Jobs, pay and daily life in Rifle, 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.
Rifle is a city in Colorado with 10,570 residents. The median household earns $80,000 a year and the median rent is $1,308 a month, which is 19.6% 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 Rifle compares. Among the 80 largest places in Colorado, Rifle is #67 by population, #79 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #76 for remote work (#1 = most), #74 for college degrees (#1 = most). Its county, Garfield County, is #15 of 64 counties for average pay ($64,549).
Rifle has 10,570 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.2% of the population of Colorado. It covers 7 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,508 people per square mile. The median age is 32.4, 14% younger than the state median (32.4 against 37.7).
The median gross rent is $1,308 a month (rent plus utilities), 26% below the state median ($1,308 against $1,761). Over a year that is 19.6% 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 $413,500, which is 5.2 times the median household income ($80,000); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 66.4% of households own their home, about the same as the state average (66.4% against 66.2%).
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Garfield County was 3.5%. 78.4% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Garfield County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 77.2% drive alone, 0.3% use public transit, 0.0% walk, 6.8% work from home. 26.3% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 86% above the state average (26.3% against 14.1%).
19.4% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 57% below the state share (19.4% against 45.7%). 18.3% of residents were born outside the United States, 86% above the state share (18.3% against 9.8%). The poverty rate is 6.0%, 36% below the state rate (6.0% against 9.4%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 67°F (19.6°C), and the coolest is Jan at 18°F (-7.6°C). About 491 mm (19 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Apr is the wettest month (50 mm) and Jun the driest (22 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: Glenwood Springs (23 miles, rent 43% higher); Gypsum (44 miles, rent 67% higher); Clifton (49 miles, rent 15% lower); Grand Junction (53 miles, rent 13% lower). Rent differences are against Rifle; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Colorado (1,073) →State guide: ColoradoCountry guideGarfield 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 | 19.9% |
| Retail trade | 12.6% |
| Other services | 11.7% |
| Construction | 11.6% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 11.4% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 6.3% |
| Public administration | 6.3% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 5.9% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 5.4% |
| Manufacturing | 2.8% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 2.5% |
| Information | 2.2% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.3% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Rifle 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garfield County | 62,479 | $5,011 million | $80,202 | 27,766 | 3,052 | $64,549 | +2.9% | 3.5% | 32,972 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction | 3,755 | 16.9% | $71,491 | 2.58 |
| Retail trade | 3,140 | 14.1% | $45,968 | 1.13 |
| Health care and social assistance | 3,139 | 14.1% | $77,392 | 0.79 |
| Accommodation and food services | 3,092 | 13.9% | $32,983 | 1.22 |
| Professional and technical services | 1,449 | 6.5% | $88,542 | 0.75 |
| Administrative and waste services | 1,183 | 5.3% | $60,866 | 0.72 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 962 | 4.3% | $108,015 | 9.16 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 866 | 3.9% | $53,372 | 1.04 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 774 | 3.5% | $34,651 | 1.66 |
| Real estate and rental | 698 | 3.1% | $83,241 | 1.62 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 543 | 2.4% | $67,626 | 0.46 |
| Finance and insurance | 537 | 2.4% | $97,518 | 0.48 |
| Wholesale trade | 514 | 2.3% | $75,891 | 0.47 |
| Educational services | 425 | 1.9% | $47,869 | 0.74 |
| Manufacturing | 379 | 1.7% | $63,395 | 0.17 |
| Utilities | 214 | 1.0% | $130,095 | 2.03 |
| Information | 206 | 0.9% | $85,945 | 0.40 |
| Management of companies | 196 | 0.9% | $91,995 | 0.42 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 168 | 0.8% | $49,656 | 0.75 |
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 | 77.2% |
| Public transit | 0.3% |
| Walk | 0.0% |
| Work from home | 6.8% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 26.3% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $80,000 |
| Income per person | $35,697 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,308 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 19.6% |
| Median home value | $413,500 |
| Homeowners | 66.4% |
| Poverty rate | 6.0% |
| 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 | 32.4 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 85.8% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 19.4% |
| Born abroad | 18.3% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 78.4% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -7.6 | 18 | 43 |
| Feb | -6.0 | 21 | 40 |
| Mar | -0.7 | 31 | 42 |
| Apr | 3.6 | 38 | 50 |
| May | 9.1 | 48 | 44 |
| Jun | 15.9 | 61 | 22 |
| Jul | 19.6 | 67 | 37 |
| Aug | 17.9 | 64 | 38 |
| Sep | 13.3 | 56 | 44 |
| Oct | 5.5 | 42 | 45 |
| Nov | -0.9 | 30 | 40 |
| Dec | -7.3 | 19 | 46 |
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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glenwood Springs | CO | 23 mi | 10,241 | $91,481 | $1,867 |
| Gypsum | CO | 44 mi | 8,941 | $115,564 | $2,183 |
| Clifton | CO | 49 mi | 19,518 | $52,100 | $1,107 |
| Grand Junction | CO | 53 mi | 68,142 | $70,080 | $1,142 |
| Delta | CO | 57 mi | 9,421 | $45,250 | $990 |
| Fruita | CO | 58 mi | 13,691 | $87,184 | $1,472 |
| Edwards | CO | 61 mi | 10,785 | $81,909 | $1,845 |
| Craig | CO | 69 mi | 8,991 | $72,636 | $1,045 |
| Montrose | CO | 74 mi | 21,044 | $70,386 | $1,197 |
| Steamboat Springs | CO | 82 mi | 13,433 | $104,964 | $2,017 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
10,570 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,308 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 19.6% of the median household income.
$80,000 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.5% (BLS county, Garfield County (latest month 2026M09)).
Colorado. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.