Jefferson County, Colorado: commercial real estate data.
Jefferson County, Colorado had an estimated 578,533 residents on July 1, 2024, down 0.8 percent since the 2020 census base of 582,944, across 764 square miles. County output reached $46.22 bn in 2024, 17,999 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 1,146 7(a) approvals worth $762.9 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Jefferson County
How many people live in Jefferson County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024579,377
- Households241,735
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$110,656
- Median age40.5
- Median gross rent$1,861 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$637,600
- Home value to household income5.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income20.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher52.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree19.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over429,259
- Population under 18106,970
- Share under 1818.5 percent
- Population 65 and over103,643
- Share 65 and over17.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64368,764
- Civilian labor force336,266
- Unemployment rate3.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over71.2 percent
- Rank by population among Colorado counties4th of 64
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included119th of 3,222
Jefferson County is the 4th 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 18.5 percent against 17.9 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Jefferson County
Is Jefferson County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024578,533
- Census 2020 base population582,944
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.76 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024840
- Births, 20245,471
- Deaths, 20245,078
- Natural change, 2024393
- Net domestic migration, 2024-1,476
- Net international migration, 20241,911
- Total net migration, 2024435
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-10,104
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2109th of 3,144
The county has lost 0.76 percent of its population 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.
Jefferson County
Where are people moving to Jefferson County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving29,419
- People arriving, from those returns42,361
- Tax returns filed by households leaving29,168
- Net household movement251
- Adjusted gross income arriving$2.58 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$131.6 m
- Average income of an arriving household$87,753
- Average income of a leaving household$83,998
- Largest single originDenver County (8,091 households)
- Largest single destinationDenver County (5,271 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver County | 8,091 | 11,458 | $741.7 m |
| Adams County | 2,800 | 4,302 | $166.7 m |
| Arapahoe County | 2,560 | 3,796 | $183.6 m |
| Boulder County | 1,186 | 1,559 | $98.5 m |
| Douglas County | 1,097 | 1,740 | $110.5 m |
| Broomfield County | 617 | 803 | $46.0 m |
| Larimer County | 455 | 565 | $36.0 m |
| El Paso County | 428 | 617 | $34.5 m |
Households arriving report $3,755 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 Denver 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.
Jefferson County
What is the Jefferson County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$46.22 bn
- County GDP, 2023$44.32 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.3 percent
- GDP change over five years30.3 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Colorado areas BEA publishes4th of 64
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes128th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$79,780
Output grew 4.3 percent in the latest year and 30.3 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.
Jefferson County
Employment by industry in Jefferson County
- Covered employment, annual average248,082
- Establishments reporting25,019
- Average annual pay$78,598
- Average weekly wage$1,512
- Health care and social assistance, employment31,935
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$70,298
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment29,617
- Professional, scientific and technical services, average annual pay$121,280
- Retail trade, employment28,419
- Retail trade, average annual pay$44,262
- Accommodation and food services, employment24,742
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$31,700
- Manufacturing, employment19,785
- Construction, employment17,891
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 31,935 | 2,353 | $70,298 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 29,617 | 6,442 | $121,280 |
| Retail trade | 28,419 | 1,750 | $44,262 |
| Accommodation and food services | 24,742 | 1,316 | $31,700 |
| Manufacturing | 19,785 | 517 | $118,800 |
| Construction | 17,891 | 2,170 | $84,091 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 13,263 | 1,404 | $60,765 |
| Other services, except public administration | 8,511 | 1,956 | $55,317 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 31,935 jobs, 12.9 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Jefferson County
How many businesses are in Jefferson County?
- Establishments, all industries17,999
- Employment at those establishments210,701
- Annual payroll$13.04 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents31.1
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. 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.
Jefferson County
Building permits in Jefferson County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20241,172
- Declared construction value permitted$401.1 m
- Single family units authorized932
- Multifamily units authorized240
- Multifamily share of units20.5 percent
- Average declared value per unit$342,206
- Units authorized per 1,000 households4.8
Single-family homes are 79.5 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Jefferson County
SBA loans in Jefferson County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded1,146
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$762.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$665,663
- Median 7(a) approval$298,500
- 10th percentile approval$30,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,839,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)11,876
- Jobs per approval10.4
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active134
- Distinct industries receiving approvals265
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer17.5 percent
- Loans on real estate terms201
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter889
- Franchise loans173
- Franchise share of approvals15.1 percent
- Leading industry by approval countBeer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (46)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (110)
- 504 approvals recorded301
- 504 gross approval dollars$242.7 m
- Average 504 approval$806,359
- Median 504 approval$538,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval8.4
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved10.4
- Most active CDCB:Side Capital (237)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$1.01 bn
The average approval of $665,663 sits well above the median of $298,500, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 17.5 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.
Jefferson County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Jefferson County
Do SBA loans in Jefferson County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded219
- Paid in full204
- Charged off15
- Charge-off rate on resolved loans6.8 percent
- Status: Paid in full204
- Status: Exempt from disclosure720
- Status: Cancelled124
- Status: Charged off15
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed83
Of the 219 loans that have reached a final outcome, 6.8 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.
Jefferson County
SBA lending by place in Jefferson County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending23
- Lakewood, approvals269
- Arvada, approvals245
- Littleton, approvals172
- Wheat Ridge, approvals112
- Golden, approvals111
- Denver, approvals51
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Lakewood | 269 | $177,743,500 |
| Arvada | 245 | $162,807,100 |
| Littleton | 172 | $113,038,700 |
| Wheat Ridge | 112 | $91,971,100 |
| Golden | 111 | $75,475,900 |
| Denver | 51 | $33,884,700 |
| Evergreen | 44 | $30,156,200 |
| Westminster | 39 | $25,023,200 |
| 15 other borrower cities | 103 | $52,749,600 |
Lakewood accounts for 269 approvals against 245 in Arvada. 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.
Jefferson County
How large is Jefferson County?
- Land area764 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Colorado counties50th of 64
- Width, east to west18.6 mi
- Height, north to south54.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary10
- Residents per square mile of land758
- Establishments per square mile23.56
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.
Jefferson County
Flood risk in Jefferson County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Jefferson County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 080087
- Community Rating System class of the county's own communityClass 5
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book8
- Of those, participating in the NFIP8
- 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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson County (community 080087), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries Community Rating System class 5, a flood insurance premium discount for policies written there. The EPA places Jefferson 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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024579,377
- Households241,735
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$110,656
- Median age40.5
Common questions
Jefferson County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Jefferson County, Colorado?
The Census Bureau estimates 578,533 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 579,377, in 241,735 households, ranking 4th of 64 Colorado counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Jefferson County's population growing?
The population has fallen 0.76 percent since the 2020 census base of 582,944, to 578,533 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 5,471 births against 5,078 deaths, with net migration of 435. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Jefferson County?
$110,656. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $637,600, which is 5.8 times income, and median gross rent is $1,861 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Jefferson County?
17,999 establishments, employing 210,701 people with an annual payroll of $13.04 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 Jefferson County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 31,935 jobs, 12.9 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 248,082 jobs at an average annual pay of $78,598, or $1,512 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Jefferson County?
1,146 7(a) approvals totaling $762.9 m since FY2020, across 134 lenders, with a median approval of $298,500, plus 301 504 approvals worth $242.7 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Jefferson County get paid back?
Of the 219 loans that have reached a final outcome, 204 were paid in full and 15 charged off, a charge-off rate of 6.8 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Jefferson County?
1,172 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $401.1 m. Multifamily was 20.5 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Jefferson 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 Jefferson County come from?
The largest single origin is Denver County, with 8,091 households. Arriving households report an average income of $87,753 against $83,998 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Jefferson 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 Jefferson 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.
Jefferson County
Cities and places in Jefferson.
27 Census places lie wholly or partly in Jefferson County. All 27 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakewood | city | 156,583 | 269 | Wholly in this county |
| Arvada | city | 122,634 | 245 | Wholly in this county |
| Westminster | city | 115,484 | 39 | 49.9 percent here, 50.1 percent Adams County |
| Littleton | city | 44,710 | 172 | 4.4 percent here, 93.8 percent Arapahoe County |
| Dakota Ridge | CDP | 33,753 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ken Caryl | CDP | 33,233 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Wheat Ridge | city | 32,070 | 112 | Wholly in this county |
| Columbine | CDP | 25,478 | None recorded | 89.3 percent here, 10.7 percent Arapahoe County |
| Golden | city | 20,417 | 111 | Wholly in this county |
| Superior | town | 13,305 | None recorded | 5.0 percent here, 95.0 percent Boulder County |
| Fairmount | CDP | 9,902 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Evergreen | CDP | 8,602 | 44 | Wholly in this county |
| Applewood | CDP | 8,350 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| West Pleasant View | CDP | 5,051 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Edgewater | city | 4,932 | 15 | Wholly in this county |
| Genesee | CDP | 3,778 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Coal Creek | CDP | 2,346 | None recorded | 63.2 percent here, 22.5 percent Boulder County, 14.3 percent Gilpin County |
| Bow Mar | town | 1,047 | None recorded | 33.1 percent here, 66.9 percent Arapahoe County |
| Indian Hills | CDP | 986 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| East Pleasant View | CDP | 832 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Kittredge | CDP | 812 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Aspen Park | CDP | 742 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Mountain View | town | 609 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Morrison | town | 412 | 16 | Wholly in this county |
| Brook Forest | CDP | 355 | None recorded | 68.2 percent here, 31.8 percent Clear Creek County |
| Idledale | CDP | 297 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lakeside | town | 4 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 116 of the county's 1,146 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Jefferson County, the largest being Denver (51), Broomfield (35), Conifer (17). 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.