Economy of Colorado

Last updated

Economy of Colorado
Corn production in Colorado.jpg
Corn production in Colorado
Statistics
GDP $382.5 billion (2020) [1]
GDP per capita
$63776 [2]
Population below poverty line
13.7% [3]
0.453 [4]
Labor force
2,819,800 [5]
Unemployment3.0% [6]
Public finances
Revenues$8,586 million (2010) [7]
Expenses$7,722 million [8]

In 2021, the economy of the State of Colorado was 16th largest in the United States with a gross state product of $421 billion.Colorado's per capita personal income in 2019 was $61,157, putting Colorado 12th in the nation. [9]

Contents

Wheat, corn, sorghum, and proso millet were the largest agricultural products by acres farmed. Hay ($1 billion), corn ($850 million), and wheat ($460 million) were the largest farmed products by value sold. [10] Colorado is also a significant beef producer with 659,000 cows in 2021. [11] Colorado was the fourth largest marijuana producer in 2021 by sales at $460 million. [12]

The state's economy is diversified and is notable for its concentration of scientific research and high-technology industries. [13] Other industries include food processing, transportation equipment, machinery, chemical products, minerals such as gold and molybdenum, and tourism. [14] [15] [16]

Federal

The booming state capital Denver is the economic center of Colorado. 2006-03-26 Denver Skyline I-25 Speer.jpg
The booming state capital Denver is the economic center of Colorado.

As of August 2013, Colorado had 53,800 nonmilitary federal employees, which made of 2.3 percent of the state's total nonfarm employment, slightly above the national average of 2.0 percent. In addition, there were 37,285 active military in Colorado. [17]

Before Colorado was a from Petr schlig die geile state, it was a federal prison territory. [18] Today, the Federal Bureau of Prisons operates the Federal Correctional Complex, in Fremont County, which consists of several separate Federal prisons, including ADX Florence, the only supermax facility in the federal system, home to many convicted terrorists and other notorious criminals.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and United States Air Force Academy are based in Colorado Springs; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder; United States Geological Survey and other government agencies at the Denver Federal Center in Lakewood; the Denver Mint and United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit in Denver.

There is also a significant amount of federal lands in the state, including 11 National Forests and four National Parks. There are also numerous private companies that have operations in Colorado that deal with the governmental agencies in states.

State taxes

17th Street, dubbed the "Wall Street of the West," is home to many of Denver's banks, corporations, and financial agencies. 17thstreetdenver.jpg
17th Street, dubbed the "Wall Street of the West," is home to many of Denver's banks, corporations, and financial agencies.

Tax is collected by the Colorado Department of Revenue.

The Colorado income tax rate is a flat 4.55 percent of federal taxable income regardless of income level. Colorado's state sales tax is 2.9 percent on retail sales. [19] Full-year Colorado residents can claim an excess sales tax refund on their individual state income tax return. Many counties and cities charge their own rates in addition to the base state rate. There are also certain county and special district taxes that may apply. The most common special district taxes are:

Real estate and personal business property are taxable in Colorado. [20] Real property is assessed by a professional assessor to determine its actual value. The state legislature sets the assessment rate of 29% for commercial property, 7.15% for residential. The actual value is multiplied by the assessment rate get the assessed value. Then counties set their mill rate which is multiplied by the assessed value to get the tax liability. A $430,000 residence in Denver with the Mill rate of 0.072116 yields the following example. " $430,000 x 0.0715 x 0.072116 = $2,217.21".

Colorado first instituted a state income tax in 1937, as a progressive tax, with income below $2,000 taxed at 1% and over $10,000 at 6%. This would remain so for 50 years, until the state adopted a flat tax rate of 5% for 1987 tax year. [21] In 1992, the voters approved Taxpayer Bill of Rights at a referendum, requiring increases in overall tax revenue to be tied to inflation and population increases, otherwise tax increases would have to be approved by voters by referendum. [22] For tax year 1999, the income tax was reduced further to 4.75% and for tax year 2000 to 4.63%, where it would remain for 20 years, until voters approved by referendum a further reduction to 4.55%. [21] [23] In 2018, voters rejected in a referendum a return to progressive tax. [24]

Denver's economy

Denver's economy (Denver is the Rocky Mountain region's most populous city) started because of its geographic position on the Platte River and Cherry Creek. [25] The Denver metropolitan area is the largest in the area (the nearest metro area of comparable size is the Kansas City Metropolitan Area about 600 miles east). Denver is the location of federal, high-tech, educational, commercial, financial, cultural, tourist, storage, and distribution services to the Rocky Mountain States. The city is also home to several large corporations in the central United States.

Geography and trade

The Wells Fargo Center (also known as "The Cash Register Building") in downtown Denver The Wells Fargo Center, Denver, CO.jpg
The Wells Fargo Center (also known as "The Cash Register Building") in downtown Denver

Many federal agencies are based or have offices in the Denver area. In addition to federal agencies, there are many companies based on federal defense and space projects such as Lockheed-Martin. [26] Denver is the capital of Colorado and hosts many state government jobs.

Denver's position as the largest city in a mineral-rich and fossil fuel-rich area leads mining and energy companies to maintain offices in the metro area. In the early days of the city, gold and silver booms and busts played a large role in the economic success of the city. In the 1970s and early 1980s, the energy crisis in America created an energy boom in Denver captured in the soap opera Dynasty . Downtown Denver was built up considerably during this time; many new downtown skyscrapers were built. Eventually the oil prices dropped from $34 a barrel in 1981 to $9 a barrel in 1986, and the Denver economy dropped with it, leaving almost 15,000 oil industry workers in the area unemployed (including former mayor John Hickenlooper, a former geologist), and the highest office vacancy rate in the nation (30%). [25] Energy and mining are still important in Denver's economy today, with companies such as Newmont Mining, Patina Oil and Gas, and Antero Resources.

Denver's west-central geographic location in the Mountain Time Zone (UTC −7) also benefits the telecommunications industry by allowing communication with both North American coasts, South America, Europe, and Asia in the same business day [ citation needed ] . Denver's location on the 105th meridian west at over 1 mile in elevation also enables it to be the largest city in the U.S. to offer a 'one-bounce' real-time satellite uplink to six continents in the same business day [ citation needed ] . Lumen Technologies, Dish Network, and Comcast are just a few of the telecommunications companies with operations in the Denver area [ citation needed ] .

Agriculture

Colorado's agriculture supports a $47 billion dollar economy with more than 426,000 employees and $1.7 billion in exports. [27] Farming and ranching takes 32 million acres of Colorado land. [28] Colorado's agriculture consumes 88% of the state's water or 4.7 million acre feet. [29] The northeast of the state has the most agricultural business.

Drought has been one of the main risks to the agricultural industry. From 2012-2013 drought fueled a political push for the federal government to subsidize crop insurance. This led to $196 million in subsidy to Colorado farmers in 2014. [30] Colorado farmers paid over $71.3 million for crop insurance in 2020. [31]

Colorado's agricultural industry has been fueled by agricultural technology especially through research with Colorado State University which began as an agricultural school in 1870.

Impacts of climate change

This section is an excerpt from Climate change in Colorado § Agriculture.[ edit ]

Colorado's agricultural sector "accounts for 9% of Colorado’s greenhouse gas emissions, or approximately 11.4 million metric tons of CO2." [32]

Huerfano River Wind Farm, Huerfano County Huerfano River Wind Farm.JPG
Huerfano River Wind Farm, Huerfano County

Implementing regenerative agricultural practices in the state has the potential to remove 23.15 billion tons of CO2 from the atmosphere by 2050. Use of cover crops is increasing. A collaboration between Boulder County Parks and Open Space and Colorado State University is working to develop techniques to improve soil health and carbon sequestration. State level support for soil health is under discussion. [32]

Changes in Colorado's climate are likely to have both positive and negative effects on farms and ranches.

Depletion of the High Plains Aquifer will impact livestock and field crops in the eastern part of the state, which rely primarily on ground water pumped from the aquifer. "About 20 percent of crop land in eastern Colorado is irrigated. Higher evaporation rates will increase irrigation demands and reduce natural recharge of the aquifer, further lowering the water table. Reduced water availability will force some farms to switch from irrigation to dry land farming, which typically cuts yields in half.

Increasingly severe heat waves would harm livestock.

Even where ample water is available, higher temperatures would reduce yields of corn.

Shorter winters are likely to reduce yields of winter wheat. Colorado is currently the fourth largest grower of winter wheat, which is an important source of food for livestock. Increased concentrations of carbon dioxide, however, may increase yields of wheat enough to offset the impact of higher temperatures. Warmer and shorter winters may allow for a longer growing season, which could allow two crops per year instead of one in some instances". [33]

Aerospace

Colorado is one of the top locations for the aerospace industry in the world. Colorado has offices for most of the major Aerospace companies such as Ball, Lockheed-Martin, Raytheon Technologies, Boeing, L3Harris Technologies, ULA, Northrop Grumman, Sierra Space, and Maxar Technologies. This industry employs over 240,000 Coloradans in 280 companies. [34] The industry continued to experience strong growth of 7.2% in 2019 to contribute over $15 billion to the state economy. [35]

The aerospace industry thrives in Colorado owing to its geographical centrality, being away from possible foreign threats, support from Fort Carson, and a highly educated population. Research is also conducted at government-funded labs such as NIST, LASP, NOAA, and UCAR. [13] The University of Colorado Boulder also has one of the nation's top aerospace programs, receiving more NASA research funds than any other school.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colorado</span> U.S. state

Colorado is a landlocked state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Colorado borders Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas to the east, Oklahoma to the southeast, New Mexico to the south, Utah to the west, and meets Arizona to the southwest at the Four Corners. Colorado is noted for its landscape of mountains, forests, high plains, mesas, canyons, plateaus, rivers, and desert lands. Colorado is one of the Mountain States and is often considered to be part of the southwestern United States. The high plains of Colorado may be considered a part of the midwestern United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains. Colorado is the eighth most extensive and 21st most populous U.S. state. The United States Census Bureau estimated the population of Colorado at 5,877,610 as of July 1, 2023, a 1.80% increase since the 2020 United States census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denver</span> Capital of Colorado, United States

Denver is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the United States and the fifth most populous state capital. It is the principal city of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood metropolitan statistical area, the most populous metropolitan statistical area in Colorado and the first city of the Front Range Urban Corridor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of Egypt</span>

The economy of Egypt used to be a highly centralized economy, focused on import substitution under president Gamal Abdel Nasser (1954–1970). During the rule of president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi (2014–present), the economy follows Egypt's 2030 Vision. The policy is aimed at diversifying Egypt's economy. The country's economy is the second largest in Africa by nominal GDP, and 38th in worldwide ranking as of 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of Pakistan</span>

The economy of Pakistan is categorized as a developing economy. It ranks as the 24th-largest based on GDP using purchasing power parity (PPP) and the 46th largest in terms of nominal GDP. With a population of 241.5 million people as of 2023, Pakistan’s position at per capita income ranks 161st by GDP (nominal) and 138th by GDP (PPP) according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of the United States</span>

The United States is a highly developed/advanced mixed economy. It is the world's largest economy by nominal GDP; it is also the second largest by purchasing power parity (PPP), behind China. It has the world's seventh highest per capita GDP (nominal) and the eighth highest per capita GDP (PPP) as of 2022. The U.S. accounted for 25.4% of the global economy in 2022 in nominal terms, and about 15.6% in PPP terms. The U.S. dollar is the currency of record most used in international transactions and is the world's reserve currency, backed by a large U.S. treasuries market, its role as the reference standard for the petrodollar system, and its linked eurodollar. Several countries use it as their official currency and in others it is the de facto currency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of France</span>

The economy of France is a highly developed social market economy with notable state participation in strategic sectors. It is the world's seventh-largest economy by nominal GDP and the ninth-largest economy by PPP, constituting around 4% of world GDP. Due to a volatile currency exchange rate, France's GDP as measured in dollars fluctuates sharply. France has a diversified economy, that is dominated by the service sector, whilst the industrial sector accounted for 19.5% of its GDP and the primary sector accounted for the remaining 1.7%. In 2020, France was the largest Foreign Direct Investment recipient in Europe, and Europe's second largest spender in research and development. It was ranked among the 10 most innovative countries in the world by the 2020 Bloomberg Innovation Index, as well as the 15th most competitive nation globally according to the 2019 Global Competitiveness Report. It was the fifth-largest trading nation in the world. France is also the most visited destination in the world, as well as the European Union's leading agricultural power.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of Australia</span>

Australia is a highly developed country with a mixed economy. As of 2023, Australia was the 14th-largest national economy by nominal GDP, the 19th-largest by PPP-adjusted GDP, and was the 21st-largest goods exporter and 24th-largest goods importer. Australia took the record for the longest run of uninterrupted GDP growth in the developed world with the March 2017 financial quarter. It was the 103rd quarter and the 26th year since the country had a technical recession. As of June 2021, the country's GDP was estimated at $1.98 trillion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wheat Ridge, Colorado</span> City in Colorado, United States

The City of Wheat Ridge is a home rule municipality located in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Wheat Ridge is located immediately west of Denver and is a part of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Wheat Ridge Municipal Center is approximately 5 miles (8 km) west-northwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. The city had a population of 32,398 as of the 2020 Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agriculture in Russia</span> Agriculture in Russia in the post-Soviet era

Agriculture in Russia is an important part of the economy of the Russian Federation. The agricultural sector survived a severe transition decline in the early 1990s as it struggled to transform from a command economy to a market-oriented system. Following the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, large collective and state farms – the backbone of Soviet agriculture – had to contend with the sudden loss of state-guaranteed marketing and supply channels and a changing legal environment that created pressure for reorganization and restructuring. In less than ten years, livestock inventories declined by half, pulling down demand for feed grains, and the area planted to grains dropped by 25%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of Illinois</span>

The economy of Illinois is the fifth largest by GDP in the United States and one of the most diversified economies in the world. Fueled by the economy of Chicago, the Chicago metropolitan area is home to many of the United States' largest companies, including Abbott Laboratories, AbbVie Inc., Allstate, Baxter International, Conagra, Crate and Barrel, Kraft Heinz, McDonald's, CNH Industrial, GE Healthcare, Aon PLC, Willis Towers Watson, Mondelez International, Motorola, United Airlines, US Foods, Walgreens, and more. The Chicago area is a global financial center and headquarters a wide variety of financial institutions including Citadel LLC, CNA Financial, Discover Financial Services, Morningstar, Inc., Nuveen, and more. Chicago is also home to the largest futures exchange in the world, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of California</span>

The economy of the State of California is the largest in the United States, with a $3.89 trillion gross state product (GSP) as of 2023. It is the largest sub-national economy in the world. If California were a sovereign nation (2024), it would rank in terms of nominal GDP as the world's fifth largest economy, ahead of both India and the United Kingdom. Additionally, California's Silicon Valley is home to some of the world's most valuable technology companies, including Apple, Alphabet, and Nvidia. In total, 11 of the Fortune 100 companies and 53 of the Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of West Virginia</span>

The economy of West Virginia nominally would be the 62nd largest economy globally behind Iraq and ahead of Croatia according to 2009 World Bank projections, and the 64th largest behind Iraq and ahead of Libya according to 2009 International Monetary Fund projections. The state has a projected nominal GDP of $63.34 billion in 2009 according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis report of November 2010, and a real GDP of $55.04 billion. The real GDP growth of the state in 2009 of .7% was the 7th best in the country. West Virginia's economy accelerated in 2014 with a growth rate of 5.1%, ranking third among the fastest growing states in the United States alongside Wyoming and just behind North Dakota and Texas. In 2021, the state GDP was $72.48 billion, an increase over $69.71 billion in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of Texas</span>

The economy of the State of Texas is the second largest by GDP in the United States after that of California. It has a gross state product of $2.355 trillion as of 2022. In 2022, Texas led the nation with the most companies in the Fortune 500 with 53 in total. As of 2021, Texas grossed more than $300 billion a year in exports—more than the exports of California and New York combined.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of New South Wales</span>

The economy of New South Wales represents a significant proportion of the Australian economy. The economy was valued at A$660.6 billion in 2021-22, representing 30.6% of Australia's total GDP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of Virginia</span>

The economy of the Commonwealth of Virginia is well balanced with diverse sources of income. From the Hampton Roads area to Richmond and down to Lee County in the southwest includes military installations, cattle, tobacco and peanut farming in Southside Virginia. Tomatoes recently surpassed soy as the most profitable crop in Virginia. Tobacco, peanuts and hay are also important agricultural products from the commonwealth. Wineries and vineyards in the Northern Neck and along the Blue Ridge Mountains also have become increasingly popular. Northern Virginia hosts software, communications, consulting, defense contracting, diplomats, and considerable components of the professional government sector. As of the 2000 census, Virginia had the highest number of counties and independent cities (15) in the top 100 wealthiest jurisdictions in the United States based upon median income, in addition, Virginia tied with Colorado as having the most counties (10) in the top 100 based on per capita income. Loudoun and Fairfax counties in Northern Virginia have the highest and second highest median household income, respectively, of all counties in the United States as of 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of New Mexico</span>

Oil and gas production, tourism, and federal government spending are important drivers of New Mexico's economy. The state government has an elaborate system of tax credits and technical assistance to promote job growth and business investment, especially in new technologies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of Florida</span>

The economy of the state of Florida is the fourth-largest in the United States, with a $1.4 trillion gross state product (GSP) as of 2022. If Florida were a sovereign nation (2022), it would rank as the world's 16th-largest economy by nominal GDP according to the International Monetary Fund, ahead of Indonesia and behind Mexico. Agriculture, tourism, industry, construction, international banking, biomedical and life sciences, healthcare research, simulation training, aerospace and defense, and commercial space travel contribute to the state's economy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of Oregon</span>

The economy of the U.S. state of Oregon is made up of a number of sectors. During the 1990s and 2000s, Oregon has attempted to transition its economy from one based on natural resources to one based on a mix of manufacturing, services, and high technology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of Tennessee</span>

The U.S. state of Tennessee contains a diverse economy that is made up of many sectors with a mix of industries including manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, and tourism. The state is home to several major corporations, including FedEx, the largest courier company in the world, and AutoZone, the largest retailer of auto parts in the United States.

The northwestern U.S. state of Washington's economy grew 3.7% in 2016, nearly two and a half times the national rate. Average income per head in 2009 was $41,751, 12th among states of the U.S.

References

  1. ↑ "Total Gross Domestic Product for Colorado" . Retrieved November 11, 2021.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. ↑ "Per Capita Personal Income in Colorado". November 11, 2021.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ↑ "State Rankings--Statistical Abstract of the United States--Persons Below Poverty Level". www.census.gov. Archived from the original on February 13, 2011. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  4. ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved December 23, 2016.
  5. ↑ "??" (TXT). Research.stlouisfed.org. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Colorado Economy at a Glance". Bls.gov. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
  7. ↑ "US Census Bureau, State Government Tax Collections Viewable Data". Factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on August 23, 2011. Retrieved 2011-10-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. ↑ "Personal Income by County and Metropolitan Area, 2019" (PDF). Bureau of Economic Analysis. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
  10. ↑ "2021 STATE AGRICULTURE OVERVIEW". USDA/NASS. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Beef Production By State" . Retrieved June 7, 2022.
  12. ↑ Ramos, Elliot. "Recreational marijuana sales showered states with cash in 2021". NBC. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
  13. 1 2 "Aerospace in Boulder". Boulder Economic Council. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Tourism Pays". Denver. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Climax Molybdenum Mine". coloradoencyclopedia. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Colorado Food Manufacturing" (PDF). choosecolorado. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  17. ↑ Federal employees by state, Governing Magazine, accessed 29 March 2016.
  18. ↑ Wilson, James A. (January 1, 1980). "Frontier in the Shadows: Prisons in the Far Southwest 1850-1917". Arizona and the West. 22 (4): 323–342. JSTOR   40168971.
  19. ↑ "Taxes in Colorado" . Retrieved June 7, 2022.
  20. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions". Denver Gov. Denver Department of Finance. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
  21. 1 2 "Individual Income Tax". Colorado General Assembly . Archived from the original on June 11, 2018. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
  22. ↑ "Colorado Taxpayer Bill of Rights, Initiative 1 (1992)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
  23. ↑ "Colorado Proposition 116, Decrease Income Tax Rate from 4.63% to 4.55% Initiative (2020)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
  24. ↑ "Colorado Amendment 73, Establish Income Tax Brackets and Raise Taxes for Education Initiative (2018)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
  25. 1 2 "Denver History - Short History". Archived from the original on June 8, 2006. Retrieved 2016-02-27.
  26. ↑ "Littleton, CO". Lockheed Martin. August 25, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
  27. ↑ "Us Food and Ag Industries" (PDF). CO2020 FactSheet. University of Arkansas. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
  28. ↑ "Colorado Agriculture Brochure" (PDF). Colorado. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
  29. ↑ "Water Uses". Colorado Water. Colorado State University. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
  30. ↑ Gesing, Lars. "Colorado farmers receive $196 million in crop subsidies". /University of Colorado News Corps. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
  31. ↑ "Colorado - Crop Insurance Keeps America Growing". Crop Insurance In America. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
  32. 1 2 Clark, Moe (December 4, 2019). "Agriculture is part of the climate change problem. Colorado wants farmers' soil to be part of the solution". The Colorado Sun. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
  33. ↑ "What Climate Change Means for Colorado" (PDF). United States Environmental Protection Agency. August 2016.
  34. ↑ "Industry Overview". Colorado Space Coalition. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
  35. ↑ Kohler, Judith. "Pandemic not slowing upward trajectory of Colorado's aerospace industry, the nation's second-largest". DenverPost. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.