El Paso County, Colorado: commercial real estate data.
El Paso County, Colorado had an estimated 752,772 residents on July 1, 2024, up 2.9 percent since the 2020 census base of 731,781, across 2,127 square miles. 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 since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
El Paso County
How many people live in El Paso County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024742,999
- 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-equivalents, Puerto Rico included88th of 3,222
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 severely unaffordable by national standards. 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, July 1, 2024752,772
- Census 2020 base population731,781
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.87 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 20245,838
- 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 of 3,144
The county has grown 2.87 percent since the 2020 census base. The population grew in 2024 from both sources: births exceeded deaths and more people moved in than left.
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
- Tax returns filed by households leaving28,264
- Net household movement933
- Adjusted gross income arriving$2.01 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$108.3 m
- Average income of an arriving household$68,814
- Average income of a leaving household$67,255
- Largest single originArapahoe County (913 households)
- Largest single destinationPueblo County (972 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arapahoe County | 913 | 1,521 | $58.5 m |
| Foreign - APO/FPO ZIPs | 847 | 2,150 | $64.0 m |
| Douglas County | 802 | 1,435 | $77.9 m |
| Denver County | 743 | 1,085 | $51.3 m |
| Pueblo County | 679 | 1,131 | $36.2 m |
| Maricopa County | 563 | 1,090 | $43.9 m |
| Jefferson County | 535 | 836 | $35.1 m |
| Los Angeles County | 474 | 824 | $38.3 m |
Households arriving report $1,559 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Arapahoe County, 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 the Colorado areas BEA publishes3rd of 64
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes106th of 3,127
- 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
Employment by industry in El Paso County
- Covered employment, annual average309,483
- Establishments reporting25,331
- Average annual pay$67,491
- Average weekly wage$1,298
- Health care and social assistance, employment41,206
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$60,742
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment33,785
- Professional, scientific and technical services, average annual pay$118,785
- Accommodation and food services, employment33,655
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$29,560
- Retail trade, employment32,244
- Retail trade, average annual pay$41,234
- Construction, employment17,737
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment16,022
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 41,206 | 3,230 | $60,742 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 33,785 | 5,591 | $118,785 |
| Accommodation and food services | 33,655 | 1,615 | $29,560 |
| Retail trade | 32,244 | 1,931 | $41,234 |
| Construction | 17,737 | 2,142 | $72,682 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 16,022 | 1,462 | $54,577 |
| Finance and insurance | 13,131 | 1,410 | $93,655 |
| Other services, except public administration | 12,219 | 2,011 | $57,788 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 41,206 jobs, 13.3 percent of covered employment.
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. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
El Paso County
Building permits in El Paso County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20243,849
- Declared construction value permitted$1.81 bn
- Single family units authorized2,733
- Multifamily units authorized1,116
- Multifamily share of units29.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$469,863
- Units authorized per 1,000 households13.3
Single-family homes are 71.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
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)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$962.4 m
The average approval of $506,737 sits well above the median of $200,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here 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
- Borrower cities with recorded lending18
- Colorado Springs, approvals1,061
- Peyton, approvals51
- Monument, approvals30
- Fountain, approvals25
- Manitou Springs, approvals11
- Calhan, approvals8
| Borrower city | 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 |
| 10 other borrower cities | 14 | $5,079,800 |
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.
El Paso County
Flood risk in El Paso County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community El Paso County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 080059
- Community Rating System class of the county's own communityClass 7
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book9
- Of those, participating in the NFIP9
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 5
- Communities carrying a CRS class7
- Radon levels in El Paso County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated El Paso County (community 080059), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries Community Rating System class 7, a flood insurance premium discount for policies written there. The EPA places El Paso County in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 5, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
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.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024742,999
- 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?
The Census Bureau estimates 752,772 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 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 of 731,781, to 752,772 on July 1, 2024. 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 employment by industry in El Paso County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 41,206 jobs, 13.3 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 309,483 jobs at an average annual pay of $67,491, or $1,298 a week. 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 totaling $613.7 m since FY2020, across 115 lenders, with a median approval of $200,000, plus 435 504 approvals worth $348.7 m since FY2010. 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 authorized 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 Arapahoe County, with 913 households. Arriving households report an average income of $68,814 against $67,255 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?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
El Paso County
Cities and places in El Paso.
20 Census places lie wholly or partly in El Paso County. All 20 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Springs | city | 487,887 | 1,061 | 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 | 8 | Wholly in this county |
| Green Mountain Falls | town | 459 | None recorded | 67.9 percent here, 32.1 percent Teller County |
| Peyton | CDP | 139 | 51 | 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 17 of the county's 1,211 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in El Paso County, the largest being Falcon (4), Elbert (3), Denver (2). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.
Nearby