Market rankings · Colorado
Grocery and convenience stores in Colorado
Markets across Colorado ranked by the Groundwork market score for grocery and convenience stores, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 3,790
- 2,024 chain locations (53%)
- Official establishments
- 1,082
- +5.7% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $15.3B
- On groceries
- Listings per 10k households
- 16.0
- 14% below the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $4M
- 19% above the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #2 of 51
- Market score 83 · High
A site report maps the grocery and convenience stores on map listings around any address in Colorado by name and distance, and the spending within reach.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
Map listings as of September 2026 show 3,790 grocery and convenience stores in Colorado. Chain locations make up 53% of them, against 42% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 16.0, 14% below the U.S. rate of 18.7.
Households in Colorado spend about $15.3B a year on groceries, or $6,458 per household, 2% above the U.S. average. Spread across 3,790 grocery and convenience stores, that is $4M per store, 19% above the U.S. figure of $3.4M.
In 2023, official counts showed 1,082 businesses with payroll in Colorado classed as grocery and convenience stores, up 5.7% from 2019. That is one for every 2,194 households, against one for every 1,293 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 7.2% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 53 SBA-backed loans worth $22.5M have gone to businesses classed as grocery and convenience stores in Colorado.
Among the 50 states and DC, Colorado ranks #2 for grocery and convenience stores, with a Groundwork market score of 83 (high). Of the 7 scored metro areas in or partly in Colorado, the Greeley metro area scores highest (91). Of the 10 scored small-town markets in or partly in Colorado, the Durango area scores highest (79).
Every market in Colorado for grocery and convenience stores
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Colorado, highest first; the U.S. rank compares each market with every other of its kind. A metro area that crosses a state line is listed in each state it reaches, and numbered only in the state its page is under. How the score works.
Metro areas
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Greeley, CO | 91 | 186 | 15.0 | $4.3M | +14.2% | #2 of 387 |
| 2Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | 87 | 217 | 14.1 | $4.5M | +4.8% | #6 of 387 |
| 3Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 85 | 1,719 | 14.1 | $4.7M | +4.1% | #9 of 387 |
| 4Colorado Springs, CO | 82 | 414 | 13.7 | $4.6M | +3.1% | #15 of 387 |
| 5Boulder, CO | 73 | 203 | 14.8 | $4.5M | −0.7% | #40 of 387 |
| 6Pueblo, CO | 53 | 111 | 16.2 | $3.5M | +0.6% | #180 of 387 |
| 7Grand Junction, CO | 53 | 146 | 22.2 | $2.7M | +4.4% | #184 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Durango, CO | 79 | 45 | 18.5 | $3.4M | +2.2% | #21 of 538 |
| 2Rifle, CO | 72 | 75 | 23.0 | $2.8M | +1.2% | #61 of 538 |
| 3Cañon City, CO | 71 | 32 | 17.8 | $3.1M | +2.4% | #67 of 538 |
| 4Montrose, CO | 70 | 35 | 19.4 | $3M | +4.1% | #82 of 538 |
| 5Steamboat Springs, CO | 66 | 44 | 26.4 | $2.4M | +0.9% | #120 of 538 |
| 6Edwards, CO | 54 | 50 | 22.7 | $2.9M | −2.4% | #245 of 538 |
| 7Breckenridge, CO | 48 | 49 | 31.5 | $2.2M | +1.1% | #309 of 538 |
| 8Fort Morgan, CO | 47 | 29 | 26.2 | $2.2M | +4.2% | #316 of 538 |
| 9Alamosa, CO | 35 | 31 | 27.0 | $2M | +2.1% | #419 of 538 |
| 10Sterling, CO | 28 | 21 | 25.6 | $2.1M | −2.7% | #463 of 538 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Douglas County, CO | 98 | 153 | 10.9 | $6.8M | +10.9% | #2 of 2,402 |
| 2Elbert County, CO | 98 | 12 | 12.0 | $5.9M | +16.5% | #3 of 2,402 |
| 3Broomfield County, CO | 95 | 30 | 9.4 | $7.5M | +6.3% | #9 of 2,402 |
| 4Weld County, CO | 91 | 186 | 15.0 | $4.3M | +14.2% | #42 of 2,402 |
| 5Larimer County, CO | 88 | 217 | 14.1 | $4.5M | +4.8% | #65 of 2,402 |
| 6Park County, CO | 86 | 13 | 14.5 | $4.5M | +5.1% | #90 of 2,402 |
| 7El Paso County, CO | 85 | 390 | 13.4 | $4.7M | +3.2% | #100 of 2,402 |
| 8Jefferson County, CO | 81 | 296 | 12.2 | $5.5M | −0.5% | #155 of 2,402 |
| 9Arapahoe County, CO | 81 | 350 | 13.6 | $4.8M | +2.8% | #159 of 2,402 |
| 10Adams County, CO | 80 | 292 | 15.5 | $4.1M | +6.6% | #181 of 2,402 |
| 11Denver County, CO | 78 | 554 | 16.5 | $3.9M | +3.2% | #227 of 2,402 |
| 12Boulder County, CO | 75 | 203 | 14.8 | $4.5M | −0.7% | #288 of 2,402 |
| 13La Plata County, CO | 70 | 45 | 18.5 | $3.4M | +2.2% | #447 of 2,402 |
| 14Mesa County, CO | 67 | 146 | 22.2 | $2.7M | +4.4% | #545 of 2,402 |
| 15Pitkin County, CO | 66 | 15 | 16.3 | $4.1M | −4.2% | #554 of 2,402 |
| 16Pueblo County, CO | 65 | 111 | 16.2 | $3.5M | +0.6% | #590 of 2,402 |
| 17Archuleta County, CO | 65 | 13 | 22.0 | $2.8M | +6.6% | #606 of 2,402 |
| 18Fremont County, CO | 63 | 32 | 17.8 | $3.1M | +2.4% | #674 of 2,402 |
| 19Montrose County, CO | 62 | 35 | 19.4 | $3M | +4.1% | #724 of 2,402 |
| 20Garfield County, CO | 62 | 60 | 25.6 | $2.5M | +2.7% | #739 of 2,402 |
| 21Routt County, CO | 59 | 30 | 26.6 | $2.5M | +2.0% | #849 of 2,402 |
| 22Chaffee County, CO | 58 | 24 | 24.3 | $2.5M | +6.9% | #880 of 2,402 |
| 23Teller County, CO | 56 | 24 | 20.2 | $3.1M | 0.0% | #938 of 2,402 |
| 24Gunnison County, CO | 55 | 18 | 21.2 | $2.9M | +2.9% | #985 of 2,402 |
| 25Montezuma County, CO | 53 | 23 | 20.4 | $2.8M | +3.0% | #1,079 of 2,402 |
Show all 64 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Grand County, CO | 52 | 20 | 26.8 | $2.3M | +4.8% | #1,142 of 2,402 |
| 27Eagle County, CO | 50 | 50 | 22.7 | $2.9M | −2.4% | #1,204 of 2,402 |
| 28Summit County, CO | 44 | 40 | 31.9 | $2.2M | +0.9% | #1,450 of 2,402 |
| 29Morgan County, CO | 43 | 29 | 26.2 | $2.2M | +4.2% | #1,491 of 2,402 |
| 30Las Animas County, CO | 39 | 15 | 23.0 | $2.3M | −0.7% | #1,639 of 2,402 |
| 31Moffat County, CO | 34 | 14 | 26.0 | $2.2M | −1.1% | #1,819 of 2,402 |
| 32Delta County, CO | 34 | 41 | 31.6 | $1.7M | +3.6% | #1,834 of 2,402 |
| 33Alamosa County, CO | 33 | 16 | 24.1 | $2.2M | +1.9% | #1,860 of 2,402 |
| 34Logan County, CO | 29 | 21 | 25.6 | $2.1M | −2.7% | #1,974 of 2,402 |
| 35Rio Grande County, CO | 26 | 18 | 35.1 | $1.6M | −3.9% | #2,088 of 2,402 |
| 36Prowers County, CO | 25 | 15 | 31.7 | $1.7M | −1.1% | #2,110 of 2,402 |
| 37Otero County, CO | 13 | 21 | 27.7 | $1.9M | −5.2% | #2,319 of 2,402 |
| Yuma County, CO | Not scored | 22 | 53.9 | $1M | −0.8% | |
| Clear Creek County, CO | Not scored | 11 | 23.5 | $2.8M | −3.9% | |
| San Miguel County, CO | Not scored | 13 | 28.2 | $2.2M | −3.7% | |
| Conejos County, CO | Not scored | 8 | 25.3 | $2.1M | +1.0% | |
| Lake County, CO | Not scored | 9 | 29.8 | $2.1M | +1.9% | |
| Kit Carson County, CO | Not scored | 15 | 51.8 | $1.1M | +0.1% | |
| Huerfano County, CO | Not scored | 11 | 35.5 | $1.5M | +2.7% | |
| Saguache County, CO | Not scored | 9 | 26.5 | $2M | +5.3% | |
| Rio Blanco County, CO | Not scored | 13 | 46.3 | $1.2M | +2.5% | |
| Gilpin County, CO | Not scored | 8 | 25.6 | $2.5M | +4.4% | |
| Crowley County, CO | Not scored | 3 | 22.4 | $2.3M | −0.5% | |
| Lincoln County, CO | Not scored | 4 | 20.3 | $2.7M | −0.4% | |
| Bent County, CO | Not scored | 4 | 21.3 | $2.4M | +4.5% | |
| Custer County, CO | Not scored | 7 | 26.2 | $2.2M | +18.3% | |
| Ouray County, CO | Not scored | 7 | 26.7 | $2.3M | +7.9% | |
| Washington County, CO | Not scored | 2 | 9.7 | $5.9M | −1.6% | |
| Phillips County, CO | Not scored | 20 | 102.5 | $576K | −2.4% | |
| Costilla County, CO | Not scored | 7 | 42.4 | $1.1M | +5.1% | |
| Baca County, CO | Not scored | 15 | 90.5 | $563K | −3.8% | |
| Dolores County, CO | Not scored | 5 | 39.9 | $1.4M | +5.8% | |
| Sedgwick County, CO | Not scored | 11 | 107.6 | $493K | −6.0% | |
| Cheyenne County, CO | Not scored | 2 | 25.5 | $2.3M | −1.9% | |
| Kiowa County, CO | Not scored | 1 | 17.1 | $3.2M | −2.8% | |
| Jackson County, CO | Not scored | 3 | 45.6 | $1.2M | −12.2% | |
| Hinsdale County, CO | Not scored | 3 | 58.7 | $1M | −4.6% | |
| Mineral County, CO | Not scored | 4 | 103.6 | $538K | +4.6% | |
| San Juan County, CO | Not scored | 1 | 25.1 | $2.2M | +14.5% |
Markets with fewer than 5 grocery and convenience stores on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many grocery and convenience stores are in Colorado?
There are 3,790 grocery and convenience stores on map listings in Colorado as of September 2026. 2,024 of them (53%) are chain locations. The listings count grocery, convenience and specialty food stores. Official counts show 1,082 businesses with payroll classed as grocery and convenience stores in 2023, up 5.7% from 2019. Official counts also show 994 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Colorado spend on groceries?
About $15.3B a year, or $6,458 per household. That is 2% above the U.S. average (an index of 102, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 3,790 grocery and convenience stores on map listings, it comes to $4M per store. It is estimated from the incomes of the 2,374,218 households in Colorado and national spending patterns by income.
How does Colorado compare with the U.S. for grocery and convenience stores?
Colorado has 16.0 grocery and convenience stores per 10,000 households, 14% below the U.S. rate of 18.7. Spending per store is $4M, 19% above the U.S. figure of $3.4M. At the national ratio of grocery and convenience stores to household spending, Colorado would have about 4,525, against 3,790 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 2,194 households, against one for every 1,293 across the U.S. The official count rose 5.7% from 2019 to 2023, against +7.2% for the U.S.
Which market in Colorado has the highest market score for grocery and convenience stores?
Among 7 scored metro areas in or partly in Colorado, the Greeley metro area scores highest, at 91 (very high). Among 10 scored small-town markets in or partly in Colorado, the Durango area scores highest, at 79 (high). Among 37 scored counties in Colorado, Douglas County scores highest, at 98 (very high). Scores compare each market with others of its kind across the U.S.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. Colorado scores 83 for grocery and convenience stores (high), #2 of the 50 states and DC.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Colorado. It maps the grocery and convenience stores on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
Grocery and convenience stores in other states
All 51 states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Top markets for grocery and convenience stores across the U.S. · All business types in Colorado
Related business types in Colorado
- Grocery stores1,071 listings
- Convenience stores1,674 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in Colorado?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.