Jobs, pay and daily life in Montrose, 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.
Montrose is a city in Colorado with 21,044 residents. The median household earns $70,386 a year and the median rent is $1,197 a month, which is 20.4% 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 Montrose compares. Among the 80 largest places in Colorado, Montrose is #37 by population, #11 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #68 for household income (#1 = highest), #61 for remote work (#1 = most). Its county, Montrose County, is #35 of 64 counties for average pay ($52,650).
Montrose has 21,044 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.4% of the population of Colorado. It covers 19 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,114 people per square mile. The median age is 47.0, 25% older than the state median (47.0 against 37.7).
The median gross rent is $1,197 a month (rent plus utilities), 32% below the state median ($1,197 against $1,761). Over a year that is 20.4% 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 $387,900, which is 5.5 times the median household income ($70,386); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 70.7% of households own their home, 7% above the state average (70.7% against 66.2%).
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Montrose County was 4.4%. 55.9% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Montrose County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 76.0% drive alone, 0.0% use public transit, 4.1% walk, 11.1% work from home. 14.1% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, about the same as the state average (14.1% against 14.1%).
33.5% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 27% below the state share (33.5% against 45.7%). 5.3% of residents were born outside the United States, 47% below the state share (5.3% against 9.8%). The poverty rate is 11.6%, 23% above the state rate (11.6% against 9.4%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 74°F (23.1°C), and the coolest is Dec at 26°F (-3.2°C). About 411 mm (16 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Sep is the wettest month (43 mm) and Jun the driest (14 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: Delta (23 miles, rent 17% lower); Clifton (53 miles, rent 8% lower); Grand Junction (57 miles, rent 5% lower); Fruita (67 miles, rent 23% higher). Rent differences are against Montrose; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Colorado (1,073) →State guide: ColoradoCountry guideMontrose 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 | 26.0% |
| Retail trade | 13.4% |
| Construction | 13.3% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 9.0% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 6.2% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 5.7% |
| Other services | 5.6% |
| Manufacturing | 5.5% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 5.1% |
| Public administration | 3.4% |
| Information | 2.6% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.5% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 1.8% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Montrose 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montrose County | 43,807 | $2,408 million | $54,970 | 17,014 | 1,725 | $52,650 | +2.7% | 4.4% | 20,245 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 2,341 | 17.3% | $40,751 | 1.38 |
| Health care and social assistance | 2,230 | 16.5% | $49,503 | 0.91 |
| Construction | 2,065 | 15.3% | $60,663 | 2.31 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,740 | 12.9% | $26,233 | 1.12 |
| Manufacturing | 1,106 | 8.2% | $51,709 | 0.79 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 662 | 4.9% | $47,534 | 0.92 |
| Professional and technical services | 586 | 4.3% | $64,376 | 0.50 |
| Administrative and waste services | 479 | 3.5% | $47,254 | 0.48 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 460 | 3.4% | $50,071 | 0.90 |
| Wholesale trade | 426 | 3.2% | $75,317 | 0.64 |
| Finance and insurance | 317 | 2.3% | $70,277 | 0.46 |
| Real estate and rental | 295 | 2.2% | $57,210 | 1.12 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 251 | 1.9% | $42,702 | 1.82 |
| Utilities | 183 | 1.4% | $97,869 | 2.83 |
| Information | 160 | 1.2% | $70,851 | 0.50 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 145 | 1.1% | $26,654 | 0.51 |
| Management of companies | 36 | 0.3% | $93,368 | 0.13 |
| Educational services | 27 | 0.2% | $18,698 | 0.08 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 14 | 0.1% | $78,446 | 0.22 |
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 | 76.0% |
| Public transit | 0.0% |
| Walk | 4.1% |
| Work from home | 11.1% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 14.1% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $70,386 |
| Income per person | $39,045 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,197 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 20.4% |
| Median home value | $387,900 |
| Homeowners | 70.7% |
| Poverty rate | 11.6% |
| 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 | 47.0 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 92.8% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 33.5% |
| Born abroad | 5.3% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 55.9% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -3.1 | 26 | 34 |
| Feb | -1.7 | 29 | 34 |
| Mar | 2.8 | 37 | 34 |
| Apr | 7.0 | 45 | 33 |
| May | 12.7 | 55 | 32 |
| Jun | 19.8 | 68 | 14 |
| Jul | 23.1 | 74 | 39 |
| Aug | 21.1 | 70 | 42 |
| Sep | 16.4 | 62 | 43 |
| Oct | 8.8 | 48 | 36 |
| Nov | 2.4 | 36 | 30 |
| Dec | -3.2 | 26 | 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta | CO | 23 mi | 9,421 | $45,250 | $990 |
| Clifton | CO | 53 mi | 19,518 | $52,100 | $1,107 |
| Grand Junction | CO | 57 mi | 68,142 | $70,080 | $1,142 |
| Fruita | CO | 67 mi | 13,691 | $87,184 | $1,472 |
| Rifle | CO | 74 mi | 10,570 | $80,000 | $1,308 |
| Glenwood Springs | CO | 79 mi | 10,241 | $91,481 | $1,867 |
| Durango | CO | 83 mi | 19,411 | $78,602 | $1,636 |
| Cortez | CO | 87 mi | 8,976 | $54,247 | $984 |
| Gypsum | CO | 93 mi | 8,941 | $115,564 | $2,183 |
| Edwards | CO | 103 mi | 10,785 | $81,909 | $1,845 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
21,044 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,197 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 20.4% of the median household income.
$70,386 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.4% (BLS county, Montrose County (latest month 2026M09)).
Colorado. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.