Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Washington instead of Colorado, you would:
Health
live 0.9 years longer
In Colorado, the average life expectancy is 78 years (78 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020. In Washington, that number is 79 years (78 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020.
be 18.3% more likely to be obese
In Colorado, 26.3% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Washington, that number is 31.1% of people as of 2022.
be 10.1% more likely to have diabetes
In Colorado, 7.9% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In Washington, that number is 8.7% as of 2022.
Economy
make 17.6% more money
Colorado has a GDP per capita of $74,650 as of 2024, while in Washington, the GDP per capita is $87,768 as of 2024.
be 47.2% more likely to be unemployed
In Colorado, 3.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Washington, that number is 5.3% as of 2025.
Safety
be 24.7% less likely to be a victim of violent crime
Colorado has a violent crime rate of 463 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Washington, that number is 349 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 16.4% less likely to be uninsured
In Colorado, 7.3% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Washington, that number is 6.1% as of 2023.
be 12.8% less likely to smoke
In Colorado, 12.5% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Washington, that number is 10.9% as of 2022.
be 58.3% more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Colorado, 4.8% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Washington, that number is 7.6% as of 2023.
commute 1.5 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in Colorado takes 25.5 minutes as of 2023. In Washington, it takes 27.0 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 2.1 times more densely populated
Colorado has a population density of 22.0 people per sq km as of 2023. In Washington, that number is 45.6 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 12.7% less likely to have a bachelor's degree
In Colorado, 30.0% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2023. In Washington, that number is 26.2% as of 2023.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: OECD Regional Demography, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
