Jobs, pay and daily life in Clifton, 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.
Clifton is a city in Colorado with 19,518 residents. The median household earns $52,100 a year and the median rent is $1,107 a month, which is 25.5% of the median household income. It is part of the Grand Junction, CO metropolitan area, where BLS counts 67,170 jobs.
How Clifton compares. Among the 80 largest places in Colorado, Clifton is #41 by population, #80 for college degrees (#1 = most), #77 for household income (#1 = highest), #9 for long commutes (#1 = fewest). Its county, Mesa County, is #24 of 64 counties for average pay ($57,309).
Clifton has 19,518 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.3% of the population of Colorado. It covers 6 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 3,264 people per square mile. The median age is 36.3, 4% younger than the state median (36.3 against 37.7). It is a census-designated place: a community the Census Bureau counts as a unit, without a city government of its own, so services such as police, roads and zoning usually come from the county.
The median gross rent is $1,107 a month (rent plus utilities), 37% below the state median ($1,107 against $1,761). Over a year that is 25.5% 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 $250,500, which is 4.8 times the median household income ($52,100). 73.4% of households own their home, 11% above the state average (73.4% against 66.2%).
The Grand Junction, CO metropolitan area has 67,170 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $48,510 a year, 5% below the national median ($48,510 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (7,650 jobs, median $46,910); sales and related (7,340 jobs, median $38,220); food preparation and serving related (7,200 jobs, median $34,920). The area is most specialised in healthcare practitioners and technical (1.3 times) and sales and related (1.3 times), where the share of workers is above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are healthcare practitioners and technical ($95,570) and office and administrative support ($46,910). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Mesa County was 4.4%. 60.0% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Mesa County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 71.8% drive alone, 0.9% use public transit, 0.0% walk, 14.2% work from home. 7.0% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 51% below the state average (7.0% against 14.1%).
12.8% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 72% below the state share (12.8% against 45.7%). 7.8% of residents were born outside the United States, 21% below the state share (7.8% against 9.8%). The poverty rate is 15.0%, 59% above the state rate (15.0% against 9.4%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 77°F (24.8°C), and the coolest is Jan at 27°F (-2.9°C). About 377 mm (15 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Sep is the wettest month (40 mm) and Jun the driest (15 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: Grand Junction (6 miles, rent 3% higher); Fruita (15 miles, rent 33% higher); Delta (30 miles, rent 11% lower); Rifle (49 miles, rent 18% higher). Rent differences are against Clifton; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Colorado (1,073) →State guide: ColoradoCountry guideMesa 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 →
These figures are for the whole Grand Junction, CO metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $48,510 (US $50,980); unemployment 4.4% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 22.2% |
| Construction | 13.7% |
| Retail trade | 13.2% |
| Manufacturing | 10.4% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 8.2% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 8.2% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 7.7% |
| Other services | 4.2% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 3.6% |
| Public administration | 3.5% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 2.8% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.2% |
| Information | 1.0% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Clifton lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mesa County | 158,601 | $9,476 million | $59,750 | 66,864 | 5,690 | $57,309 | +2.1% | 4.4% | 78,026 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 12,228 | 21.8% | $63,296 | 1.28 |
| Retail trade | 8,843 | 15.8% | $43,409 | 1.32 |
| Accommodation and food services | 7,141 | 12.7% | $26,616 | 1.17 |
| Construction | 5,122 | 9.1% | $67,883 | 1.46 |
| Manufacturing | 3,097 | 5.5% | $57,927 | 0.56 |
| Administrative and waste services | 2,689 | 4.8% | $52,977 | 0.68 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 2,620 | 4.7% | $63,783 | 0.93 |
| Professional and technical services | 2,585 | 4.6% | $72,265 | 0.56 |
| Wholesale trade | 2,411 | 4.3% | $74,978 | 0.92 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 2,011 | 3.6% | $43,907 | 1.00 |
| Finance and insurance | 1,609 | 2.9% | $80,786 | 0.59 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 1,526 | 2.7% | $111,628 | 6.03 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 1,100 | 2.0% | $20,653 | 0.98 |
| Real estate and rental | 1,033 | 1.8% | $50,454 | 1.00 |
| Educational services | 739 | 1.3% | $30,085 | 0.53 |
| Information | 575 | 1.0% | $76,282 | 0.46 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 313 | 0.6% | $33,848 | 0.58 |
| Utilities | 223 | 0.4% | $109,779 | 0.88 |
| Management of companies | 201 | 0.4% | $80,834 | 0.18 |
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 | 71.8% |
| Public transit | 0.9% |
| Walk | 0.0% |
| Work from home | 14.2% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 7.0% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $52,100 |
| Income per person | $25,781 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,107 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 25.5% |
| Median home value | $250,500 |
| Homeowners | 73.4% |
| Poverty rate | 15.0% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 95.5 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $48,510 |
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 | 36.3 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 84.5% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 12.8% |
| Born abroad | 7.8% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 60.0% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -2.9 | 27 | 29 |
| Feb | -0.8 | 31 | 29 |
| Mar | 4.0 | 39 | 32 |
| Apr | 8.2 | 47 | 33 |
| May | 13.9 | 57 | 31 |
| Jun | 21.0 | 70 | 15 |
| Jul | 24.8 | 77 | 33 |
| Aug | 22.6 | 73 | 34 |
| Sep | 17.6 | 64 | 40 |
| Oct | 9.5 | 49 | 38 |
| Nov | 2.8 | 37 | 28 |
| Dec | -2.9 | 27 | 35 |
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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Junction | CO | 6 mi | 68,142 | $70,080 | $1,142 |
| Fruita | CO | 15 mi | 13,691 | $87,184 | $1,472 |
| Delta | CO | 30 mi | 9,421 | $45,250 | $990 |
| Rifle | CO | 49 mi | 10,570 | $80,000 | $1,308 |
| Montrose | CO | 53 mi | 21,044 | $70,386 | $1,197 |
| Glenwood Springs | CO | 68 mi | 10,241 | $91,481 | $1,867 |
| Gypsum | CO | 89 mi | 8,941 | $115,564 | $2,183 |
| Edwards | CO | 105 mi | 10,785 | $81,909 | $1,845 |
| Craig | CO | 111 mi | 8,991 | $72,636 | $1,045 |
| Cortez | CO | 119 mi | 8,976 | $54,247 | $984 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
19,518 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,107 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 25.5% of the median household income.
$52,100 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.4% (BLS county, Mesa County (latest month 2026M09)).
Colorado. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.