Jobs, pay and daily life in Cortez, 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.
Cortez is a city in Colorado with 8,976 residents. The median household earns $54,247 a year and the median rent is $984 a month, which is 21.8% of the median household income. We could not match it to a metropolitan area in the BLS wage tables, so metro pay data is not shown.
How Cortez compares. Among the 80 largest places in Colorado, Cortez is #76 by population, #2 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #77 for remote work (#1 = most), #76 for household income (#1 = highest). Its county, Montezuma County, is #49 of 64 counties for average pay ($46,173).
Cortez has 8,976 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.2% of the population of Colorado. It covers 6 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,441 people per square mile. The median age is 36.4, 3% younger than the state median (36.4 against 37.7).
The median gross rent is $984 a month (rent plus utilities), 44% below the state median ($984 against $1,761). Over a year that is 21.8% 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 $272,900, which is 5.0 times the median household income ($54,247); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 65.6% of households own their home, about the same as the state average (65.6% against 66.2%).
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Montezuma County was 5.1%. 57.0% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Montezuma County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 76.7% drive alone, 0.0% use public transit, 1.2% walk, 6.7% work from home. 10.2% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 27% below the state average (10.2% against 14.1%).
26.6% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 42% below the state share (26.6% against 45.7%). 2.4% of residents were born outside the United States, 75% below the state share (2.4% against 9.8%). The poverty rate is 15.1%, 59% above the state rate (15.1% against 9.4%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 74°F (23.3°C), and the coolest is Jan at 28°F (-2.1°C). About 399 mm (16 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Sep is the wettest month (46 mm) and Jun the driest (12 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: Durango (39 miles, rent 66% higher); Shiprock (39 miles, rent 29% lower); Farmington (47 miles, rent 5% higher); Aztec (50 miles, rent 36% lower). Rent differences are against Cortez; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Colorado (1,073) →State guide: ColoradoCountry guideMontezuma 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.
No metropolitan wage table is matched to this city. Employment shares of residents by industry (ACS):
| Industry ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 23.1% |
| Retail trade | 15.8% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 11.9% |
| Construction | 8.5% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 8.1% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 7.8% |
| Other services | 7.0% |
| Public administration | 6.4% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 3.4% |
| Manufacturing | 3.1% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 2.0% |
| Information | 1.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.2% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Cortez 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montezuma County | 26,412 | $1,454 million | $55,044 | 9,453 | 1,029 | $46,173 | +1.6% | 5.1% | 10,759 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 1,556 | 23.0% | $46,803 | 1.15 |
| Retail trade | 1,504 | 22.3% | $37,713 | 1.59 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,016 | 15.0% | $24,477 | 1.18 |
| Construction | 467 | 6.9% | $46,603 | 0.94 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 345 | 5.1% | $37,725 | 1.21 |
| Manufacturing | 310 | 4.6% | $43,835 | 0.40 |
| Professional and technical services | 260 | 3.9% | $77,013 | 0.40 |
| Wholesale trade | 237 | 3.5% | $61,672 | 0.64 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 193 | 2.9% | $88,579 | 0.48 |
| Finance and insurance | 166 | 2.5% | $68,574 | 0.43 |
| Administrative and waste services | 158 | 2.3% | $38,262 | 0.28 |
| Real estate and rental | 96 | 1.4% | $43,217 | 0.65 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 95 | 1.4% | $35,433 | 1.24 |
| Utilities | 85 | 1.3% | $82,316 | 2.36 |
| Educational services | 72 | 1.1% | $50,283 | 0.37 |
| Information | 55 | 0.8% | $69,657 | 0.31 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 54 | 0.8% | $77,763 | 1.51 |
| Management of companies | 45 | 0.7% | $95,375 | 0.28 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 37 | 0.5% | $38,542 | 0.23 |
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 | 76.7% |
| Public transit | 0.0% |
| Walk | 1.2% |
| Work from home | 6.7% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 10.2% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $54,247 |
| Income per person | $30,546 |
| Median gross rent per month | $984 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 21.8% |
| Median home value | $272,900 |
| Homeowners | 65.6% |
| Poverty rate | 15.1% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | n/a |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | n/a |
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 | 36.4 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 88.9% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 26.6% |
| Born abroad | 2.4% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 57.0% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -2.1 | 28 | 37 |
| Feb | -0.7 | 31 | 36 |
| Mar | 4.0 | 39 | 29 |
| Apr | 8.0 | 46 | 27 |
| May | 13.6 | 56 | 28 |
| Jun | 20.4 | 69 | 12 |
| Jul | 23.3 | 74 | 41 |
| Aug | 21.5 | 71 | 41 |
| Sep | 17.1 | 63 | 46 |
| Oct | 9.7 | 49 | 33 |
| Nov | 3.4 | 38 | 29 |
| Dec | -2.0 | 28 | 40 |
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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durango | CO | 39 mi | 19,411 | $78,602 | $1,636 |
| Shiprock | NM | 39 mi | 7,610 | $35,900 | $694 |
| Farmington | NM | 47 mi | 46,314 | $68,784 | $1,037 |
| Aztec | NM | 50 mi | 6,150 | $41,977 | $629 |
| Bloomfield | NM | 53 mi | 7,395 | $48,472 | $984 |
| Montrose | CO | 87 mi | 21,044 | $70,386 | $1,197 |
| Delta | CO | 101 mi | 9,421 | $45,250 | $990 |
| Clifton | CO | 119 mi | 19,518 | $52,100 | $1,107 |
| Grand Junction | CO | 120 mi | 68,142 | $70,080 | $1,142 |
| Fruita | CO | 125 mi | 13,691 | $87,184 | $1,472 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
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8,976 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$984 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 21.8% of the median household income.
$54,247 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
5.1% (BLS county, Montezuma County (latest month 2026M09)).
Colorado. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.