State Resources


Colorado Business Resources

Colorado has moved away from its mining roots and currently boasts a diversified economy. Manufacturing, finance, and tourism now make up the core of Colorado’s economy. While manufacturing in Colorado is still based primarily on the processing of local raw materials, technology dependent light manufacturing is also prevalent.

Tourism is the leading component of the state's service sector. Skiing continues to be the state’s most visible and important tourist activity, generating $10 billion annually. Old mining towns such as Aspen, Telluride, and Breckenridge have transformed into world-renown mountain resorts. Although these towns are unlikely to revert to their mining days, other parts of Colorado may witness a resurgence of mining. Colorado has vast reserves of oil shale, which is costly to extract. However, rising fuel prices are making the extraction of oil shale evermore financially viable.

Business Data

Per Capita Real GDP$41,798 Rank: 7/50 (2006)
Population4,301,260 Rank: 24/50 (2000)
Per Capita Personal Income$39,186 Rank: 8/50 (2006)
Unemployment Rate4.20% Rank: 19/50 (2008)
Business Tax Climate IndexRank: 13/50 (2008)
Corporate Tax Rate4.63%
Individual Tax Rate 4.63%
Sales Tax Rate 2.9%

Business Tax Climate Index

Individual Income Tax Index Rank13
Sales Tax Index Rank11
Unemployment Insurance Tax Index Rank20
Property Tax Index Rank15
Business Tax Climate Index13
Corporate Tax Index Rank15

State Information

AbbreviationCO
CapitalDenver
Nick NameCentennial State
State Web Sitehttp://www.colorado.gov
MottoNothing without Providence

Top 5 Export Partner Countries

Canada, Mexico, Taiwan, China, Japan

Top 5 Export Merchandise

Machinery Sales Computers and Electronic Products Sales Machinery Manufacturing Computers and Electronic Products Manufacturing Transportation Equipment Manufacturing

Major Cities

Aurora, Colorado Springs, Denver

GDP

Total Gross Domestic Product (USD Millions) $236,324.00 (2007)
Per Capita Real GDP (USD)$40,805.00 Rank: 11 (2007)

Population Stats

Population 4,939,456 Rank: 22 (2008)

Age Distribution

Under 18 Population1,100,800
Under 18 Percent of Total Population26%
65 and older Population416,073
65 and older Percent of Total Population10%

Gender Distribution

Male Population50.4%
Female Population49.6%
Non-English Speaker (at home)488,027
Net International Immigration112,217
Birth Rate14.9%
Percent of People Under Poverty Level11.1%
Rank35

Expenditure

Per Capita State Spending$17,993
Rank48
Energy Expenditures per Person$3,410
Expenditures of State and Local Government Employee-Retirement Systems$2,757,660

Revenue

Personal Income$34,509
Rank8
State Internal Revenue Collection$45,404,194
Rank20
Cash and Deposits by State Government$1,411,290
Per Capita State Tax Collection$1,806
Rank45

Education

High School Graduation Rate70.4%
Rank29
Percent of Population with a Bachelor's Degree22.4%
Rank1
Percent of Population with an Advanced Degree12.3%
Rank8

Largest Universities

Colorado State University, Fort Collins University of Colorado, Boulder Metropolitan State College of Denver
High School Graduation Rate70.4%

Logistics

Public Road Length (Mile)88,021
Gas Tax Rate (%)22%
Highway Planning and Construction (USD Thousands)445,235
Number of Public Airports76

Main Airports

COS: Colorado Springs DEN: Denver

Ports

Weather


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State Business Links

Denver Post
http://www.denverpost.com

Secretary of State

Colorado Secretary of State
http://www.sos.state.co.us
Information on conducting elections and overseeing campaigns, licensing for various events and a business information center.

Small Business Administration

Colorado Small Business Administration
http://www.sba.gov/localresources/district/co/index.html
The Colorado District Office is responsible for the delivery of SBA's programs and services throughout Colorado. The District Director is Greg Lopez. The Colorado District Office is located at 721 19th Street, Suite 426, Denver, Colorado. Office hours are from 8:00 AM until 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday.

Top 10 Business Links

Colorado Biz Today
http://www.cobizmag.com/
This online magazine provides various Colorado-related business news articles.
Colorado Department of Labor and Employment
http://www.coworkforce.com/
This site provides information about labor laws in Colorado, along with information about employment and training, the labor market, workforce statistics, and other labor-related information.
Colorado Industry
http://www.coloradoindustry.com/
This site provides business news sorted by industry category. It also provides other sorts of business news, on topics such as off shoring, shipping, economy, and politics.
Colorado Mining Association
http://www.coloradomining.org/
For those operating in the industry, or interested in it, this site provides information about the mining industry in Colorado, with accompanying legislation and policies.
Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade
http://www.colorado.gov/
This specific page provides information on various kinds of business support available through the Colorado OEDIT, encompassing business finance, international trade, small business development, occupational/industrial licensing, and minority/women-owned businesses. Under the Industry Programs tab, overviews of and recent news related to the major state industries is available, as well as Expansion/Relocation information in a separate tab.
Doing Business in Colorado
http://www.colorado.gov/colorado-doing-business/
A Colorado government web site for employers which offers information about Colorado’s laws, taxes, licenses and permits, advice on expanding your business etc.
Upstate Colorado Economic Development
http://www.upstatecolorado.org/
This site is devoted to business in upstate Colorado. Specific information is provided for business tools and incentives in this region, along with an overview of upstate industry.

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