1. Cities of the United States
  2. The West
  3. Colorado

COLORADO

Boulder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243

Colorado Springs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255

Denver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267

Fort Collins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279

Colorado

The State in Brief

Nickname: Centennial State

Motto: Nil sine numine (Nothing without providence)

Flower: Rocky Mountain columbine

Bird: Lark bunting

Area: 104,093 square miles (2000; U.S. rank: 8th)

Elevation: Ranges from 3,350 feet to 14,433 feet above sea level

Climate: Dry and sunny, with a wide daily and seasonal variation in temperature and with alpine conditions in the high mountains

Admitted to Union: August 1, 1876

Capital: Denver

Head Official: Governor Bill Owens (R) (until 2007)

Population

1980: 2,890,000

1990: 3,377,000

2000: 4,302,015

2004 estimate: 4,601,403

Percent change, 1990–2000: 30.6%

U.S. rank in 2004: 22nd

Percent of residents born in state: 41.1% (2000)

Density: 41.5 people per square mile (2000)

2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 195,936

Racial and Ethnic Characteristics (2000)

White: 3,560,005

Black or African American: 165,063

American Indian and Alaska Native: 44,241

Asian: 95,213

Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 4,621

Hispanic or Latino (may be of any race): 735,601

Other: 309,931

Age Characteristics (2000)

Population under 5 years old: 297,505

Population 5 to 19 years old: 927,163

Percent of population 65 years and over: 9.7%

Median age: 34.3 years (2000)

Vital Statistics

Total number of births (2003): 69,341

Total number of deaths (2003): 29,462 (infant deaths, 416)

AIDS cases reported through 2003: 3,675

Economy

Major industries: Services, manufacturing, communications, transportation, agriculture

Unemployment rate: 4.8% (January 2005)

Per capita income: $34,510 (2003; U.S. rank: 8th)

Median household income: $50,224 (3-year average, 2001-2003)

Percentage of persons below poverty level: 9.4% (3-year average, 2001-2003)

Income tax rate: 4.63%

Sales tax rate: 2.9%