Colorado · Affordability
Homelessness in Colorado
One-night count of people sleeping outdoors, in vehicles, or in places not meant for habitation, per 10,000 residents.
8 per 10K in 2024
#43 of 50 · Bottom tier (lower is better)
Colorado is worse than the 50-state median (3 per 10K). That's a gap of 5 per 10K.
View interactive chart & trend → See full 50-state ranking →
2007 – 2024 · Colorado only · interactive chart with US median overlay →
About homelessness
What this measures: Point-in-time count of people sleeping outdoors, in vehicles, or in places not meant for habitation, per 10,000 residents.
Why it matters: Unsheltered homelessness is the most visible end of housing failure and the most expensive to address through emergency services.
Watch out: Based on a single January-night count, which understates the true population. Total homelessness (sheltered plus unsheltered) is typically two to three times higher.
Recent trend
| Year | Colorado | US median |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 4 per 10K | 2 per 10K |
| 2015 | 5 per 10K | 2 per 10K |
| 2016 | 5 per 10K | 2 per 10K |
| 2017 | 7 per 10K | 2 per 10K |
| 2018 | 8 per 10K | 2 per 10K |
| 2019 | 4 per 10K | 2 per 10K |
| 2020 | 5 per 10K | 2 per 10K |
| 2022 | 5 per 10K | 2 per 10K |
| 2023 | 8 per 10K | 3 per 10K |
| 2024 | 8 per 10K | 3 per 10K |
Colorado vs. neighboring states
Same metric (homelessness), latest year with full state coverage. Click any name for that state's full report.
| State | Homelessness | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | 2 per 10K | #4 of 50 |
| Nebraska | 2 per 10K | #3 of 50 |
| Kansas | 3 per 10K | #23 of 50 |
| Oklahoma | 5 per 10K | #37 of 50 |
| New Mexico | 11 per 10K | #45 of 50 |
| Arizona | 10 per 10K | #44 of 50 |
How Colorado compares (2024)
Top 5 best
| #1 | Wisconsin | 1 per 10K |
| #2 | Iowa | 1 per 10K |
| #3 | Nebraska | 2 per 10K |
| #4 | Wyoming | 2 per 10K |
| #5 | Connecticut | 2 per 10K |
Bottom 5
| #46 | Nevada | 15 per 10K |
| #47 | Washington | 20 per 10K |
| #48 | Hawaiʻi | 28 per 10K |
| #49 | California | 31 per 10K |
| #50 | Oregon | 33 per 10K |
Source and methodology
Source: HUD PIT Count · Direction: lower is better · Unit: per 10K
Download raw CSV (all 50 states, all years)