Jobs, pay and daily life in Brighton, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Brighton is a city in Colorado with 42,059 residents. The median household earns $107,679 a year and the median rent is $1,779 a month, which is 19.8% of the median household income. It is part of the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metropolitan area, where BLS counts 1,609,350 jobs.
How Brighton compares. Among the 80 largest places in Colorado, Brighton is #22 by population, #74 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #71 for college degrees (#1 = most), #56 for remote work (#1 = most). Its county, Adams County, is #8 of 64 counties for average pay ($73,817).
Brighton has 42,059 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.7% of the population of Colorado. It covers 22 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,936 people per square mile. The median age is 34.0, 10% younger than the state median (34.0 against 37.7).
The median gross rent is $1,779 a month (rent plus utilities), about the same as the state median ($1,779 against $1,761). Over a year that is 19.8% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $499,500, which is 4.6 times the median household income ($107,679). 71.5% of households own their home, 8% above the state average (71.5% against 66.2%).
The Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metropolitan area has 1,609,350 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $62,320 a year, 22% above the national median ($62,320 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are business and financial operations (169,260 jobs, median $96,450); office and administrative support (168,520 jobs, median $53,050); sales and related (165,560 jobs, median $49,730). The area is most specialised in architecture and engineering (1.6 times) and computer and mathematical (1.6 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($160,810) and legal ($132,690). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Adams County was 4.6%. 71.9% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Adams County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 74.1% drive alone, 1.3% use public transit, 0.5% walk, 13.4% work from home. 23.2% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 65% above the state average (23.2% against 14.1%).
23.5% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 49% below the state share (23.5% against 45.7%). 9.7% of residents were born outside the United States, about the same as the state share (9.7% against 9.8%). The poverty rate is 9.3%, about the same as the state rate (9.3% against 9.4%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 75°F (24.1°C), and the coolest is Dec at 30°F (-1.1°C). About 448 mm (18 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; May is the wettest month (65 mm) and Jan the driest (20 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Commerce City (6 miles, rent 6% higher); Thornton (8 miles, rent 7% higher); Northglenn (11 miles, similar rent); Welby (13 miles, rent 7% lower). Rent differences are against Brighton; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Colorado (1,073) →State guide: ColoradoCountry guideAdams CountyColorado rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 1,073 federal postings open in Colorado (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Colorado →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 42,810 | 1.07 | $37,070 | $33,230 | $44,420 | +19% |
| Retail Salespersons | 40,340 | 1.00 | $38,470 | $34,700 | $49,130 | +9% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 32,610 | 1.11 | $44,480 | $38,020 | $50,250 | +19% |
| Registered Nurses | 30,380 | 0.87 | $101,130 | $81,210 | $125,870 | +4% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 28,670 | 2.55 | $94,990 | $59,080 | $156,540 | +14% |
| Software Developers | 27,010 | 1.55 | $137,610 | $99,700 | $209,300 | +1% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 26,130 | 0.59 | $38,900 | $37,160 | $46,220 | +9% |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | 24,480 | 1.88 | $80,650 | $45,250 | $164,530 | +15% |
| Cashiers | 23,860 | 0.75 | $37,620 | $34,540 | $46,870 | +14% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 23,560 | 0.88 | $48,590 | $37,970 | $71,700 | +9% |
| General and Operations Managers | 22,940 | 0.63 | $142,330 | $73,490 | $313,870 | +35% |
| Accountants and Auditors | 22,720 | 1.51 | $100,020 | $63,550 | $165,010 | +20% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 20,750 | 0.88 | $39,650 | $31,010 | $78,380 | +13% |
| Project Management Specialists | 20,710 | 1.88 | $116,740 | $71,600 | $172,060 | +14% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 19,460 | 0.85 | $38,840 | $36,110 | $51,340 | +5% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 19,340 | 0.63 | $46,290 | $38,340 | $59,550 | +15% |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | 17,660 | 1.38 | $81,060 | $49,000 | $154,620 | +12% |
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | 17,000 | 1.83 | $99,040 | $51,980 | $167,560 | +26% |
| Office Clerks, General | 16,320 | 0.64 | $53,990 | $40,760 | $79,040 | +20% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 15,410 | 1.06 | $44,370 | $36,340 | $49,880 | +19% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | 5,600 | 5.23 | $307,490 | $189,150 | $377,860 | +32% |
| Physicians, All Other | 1,170 | 0.33 | $298,600 | $154,280 | $377,370 | +12% |
| Family Medicine Physicians | 1,080 | 0.97 | $255,590 | $77,310 | $335,940 | +5% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 7,730 | 1.11 | $203,340 | $133,450 | $293,820 | +16% |
| Financial Managers | 7,490 | 0.86 | $193,400 | $127,190 | $344,300 | +16% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 2,860 | 1.25 | $191,440 | $139,990 | $287,530 | +12% |
| Marketing Managers | 4,220 | 1.03 | $182,470 | $124,230 | $290,850 | +9% |
| Sales Managers | 5,930 | 0.90 | $181,580 | $109,250 | $320,960 | +22% |
| Purchasing Managers | 980 | 1.12 | $180,000 | $126,770 | $247,630 | +22% |
| Lawyers | 11,860 | 1.52 | $177,380 | $90,640 | $337,050 | +11% |
| Managers, All Other | 9,250 | 1.44 | $175,980 | $115,600 | $286,040 | +24% |
| Human Resources Managers | 2,540 | 1.11 | $170,940 | $109,540 | $277,530 | +15% |
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | 6,710 | 2.93 | $168,720 | $80,780 | $360,240 | +57% |
| Dentists, General | 1,980 | 1.54 | $168,620 | $84,590 | $222,590 | -1% |
| Administrative Services Managers | 1,520 | 0.55 | $164,240 | $103,630 | $258,990 | +44% |
| Database Architects | 1,360 | 1.96 | $162,640 | $106,200 | $197,740 | +17% |
| Computer Occupations, All Other | 7,850 | 1.74 | $160,520 | $80,230 | $166,670 | +38% |
| Pharmacists | 2,630 | 0.79 | $157,890 | $122,450 | $188,490 | +12% |
| Aerospace Engineers | 2,010 | 2.86 | $156,190 | $98,090 | $210,810 | +16% |
| Industrial Production Managers | 830 | 0.33 | $146,460 | $93,270 | $241,990 | +16% |
These figures are for the whole Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $62,320 (US $50,980); unemployment 4.3% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 19.8% |
| Retail trade | 11.4% |
| Construction | 10.6% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 9.4% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 9.1% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 8.3% |
| Manufacturing | 7.0% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 5.7% |
| Public administration | 5.4% |
| Other services | 5.4% |
| Information | 3.3% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 2.7% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.8% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county (the first of several) where Brighton lies and cover the whole county, not only the city. The city also extends into Weld County.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams County | 530,225 | $43,102 million | $81,290 | 249,299 | 14,156 | $73,817 | +1.7% | 4.6% | 298,768 |
| Weld County | 350,396 | $29,473 million | $84,114 | 118,827 | 9,567 | $66,380 | +2.3% | 4.7% | 177,666 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation and warehousing | 27,096 | 13.7% | $67,233 | 2.57 |
| Construction | 26,530 | 13.4% | $84,117 | 2.03 |
| Retail trade | 21,901 | 11.1% | $44,934 | 0.88 |
| Health care and social assistance | 21,519 | 10.9% | $66,791 | 0.60 |
| Accommodation and food services | 18,835 | 9.5% | $32,070 | 0.83 |
| Wholesale trade | 18,298 | 9.2% | $92,327 | 1.86 |
| Administrative and waste services | 16,743 | 8.4% | $52,629 | 1.14 |
| Manufacturing | 13,483 | 6.8% | $76,074 | 0.66 |
| Professional and technical services | 9,336 | 4.7% | $116,598 | 0.54 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 7,147 | 3.6% | $55,270 | 0.95 |
| Real estate and rental | 3,613 | 1.8% | $71,761 | 0.93 |
| Finance and insurance | 3,406 | 1.7% | $98,374 | 0.34 |
| Information | 2,323 | 1.2% | $99,384 | 0.50 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 2,206 | 1.1% | $33,236 | 0.53 |
| Management of companies | 1,870 | 0.9% | $138,038 | 0.44 |
| Educational services | 1,196 | 0.6% | $47,592 | 0.23 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 985 | 0.5% | $130,895 | 1.04 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 897 | 0.5% | $45,560 | 0.44 |
| Utilities | 764 | 0.4% | $132,401 | 0.81 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 74.1% |
| Public transit | 1.3% |
| Walk | 0.5% |
| Work from home | 13.4% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 23.2% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $107,679 |
| Income per person | $41,641 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,779 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 19.8% |
| Median home value | $499,500 |
| Homeowners | 71.5% |
| Poverty rate | 9.3% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 105.8 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $62,320 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Flat 4.40%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 34.0 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 86.9% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 23.5% |
| Born abroad | 9.7% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 71.9% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -0.6 | 31 | 20 |
| Feb | -0.4 | 31 | 24 |
| Mar | 4.5 | 40 | 36 |
| Apr | 8.5 | 47 | 54 |
| May | 13.6 | 56 | 65 |
| Jun | 20.7 | 69 | 43 |
| Jul | 24.1 | 75 | 52 |
| Aug | 22.4 | 72 | 43 |
| Sep | 17.9 | 64 | 36 |
| Oct | 9.9 | 50 | 33 |
| Nov | 3.9 | 39 | 21 |
| Dec | -1.1 | 30 | 21 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commerce City | CO | 6 mi | 66,445 | $111,972 | $1,880 |
| Thornton | CO | 8 mi | 144,187 | $103,088 | $1,895 |
| Northglenn | CO | 11 mi | 38,014 | $84,030 | $1,775 |
| Welby | CO | 13 mi | 16,197 | $80,026 | $1,656 |
| Frederick | CO | 14 mi | 16,651 | $129,460 | $2,381 |
| Broomfield | CO | 14 mi | 76,304 | $123,874 | $2,126 |
| Federal Heights | CO | 14 mi | 14,125 | $56,597 | $1,687 |
| Erie | CO | 14 mi | 33,808 | $173,349 | $2,805 |
| Sherrelwood | CO | 14 mi | 18,692 | $75,327 | $1,702 |
| Denver | CO | 15 mi | 718,877 | $94,718 | $1,831 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
42,059 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,779 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 19.8% of the median household income.
$107,679 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.6% (BLS county, Adams County (latest month 2026M09)).
Colorado. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.