Population 530,225 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Adams County
Household size in Adams County
| Period | Adams County | Denver area | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.89 | 2.58 | 2.57 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.01 | 2.66 | 2.63 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.07 | 2.68 | 2.64 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.92 | 2.57 | 2.54 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.03 | −0.01 | −0.04 | −0.03 |
Households in Adams County are large by national standards, averaging 2.92 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home. Only one other Colorado county has larger households.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Adams County
| Period | Adams County | Denver area | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.3 | 36.7 | 36.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 34.1 | 37.3 | 37.7 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 34.7 | 38.0 | 38.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 35.4 | 38.5 | 39.1 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.1 | +1.8 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
Adams County is young: half of its residents are under 35.4, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young families with children. The median age has climbed from 33.3 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Only one other Colorado county is younger.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Adams County
| Period | Adams County | Denver area | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.0% | 10.8% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.9% | 11.0% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.2% | 9.8% | 9.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.3% | 9.6% | 9.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.7 pts | −1.2 pts | −1.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in eight households in Adams County (12.3%), close to the national share of 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in the Denver area overall (9.6%). The single-parent share is down 0.7 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Adams County
Renters in Adams County
| Period | Adams County | Denver area | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.6% | 33.5% | 32.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 35.5% | 36.4% | 35.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 33.8% | 36.1% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 31.4% | 35.9% | 33.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.2 pts | +2.4 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over three in ten households in Adams County rent their homes (31.4%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 29.3% have no mortgage at all, well below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the south; owners are most common in the east.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Adams County
| Period | Adams County | Denver area | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.2% | 8.5% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.4% | 6.6% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.0% | 5.5% | 8.0% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.6% | 6.0% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.6 pts | −2.5 pts | −3.0 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 4.6% of homes in Adams County are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing. Vacancy is down 4.6 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Only one other Colorado county has a lower vacancy rate.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Adams County
| Period | Adams County | Denver area | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1983 | 1980 | 1981 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1983 | 1981 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1985 | 1982 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1990 | 1987 | 1988 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +8 | +7 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Adams County is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1990, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The median year built has moved up from 1983 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the east, the oldest in the south.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Adams County
| Period | Adams County | Denver area | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,067 | $1,128 | $1,051 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,188 | $1,245 | $1,165 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,555 | $1,606 | $1,450 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,089 | $2,181 | $1,963 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,022 | +$1,053 | +$912 | +$606 |
The median renter in Adams County pays $2,089 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $1,022 a month from 2006–10, a 96% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 33.7% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. The priciest rents are in the east; the most affordable are in the south.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Adams County
Bachelor's degrees in Adams County
| Period | Adams County | Denver area | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.4% | 38.1% | 36.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 22.5% | 40.0% | 37.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.5% | 43.5% | 40.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 29.4% | 49.1% | 45.9% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.1 pts | +11.0 pts | +9.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
About three in ten adults 25 and older in Adams County (29.4%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a little below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 8.1 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the south.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Adams County
| Period | Adams County | Denver area | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 81.4% | 88.8% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 82.2% | 89.8% | 90.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 83.8% | 91.1% | 91.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 85.4% | 92.1% | 92.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.0 pts | +3.3 pts | +3.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in seven adults in Adams County never finished high school, more than nationally: 85.4% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 4.0 points, in line with the national trend. Of Colorado's 64 counties, only three have a lower share of high school graduates.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Adams County
| Period | Adams County | Denver area | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.9% | 6.8% | 6.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.1% | 7.5% | 7.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.0% | 3.7% | 4.4% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.6% | 4.4% | 4.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.3 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Adams County than nationally: unemployment was 4.6%, against 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 3.3 points, in line with the national trend. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Adams County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams County | 2.92 | 35.4 | 12.3% | 31.4% | 4.6% | 1990 | $2,089 | 29.4% | 85.4% | 4.6% |
| Broomfield County | 2.50 | 40.0 | 6.7% | 37.3% | 4.8% | 1998 | $2,362 | 61.6% | 96.3% | 3.8% |
| Denver County | 2.24 | 36.4 | 9.5% | 51.2% | 7.5% | 1979 | $2,029 | 55.9% | 91.0% | 4.9% |
| Jefferson County | 2.43 | 41.3 | 7.8% | 29.3% | 5.8% | 1982 | $2,135 | 52.4% | 95.8% | 3.9% |
| Gilpin County | 1.93 | 46.9 | 14.0% | 12.5% | 16.7% | 1981 | $1,658 | 48.7% | 92.8% | 2.8% |
| Clear Creek County | 1.99 | 49.2 | 5.2% | 18.4% | 15.1% | 1970 | $1,601 | 57.7% | 93.3% | 5.0% |
| Cheyenne County | 2.18 | 46.1 | 6.2% | 22.1% | 16.8% | 1951 | $664 | 22.2% | 88.7% | 2.4% |
| Rawlins County | 2.12 | 46.2 | 10.3% | 29.3% | 14.2% | 1955 | $827 | 20.0% | 95.1% | 1.2% |
| Decatur County | 2.02 | 48.4 | 7.4% | 22.3% | 16.4% | 1952 | $668 | 26.3% | 94.2% | 4.0% |
| Norton County | 2.12 | 41.6 | 8.7% | 23.8% | 17.2% | 1953 | $721 | 22.4% | 95.2% | 1.9% |
| Phillips County | 2.11 | 46.4 | 9.7% | 22.0% | 18.2% | 1959 | $704 | 22.7% | 94.0% | 3.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Plymouth County, MA · Monterey County, CA · Santa Barbara County, CA · Pinal County, AZ · Tulare County, CA · Cameron County, TX · Sonoma County, CA · New Castle County, DE · Washoe County, NV · Solano County, CA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Adams County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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