Garfield County, Colorado: commercial real estate data.
Garfield County, Colorado had an estimated 63,167 residents on July 1, 2024, up 2.4 percent since the 2020 census base of 61,689, across 2,948 square miles. County output reached $5.01 bn in 2024, 2,705 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 106 7(a) approvals worth $74.5 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Garfield County
How many people live in Garfield County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202462,479
- Households23,404
- Average household size2.67
- Median household income$91,131
- Median age37.6
- Median gross rent$1,637 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$527,800
- Home value to household income5.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income21.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher33.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree12.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over41,932
- Population under 1815,339
- Share under 1824.6 percent
- Population 65 and over9,222
- Share 65 and over14.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6437,918
- Civilian labor force35,355
- Unemployment rate3.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over75.0 percent
- Rank by population among Colorado counties13th of 64
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included871st of 3,222
Garfield County is the 13th largest of 64 Colorado counties by population. A median home costs 5.8 times median household income, which is severely unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 24.6 percent against 14.8 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Garfield County
Is Garfield County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202463,167
- Census 2020 base population61,689
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.40 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024246
- Births, 2024734
- Deaths, 2024441
- Natural change, 2024293
- Net domestic migration, 2024-287
- Net international migration, 2024236
- Total net migration, 2024-51
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-590
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1033rd of 3,144
The county has grown 2.40 percent since the 2020 census base. Births exceeded deaths in 2024 by more than net migration took away, so the population grew even though more people left than moved in.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Garfield County
Where are people moving to Garfield County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving2,100
- People arriving, from those returns3,302
- Tax returns filed by households leaving2,056
- Net household movement44
- Adjusted gross income arriving$233.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$86.0 m
- Average income of an arriving household$111,315
- Average income of a leaving household$71,879
- Largest single originEagle County (322 households)
- Largest single destinationMesa County (224 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eagle County | 322 | 536 | $31.5 m |
| Pitkin County | 175 | 262 | $27.6 m |
| Mesa County | 143 | 226 | $7.6 m |
| Denver County | 104 | 139 | $20.1 m |
| Jefferson County | 62 | 101 | $7.7 m |
| Boulder County | 46 | 68 | $8.9 m |
| Adams County | 36 | 67 | $2.3 m |
| El Paso County | 32 | 53 | $2.1 m |
Households arriving report $39,436 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 Eagle 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.
Garfield County
What is the Garfield County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$5.01 bn
- County GDP, 2023$4.88 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20242.8 percent
- GDP change over five years44.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Colorado areas BEA publishes14th of 64
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes716th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$80,202
Output grew 2.8 percent in the latest year and 44.4 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.
Garfield County
Employment by industry in Garfield County
- Covered employment, annual average27,766
- Establishments reporting3,052
- Average annual pay$64,549
- Average weekly wage$1,241
- Construction, employment3,755
- Construction, average annual pay$71,491
- Retail trade, employment3,140
- Retail trade, average annual pay$45,968
- Health care and social assistance, employment3,139
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$77,392
- Accommodation and food services, employment3,092
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$32,983
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment1,449
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment1,183
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction | 3,755 | 636 | $71,491 |
| Retail trade | 3,140 | 237 | $45,968 |
| Health care and social assistance | 3,139 | 239 | $77,392 |
| Accommodation and food services | 3,092 | 217 | $32,983 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 1,449 | 450 | $88,542 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 1,183 | 172 | $60,866 |
| Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction | 962 | 42 | $108,015 |
| Other services, except public administration | 866 | 219 | $53,372 |
Construction is the largest private sector at 3,755 jobs, 13.5 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Garfield County
How many businesses are in Garfield County?
- Establishments, all industries2,705
- Employment at those establishments21,223
- Annual payroll$1.30 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents43.3
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.
Garfield County
Building permits in Garfield County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024174
- Declared construction value permitted$69.3 m
- Single family units authorized108
- Multifamily units authorized66
- Multifamily share of units37.9 percent
- Average declared value per unit$398,397
- Units authorized per 1,000 households7.4
Single-family homes are 62.1 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Garfield County
SBA loans in Garfield County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded106
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$74.5 m
- Average 7(a) approval$702,388
- Median 7(a) approval$350,000
- 10th percentile approval$30,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,840,000
- Largest single approval$4,650,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)1,908
- Jobs per approval18.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active35
- Distinct industries receiving approvals59
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer15.1 percent
- Loans on real estate terms16
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter85
- Franchise loans10
- Franchise share of approvals9.4 percent
- 504 approvals recorded68
- 504 gross approval dollars$34.4 m
- Average 504 approval$506,000
- Median 504 approval$330,500
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval4.8
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved9.5
- Most active CDCB:Side Capital (61)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$108.9 m
The average approval of $702,388 sits well above the median of $350,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 15.1 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.
Garfield County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Garfield County
Do SBA loans in Garfield County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded24
- Paid in full24
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure67
- Status: Paid in full24
- Status: Cancelled11
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed4
Only 24 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
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.
Garfield County
SBA lending by place in Garfield County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending7
- Glenwood Springs, approvals39
- Carbondale, approvals28
- Rifle, approvals15
- New Castle, approvals14
- Silt, approvals6
- Parachute, approvals3
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Glenwood Springs | 39 | $25,402,900 |
| Carbondale | 28 | $17,997,300 |
| Rifle | 15 | $10,708,600 |
| New Castle | 14 | $9,125,300 |
| Silt | 6 | $3,637,000 |
| Parachute | 3 | $7,322,000 |
| El Jebel | 1 | $260,000 |
Glenwood Springs accounts for 39 approvals against 28 in Carbondale. 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.
Garfield County
How large is Garfield County?
- Land area2,948 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Colorado counties8th of 64
- Width, east to west107.4 mi
- Height, north to south50.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land21
- Establishments per square mile0.92
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.
Garfield County
Flood risk in Garfield County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Garfield County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 080205
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book7
- Of those, participating in the NFIP7
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Garfield 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 Garfield County (community 080205), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Garfield 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. 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 Garfield 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 Garfield County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202462,479
- Households23,404
- Average household size2.67
- Median household income$91,131
- Median age37.6
Common questions
Garfield County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Garfield County, Colorado?
The Census Bureau estimates 63,167 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 62,479, in 23,404 households, ranking 13th of 64 Colorado counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Garfield County's population growing?
The population has grown 2.40 percent since the 2020 census base of 61,689, to 63,167 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 734 births against 441 deaths, with net migration of -51. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Garfield County?
$91,131. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $527,800, which is 5.8 times income, and median gross rent is $1,637 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Garfield County?
2,705 establishments, employing 21,223 people with an annual payroll of $1.30 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 Garfield County?
Construction is the largest private sector at 3,755 jobs, 13.5 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 27,766 jobs at an average annual pay of $64,549, or $1,241 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Garfield County?
106 7(a) approvals totaling $74.5 m since FY2020, across 35 lenders, with a median approval of $350,000, plus 68 504 approvals worth $34.4 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Garfield County?
174 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $69.3 m. Multifamily was 37.9 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Garfield 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 Garfield County come from?
The largest single origin is Eagle County, with 322 households. Arriving households report an average income of $111,315 against $71,879 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Garfield 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 Garfield 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.
Garfield County
Cities and places in Garfield.
13 Census places lie wholly or partly in Garfield County. 12 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 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rifle | city | 10,570 | 15 | Wholly in this county |
| Glenwood Springs | city | 10,241 | 39 | Wholly in this county |
| Carbondale | town | 6,637 | 28 | Wholly in this county |
| Battlement Mesa | CDP | 5,755 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| New Castle | town | 4,880 | 14 | Wholly in this county |
| Silt | town | 3,642 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Parachute | town | 1,422 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Chacra | CDP | 457 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Mulford | CDP | 413 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Cattle Creek | CDP | 396 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| No Name | CDP | 269 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Catherine | CDP | 255 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Carbonate | town | 0 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 1 of the county's 106 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Garfield County, the largest being El Jebel (1). 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