Colorado Politics’ Thelma Grimes opens the Fiscal Rockies series with a sober look at why Colorado’s economy is sputtering after years near the front of the pack. The piece traces a slowdown in GDP growth and ties it to a sharp rise in living costs and an aggressive wave of state and local regulation. It is long form reporting worth your time.
The numbers jump off the page. Colorado’s cost of living sits about 12 percent above the national average. The state ranked 46th for cost of living in one business scorecard. GDP growth in 2024 was 1.9 percent and ranked 39th among states. Businesses and chambers point to regulatory volume and fees that stack up on payrolls, projects, and permits. Housing constraints and defects litigation keep entry level ownership scarce, while migration trends show Coloradans moving out at elevated rates.
The Bullet Point Brief
- Costs are crushing. Cost of living is roughly 12 percent above the U.S. average and Colorado ranks 46th on that axis. That is not competitive.
- Growth cooled. GDP rose only 1.9 percent in 2024, landing Colorado at 39th. That is a slide from the old glory days.
- People are leaving. Out-migration hit 13.5 percent in 2024. Boulder led the pack for churn. Families vote with moving vans.
- Housing is jammed. Condos are scarce thanks to defects fights. Add slow permits and rising fees and you price out buyers.
- Red tape is a tax. Nearly 200,000 state rules with big chunks duplicative. The chamber ties regulation surges to lost jobs and firms.
My Bottom Line
The Fiscal Rockies series is outstanding and should be read and understood. Bottom line: Democrats at the Capitol keep layering costs and control on the economy, then act shocked when the engine knocks. Colorado is not losing momentum by accident. It is policy.
If you want an affordable Colorado, stop weaponizing the rulebook. Every new mandate, fee, and building diktat lands on a balance sheet. Businesses adjust by pausing, shrinking, or leaving. Families adjust by delaying a home or moving away. That is how you get 39th in growth and 46th in cost of living.
Weld County will keep doing the opposite. We trust work, enterprise, and clear rules. Cut friction. Speed permits. Build homes people can buy. Keep energy reliable and affordable. Colorado can lead again, but not with a legislature that treats business like a piñata and your paycheck like a piggy bank. Read the series. Then tell your lawmaker to choose growth over grandstanding.
Source: Colorado Politics
