Official Federal Data
Montrose County, Colorado
FIPS 08085 · Montrose, CO · Population 43,807
9 Sources
Updated June 22, 2026
$72,120 ▲
Median Income
$80,734 national
4.2% ▼
Unemployment
4% national
$2.4B ▲
GDP
28.7% ▲
Bachelor's+
35.7% national
Demographics & Population
Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 · 5-Year Estimates
Household Income
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Household
$72,120 ▲
Per Capita
$38,321 ▲
Mean Household
$89,726 ▲
Poverty Rate
11.5% ▼
Median Income Comparison
Montrose County$72,120
Colorado$95,470
National$80,734
Population Profile
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B02001, B03003
Cohorts
Under 18 · 20%
18-34 · 16.6%
35-54 · 23.4%
55-64 · 14%
65+ · 26%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic category and overlaps with the race categories above.
Educational Attainment
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · Population 25+
91.6%
High School+
National: 89.6%
▲ +2.0 pts
28.7%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
▼ 7.0 pts
11%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
▼ 3.1 pts
Employment Overview
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
43,807
Population
20,703
Labor Force
Employed
19,733
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2025 annual
4.2% ▼ 0.3 pts YoY
Mean Commute 5 min below national avg
21.1 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
11.5%
Key Takeaways
- Talent gap: Bachelor's-or-higher attainment trails the national average by 7.0 pts, relevant for advanced-services attraction strategy.
- Aging population: Median age of 46 is materially above the U.S. norm; succession planning and senior-services demand are real factors.
Economy & Industry
Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis
Key Takeaways
- Largest sector: Retail Trade employs 2,394 workers (19.3% of tracked sectors), at an average wage of $41,958.
- Economic scale: Regional GDP of $2.4B (2024).
- Wage stratification: Wholesale Trade averages $85,699 while Accommodation and Food Services averages $26,179, a 3.3x spread in the same local economy, with implications for workforce development and talent strategy.
Source: BLS QCEW + BEA Regional GDP.
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Industry Concentration
Location Quotient measures regional specialization vs. national average. LQ > 1.0 = concentrated.
Cluster Depth
Source: BLS QCEW · Sub-sectors with LQ ≥ 1.5 indicate genuine cluster concentration
Dominant Cluster
Construction Cluster
Coherent grouping of concentrated sub-sectors, signals supply-chain fit for site selectors
1,823
Cluster Employment
2.66x
Peak LQ
Concentrated Sub-Sectors
Wood Product Manufacturing
4.32x 195
Support Activities for Transportation
3.56x 327
Utilities
2.88x 195
Miscellaneous Manufacturing
2.83x 194
Specialty Trade Contractors
2.66x 1,556
Waste Management and Remediation Services
2.39x 139
Rental and Leasing Services
2.29x 147
Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing
2.22x 82
Building Material and Garden Supply Retailers
2.20x 339
Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction
2.01x 267
Attraction Opportunities
LQ < 0.5 with ≥ 50 employed, realistic diversification targets. Source: BLS QCEW
0.30x
Truck Transportation
50 employed
0.32x
Insurance Carriers and Related Activities
93 employed
0.34x
Food Manufacturing
68 employed
0.41x
Machinery Manufacturing
50 employed
Key Takeaways
- Top specialization: Wood Product Manufacturing concentrates at 4.32x the national norm, strong concentration that anchors the local economy and supports supply-chain attraction strategy.
- Cluster depth: 10 sub-sectors register LQ ≥ 1.5, suggesting an interconnected industrial base rather than reliance on a single employer or sector.
- Attraction whitespace: 8 sub-sectors register LQ < 0.5, candidates for diversification or recruitment depending on labor-market fit.
Source: BLS QCEW sub-sector Location Quotients.
Housing & Affordability
Census ACS · HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026
Housing Overview
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates · Tables B25001, B25077, B25064
$388,400 ▲
Median Home Value vs 2019
$1,188 ▲
Rent/Mo
75.4% ▲
Owner-Occ
8.5% ▼
Vacancy
5.4x
Home Value to Income Ratio - Stretched
vs. ~4.1x national average
HUD Fair Market Rents
Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026
Studio
$884/mo
1 Bedroom
$890/mo
2 Bedroom
$1,168/mo
3 Bedroom
$1,624/mo
4 Bedroom
$1,959/mo
30% of monthly median household income (~$1,803/mo) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Key Takeaways
- Stretched market: Home value to income ratio of 5.4x is well above the ~4.1x national average; attainable workforce housing may be a recruitment friction.
- High home ownership: 75.4% owner-occupied; rental supply may be tight for incoming workers.
- Affordable rent tiers: 4 of 5 HUD Fair Market Rent bedroom tiers sit below the 30%-of-median-income affordability threshold (~$1,803/mo).
Source: Census ACS housing tables + HUD Fair Market Rents.
Workforce Pipeline
Labor force readiness, commuting, and workforce composition
Labor Market Overview
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B23025, B08303, B08301
23,632 ▲
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
Mean Commute 5 min below national avg
21.1 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
11.5%
Prime-Age Employed (25-54)
80.5%
of prime-age population
▲ vs 2019
Education & Talent Pipeline
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
28.7% ▲
HS Diploma+
91.6% ▲
Regional / Statewide Institutions
Total credentials awarded
40,234/yr
9,646/yr
7,956/yr
7,631/yr
5,700/yr
5,675/yr
3,626/yr
Aging Workforce
Source: Census Bureau ACS · Derived from age & employment tables
25.9%
55-64 of working-age population (18-64)
Elevated retirement risk, above the 20% threshold. Succession planning recommended.
Workforce by Occupation
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+
Management / Professional
32.9%
Service
16.7%
Sales & Office
22%
Construction / Maint.
15.8%
Production / Transport
12.6%
Bars scaled 2× for visual differentiation; percentage labels show actual share of 19,733 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
- Succession risk is real: 25.9% of working-age residents are 55-64. Plan for retirements over the next decade and pair attraction strategy with talent retention.
- Low participation: 59.1% labor force participation suggests untapped capacity; workforce development programs may unlock supply.
- Short commutes: 21.1-minute mean commute is a quality-of-life and labor-access advantage worth surfacing for site selectors.
- Talent pipeline: 6 regional institutions feed the workforce; the top three combined produce 25,233 annual credentials.
Source: ACS workforce data and College Scorecard.
AI Insights
AI-assisted analysis, drawn from 9 federal data sources
Sample AI Insight
Montrose County shows meaningful potential for wood product manufacturing attraction, with a 4.32x concentration and 195 jobs in this sub-sector. Near-term succession risk is elevated, with 25.9% of the working-age population within 10 years of retirement age.
The interconnected base across wood product manufacturing, support activities for transportation, and utilities creates supply-chain attraction leverage rather than single-employer risk, a structural advantage for industrial recruitment.
Industry Shift Analysis
Manufacturing Automation Risk
High
Healthcare Growth Forecast
+4.2% CAGR
Remote Work Migration
67/100
Prospect Match Scores
Advanced Manufacturing
92/100
Life Sciences
84/100
Data Centers
71/100
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Data Sources
Updated from official federal government data.
Census ACS 5-Year2024
BLS QCEW2025 annual
BLS LAUS (via FRED)2025 annual
BEA Regional GDP2024
Census CBP2023
HUD Fair Market RentsFY2026
FCC Broadband Map2024
USAspending.govFY2026
College ScorecardAY 2022-23
Frequently Asked Questions
Key economic and demographic figures for Montrose County, Colorado, from federal data sources.
What is the population of Montrose County, Colorado?
43,807 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the median household income in Montrose County, Colorado?
$72,120 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Montrose County, Colorado?
4.2% (2025 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).
What is the GDP of Montrose County, Colorado?
$2.4B (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAGDP1).
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