68,814
- Largest single originEl Paso County Non-migrants (272,811 households)
- Largest single destination (272,811 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Paso County Non-migrants | 272,811 | 553,011 | $25.01 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 6,408 | 11,574 | $386.4 m |
| Other flows - South | 2,662 | 5,111 | $153.4 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 1,896 | 3,218 | $109.7 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 939 | 1,558 | $55.3 m |
| Arapahoe County | 913 | 1,521 | $58.5 m |
| Other flows - West | 911 | 1,687 | $68.1 m |
| Foreign - APO/FPO ZIPs | 847 | 2,150 | $64.0 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is El Paso 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.
El Paso County
What is the El Paso County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$55.12 bn
- County GDP, 2023$52.02 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.0 percent
- GDP change over five years36.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among Colorado counties3rd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents106th
- GDP per resident$74,182
Output grew 6.0 percent in the latest year and 36.9 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.
El Paso County
Largest employers in El Paso County
- Covered employment, annual average309,483
- Establishments reporting25,331
- Average annual pay$67,491
- Average weekly wage$1,298
- Sector 62, employment41,206
- Sector 62, average annual pay$60,742
- Sector 54, employment33,785
- Sector 54, average annual pay$118,785
- Sector 72, employment33,655
- Sector 72, average annual pay$29,560
- Sector 44-45, employment32,244
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$41,234
- Sector 23, employment17,737
- Sector 56, employment16,022
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 41,206 | 3,230 | $60,742 |
| Sector 54 | 33,785 | 5,591 | $118,785 |
| Sector 72 | 33,655 | 1,615 | $29,560 |
| Sector 44-45 | 32,244 | 1,931 | $41,234 |
| Sector 23 | 17,737 | 2,142 | $72,682 |
| Sector 56 | 16,022 | 1,462 | $54,577 |
| Sector 52 | 13,131 | 1,410 | $93,655 |
| Sector 81 | 12,219 | 2,011 | $57,788 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 41,206 jobs, 13.3 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.
El Paso County
How many businesses are in El Paso County?
- Establishments, all industries18,852
- Employment at those establishments267,012
- Annual payroll$15.93 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents25.4
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.
El Paso County
Building permits in El Paso County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20243,849
- Declared construction value permitted$1.81 bn
- Single family units authorised2,733
- Multifamily units authorised1,116
- Multifamily share of units29.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$469,863
- Units authorised per 1,000 households13.3
Multifamily is 29.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
El Paso County
SBA loans in El Paso County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded1,211
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$613.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$506,737
- Median 7(a) approval$200,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,400,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)13,300
- Jobs per approval11.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active115
- Distinct industries receiving approvals269
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer11.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms137
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter1,010
- Franchise loans194
- Franchise share of approvals16.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (66)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (156)
- 504 approvals recorded435
- 504 gross approval dollars$348.7 m
- Average 504 approval$801,669
- Median 504 approval$529,000
- Distinct CDCs active6
- 504 jobs per approval6.9
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved8.6
- Most active CDCB:Side Capital (194)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals73.6 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$962.4 m
The average approval of $506,737 sits well above the median of $200,000, 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 11.3 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.
El Paso County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in El Paso County
Do SBA loans in El Paso County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded226
- Paid in full193
- Charged off33
- Charge off rate on resolved loans14.6 percent
- Status: Paid in full193
- Status: Exempt from disclosure748
- Status: Cancelled167
- Status: Charged off33
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed70
Of the 226 loans that have reached a final outcome, 14.6 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.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
El Paso County
SBA lending by place in El Paso County
- Places in the county with recorded lending18
- COLORADO SPRINGS, approvals1,061
- PEYTON, approvals51
- MONUMENT, approvals30
- Fountain, approvals25
- MANITOU SPRINGS, approvals11
- Calhan, approvals8
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| COLORADO SPRINGS | 1,061 | $543,969,300 |
| PEYTON | 51 | $17,511,700 |
| MONUMENT | 30 | $17,904,300 |
| Fountain | 25 | $10,834,900 |
| MANITOU SPRINGS | 11 | $9,938,900 |
| Calhan | 8 | $2,985,000 |
| PALMER LAKE | 7 | $1,202,300 |
| Falcon | 4 | $4,231,900 |
COLORADO SPRINGS accounts for 1,061 approvals against 51 in PEYTON. 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.
El Paso County
How large is El Paso County?
- Land area2,127 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Colorado counties19th of 64
- Width, east to west55 mi
- Height, north to south42.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land349
- Establishments per square mile8.86
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 El Paso 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 El Paso County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population742,999
- Households290,190
- Average household size2.56
- Median household income$90,363
- Median age35.1
Common questions
El Paso County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in El Paso County, Colorado?
742,999, in 290,190 households, ranking 1st of 64 Colorado counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is El Paso County's population growing?
The population has grown 2.87 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 9,197 births against 5,980 deaths, with net migration of 2,604. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in El Paso County?
$90,363. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $461,000, which is 5.1 times income, and median gross rent is $1,696 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in El Paso County?
18,852 establishments, employing 267,012 people with an annual payroll of $15.93 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 El Paso County?
Average annual pay is $67,491, or $1,298 a week, across 309,483 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in El Paso County?
1,211 7(a) approvals totalling $613.7 m since FY2020, across 115 lenders, with a median approval of $200,000, plus 435 504 approvals worth $348.7 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in El Paso County get paid back?
Of the 226 loans that have reached a final outcome, 193 were paid in full and 33 charged off, a charge off rate of 14.6 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in El Paso County?
3,849 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.81 bn. Multifamily was 29.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for El Paso 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 El Paso County come from?
The largest single origin is El Paso County Non-migrants, with 272,811 households. Arriving households report an average income of $68,814 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 El Paso 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 El Paso 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.
El Paso County
Cities and places in El Paso.
20 Census places lie wholly or partly in El Paso County. 20 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked. The rest are named here and not linked, because the American Community Survey and the SBA record between them do not carry enough about them to write an honest page. A place existing is itself worth knowing, so nothing in the county is left out.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA approvals | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Springs | city | 487,887 | 1,064 | Wholly in this county |
| Security-Widefield | CDP | 37,345 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Fountain | city | 29,300 | 25 | Wholly in this county |
| Cimarron Hills | CDP | 19,817 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Fort Carson | CDP | 18,019 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Black Forest | CDP | 15,738 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Monument | town | 11,735 | 30 | Wholly in this county |
| Woodmoor | CDP | 8,934 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Air Force Academy | CDP | 6,727 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Gleneagle | CDP | 6,440 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Stratmoor | CDP | 5,412 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Manitou Springs | city | 4,735 | 11 | Wholly in this county |
| Palmer Lake | town | 2,623 | 7 | Wholly in this county |
| Cascade-Chipita Park | CDP | 1,412 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ellicott | CDP | 1,404 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Calhan | town | 620 | 9 | Wholly in this county |
| Green Mountain Falls | town | 459 | None recorded | 67.9 percent here, 32.1 percent Teller County |
| Peyton | CDP | 139 | 52 | Wholly in this county |
| Ramah | town | 127 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Rock Creek Park | CDP | 97 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 2,294 SBA approvals in El Paso County are recorded against borrower cities that match no Census place, the largest being Denver, Canon City, Lake City. Those are postal cities and unincorporated areas rather than incorporated places, so no page claims them, and their lending is counted in this county's totals above rather than under any city.