The vast majority of residents in the Colorado city with the heftiest difference make around 45 times less than the community's wealthiest 1 percent. That figure jumps to more than 72 times less for the county with the largest disparity between the richest few and the rest of the citizenry.
These revelations are included in "The New Gilded Age," from the Washington, D.C.-based Economic Policy Institute. Authors Estelle Sommeiller and Mark Price reveal that income inequality has gone up in all fifty states since the 1970s, and that process has accelerated almost everywhere since the 2009 period associated with what's commonly called the Great Recession. In 2015, the most recent year for which data is available, an American family in the top 1 percent received in excess of 26 times more income as one in the bottom 99 percent.
The ratio in five Colorado metro areas is above that average, with two of them — Glenwood Springs and Steamboat Springs — among the sixteen places with the greatest top-to-bottom ratios nationwide.
A similar scenario applies to Colorado counties. Indeed, Pitkin, which includes Aspen, has the seventh-largest chasm between the 1 percent and the 99 percent of 3,016 U.S. counties analyzed. And seven other counties in the state have a top-to-bottom ratio greater than the 23.9 national multiplier circa 1928, the peak the year before the start of the Great Depression.
Colorado as a whole places in twentieth position when it comes to the largest income gap. The average income of the state's top 1 percent is $1,261,053, as compared to $61,165 for the 99 percent left over. The latter is 20.6 times lower than the former. To put it another way, the average 99 percenter makes about a nickel for every dollar earned by the average 1 percenter.
Below, we've focused on all seventeen Colorado cities (out of 916 across the country) and the 57 Colorado counties (from a total of 3,061) included in the institute's examination. The items include the average income of the top 1 percent for each entrant, the average income of the bottom 99 percent, the top-to-bottom ratio and their national ranking. They've been placed in descending order.
As you'll see, rural communities and counties tend to have less income inequality, while larger cities and mountain resort towns skew higher. But this rule isn't iron-clad. For example, both Colorado Springs and its county, El Paso, are in the middle of the pack when it comes to the size of the gap, not near the top, and modest-sized Sterling and its county, Logan, sport a discrepancy considerably larger than the 19.8 ratio for metro Denver and the 28.0 ratio for Denver County.
Oh, yeah: Places where the top 1 percent make ten times more than the other 99 percent are mighty rare, particularly in Colorado. Continue for the concerning details.
RATIO OF TOP 1 PERCENT INCOME TO BOTTOM 99 PERCENT INCOME FOR COLORADO METROPOLITAN AREAS, 2015
Number 17: Craig
Average income of the top 1 percent: $484,970
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $46,317
Top-to-bottom ratio: 10.5
Ranking out of 916 U.S. cities: 843
Number 16: Cañon City
Average income of the top 1 percent: $441,889
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $35,746
Top-to-bottom ratio: 12.4
Ranking out of 916 U.S. cities: 720
Number 15: Colorado Springs
Average income of the top 1 percent: $691,700
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $53,458
Top-to-bottom ratio: 12.9
Ranking out of 916 U.S. cities: 680
Number 14: Fort Morgan
Average income of the top 1 percent: $552,933
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $41,974
Top-to-bottom ratio: 13.2
Ranking out of 916 U.S. cities: 658
Number 13: Greeley
Average income of the top 1 percent: $786,721
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $59,174
Top-to-bottom ratio: 13.3
Ranking out of 916 U.S. cities: 647
Number 12: Montrose
Average income of the top 1 percent: $502,969
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $37,278
Top-to-bottom ratio: 13.5
Ranking out of 916 U.S. cities: 631
Number 11: Pueblo
Average income of the top 1 percent: $524,019
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $36,792
Top-to-bottom ratio: 14.2
Ranking out of 916 U.S. cities: 563
Grand Junction, Colorado.
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Average income of the top 1 percent: $667,500
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $43,664
Top-to-bottom ratio: 15.3
Ranking out of 916 U.S. cities: 476
Number 9: Durango
Average income of the top 1 percent: $1,023,976
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $58,667
Top-to-bottom ratio: 17.5
Ranking out of 916 U.S. cities: 314
Number 8: Fort Collins
Average income of the top 1 percent: $1,161,138
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $61,710
Top-to-bottom ratio: 18.8
Ranking out of 916 U.S. cities: 225
Number 7: Denver-Aurora-Lakewood
Average income of the top 1 percent: 1,348,073
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $68,017
Top-to-bottom ratio: 19.8
Ranking out of 916 U.S. cities: 180
Number 6: Breckenridge
Average income of the top 1 percent: $1,749,352
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $84,121
Top-to-bottom ratio: 20.8
Ranking out of 916 U.S. cities: 138
Number 5: Boulder
Average income of the top 1 percent: $2,049,421
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $77,448
Top-to-bottom ratio: 26.5
Ranking out of 916 U.S. cities: 44
Number 4: Sterling
Average income of the top 1 percent: $1,055,819
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $39,247
Top-to-bottom ratio: 26.9
Ranking out of 916 U.S. cities: 40
Number 3: Edwards
Average income of the top 1 percent: $2,567,254
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $82,763
Top-to-bottom ratio: 31.0
Ranking out of 916 U.S. cities: 31
Number 2: Steamboat Springs
Average income of the top 1 percent: $2,507,070
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $71,006
Top-to-bottom ratio: 35.3
Ranking out of 916 U.S. cities: 17
Number 1: Glenwood Springs
Average income of the top 1 percent: $2,968,276
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $66,015
Top-to-bottom ratio: 45.0
Ranking out of 916 U.S. cities: 8
RATIO OF TOP 1 PERCENT INCOME TO BOTTOM 99 PERCENT INCOME FOR COLORADO COUNTIES, 2015
Rio Blanco County.
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Average income of the top 1 percent: $387,586
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $48,825
Top-to-bottom ratio: 7.9
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 2,959
Number 56: Lake County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $327,983
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $36,281
Top-to-bottom ratio: 9.0
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 2,780
Number 55: Teller County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $514,066
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $52,739
Top-to-bottom ratio: 9.7
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 2,610
Number 54: Adams County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $548,430
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $55,944
Top-to-bottom ratio: 9.8
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 2,596
Number 53: Lincoln County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $402,267
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $40,301
Top-to-bottom ratio: 10.0
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 2,542
Number 52: Otero County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $288,984
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $28,899
Top-to-bottom ratio: 10.0
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 2,535
Number 51: Park County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $450,462
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $43,654
Top-to-bottom ratio: 10.3
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 2,454
Number 50: Moffat County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $484,970
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $46,317
Top-to-bottom ratio: 10.5
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 2,403
Number 49: Conejos County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $294,163
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $27,854
Top-to-bottom ratio: 10.6
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 2,378
Number 48: Elbert County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $891,282
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $82,228
Top-to-bottom ratio: 10.8
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 2,297
Number 47: Crowley County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $276,548
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $24,331
Top-to-bottom ratio: 11.4
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 2,119
Number 46: Sedgwick County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $405,557
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $34,980
Top-to-bottom ratio: 11.6
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 2,022
Number 45: Las Animas County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $377,449
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $32,255
Top-to-bottom ratio: 11.7
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 1,987
Number 44: Broomfield County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $1,010,262
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $84,535
Top-to-bottom ratio: 12.0
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 1,913
Number 43: Delta County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $420,467
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $34,523
Top-to-bottom ratio: 12.2
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 1,838
Number 42: Alamosa County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $430,866
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $35,013
Top-to-bottom ratio: 12.3
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 1,792
Number 41: Fremont County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $441,889
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $35,746
Top-to-bottom ratio: 12.4
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 1,766
Number 40: Costilla County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $273,364
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $22,061
Top-to-bottom ratio: 12.4
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 1,750
Number 39: Baca County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $331,392
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $26,468
Top-to-bottom ratio: 12.5
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 1,702
Number 38: Bent County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $321,153
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $25,410
Top-to-bottom ratio: 12.6
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 1,665
Number 37: Huerfano County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $315,027
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $24,823
Top-to-bottom ratio: 12.7
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 1,654
Number 36: El Paso County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $698,559
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $53,487
Top-to-bottom ratio: 13.1
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 1,540
Number 35: Morgan County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $552,933
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $41,974
Top-to-bottom ratio: 13.2
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 1,502
Number 34: Weld County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $786,721
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $59,174
Top-to-bottom ratio: 13.3
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 1,466
Number 33: Phillips County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $595,803
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $44,770
Top-to-bottom ratio: 13.3
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 1,463
Number 32: Kit Carson County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $486,039
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $36,175
Top-to-bottom ratio: 13.4
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 1,431
Number 31: Montrose County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $502,969
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $37,278
Top-to-bottom ratio: 13.5
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 1,414
Number 30: Chaffee County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $640,646
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $46,083
Top-to-bottom ratio: 13.9
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 1,292
Number 29: Pueblo County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $524,019
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $36,792
Top-to-bottom ratio: 14.2
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 1,216
Number 28: Washington County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $480,053
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $33,303
Top-to-bottom ratio: 14.4
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 1,185
Number 27: Jefferson County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $1,052,369
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $69,703
Top-to-bottom ratio: 15.1
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 1,038
Number 26: Custer County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $611,587
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $40,028
Top-to-bottom ratio: 15.3
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 1,006
Number 25: Mesa County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $667,500
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $43,664
Top-to-bottom ratio: 15.3
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 1,004
Number 24: Prowers County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $456,490
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $29,423
Top-to-bottom ratio: 15.5
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 962
Number 23: Gilpin County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $737,375
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $45,554
Top-to-bottom ratio: 16.2
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 841
Number 22: Rio Grande County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $612,782
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $37,432
Top-to-bottom ratio: 16.4
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 817
Number 21: Clear Creek County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $950,866
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $56,335
Top-to-bottom ratio: 16.9
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 734
Number 20: Gunnison County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $837,964
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $48,186
Top-to-bottom ratio: 17.4
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 662
Number 19: La Plata County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $1,023,976
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $58,667
Top-to-bottom ratio: 17.5
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 658
Number 18: Douglas County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $1,861,281
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $104,980
Top-to-bottom ratio: 17.7
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 621
Number 17: Saguache County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $321,211
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $17,638
Top-to-bottom ratio: 18.2
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 569
Number 16: Montezuma County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $675,427
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $37,066
Top-to-bottom ratio: 18.2
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 566
Number 15: Grand County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $1,137,110
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $61,212
Top-to-bottom ratio: 18.6
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 534
Number 14: Archuleta County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $800,058
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $42,765
Top-to-bottom ratio: 18.7
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 519
Number 13: Larimer County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $1,161,138
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $61,710
Top-to-bottom ratio: 18.8
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 509
Number 12: Yuma County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $788,670
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $41,362
Top-to-bottom ratio: 19.1
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 491
Number 11: Summit County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $1,749,352
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $84,121
Top-to-bottom ratio: 20.8
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 340
Number 10: Ouray
Average income of the top 1 percent: $1,257,551
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $58,045
Top-to-bottom ratio: 21.7
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 286
Number 9: Arapahoe County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $1,520,877
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $66,081
Top-to-bottom ratio: 23.0
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 226
Number 8: Garfield County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $1,493,003
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $57,940
Top-to-bottom ratio: 25.8
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 156
Number 7: Boulder County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $2,049,421
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $77,448
Top-to-bottom ratio: 26.5
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 132
Number 6: Logan County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $1,055,819
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $39,247
Top-to-bottom ratio: 26.9
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 120
Number 5: Denver County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $1,687,561
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $60,245
Top-to-bottom ratio: 28.0
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 107
Number 4: Eagle County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $2,567,254
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $82,763
Top-to-bottom ratio: 31.0
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 80
Number 3: Routt County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $2,507,070
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $71,006
Top-to-bottom ratio: 35.3
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 49
Number 2: San Miguel County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $4,515,363
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $65,281
Top-to-bottom ratio: 69.2
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 8
Number 1: Pitkin County
Average income of the top 1 percent: $6,620,969
Average income of the bottom 99 percent: $91,714
Top-to-bottom ratio: 72.2
Ranking out of 3.061 counties: 7
