Best and Worst Colorado Counties for Vaccinations So Far

On April 8, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment added key data to its barrage of information about the battle against COVID-19. The CDPHE's vaccine dashboard now reveals the counties that have vaccinated the highest percentage of their eligible population — and the statistics contain plenty of surprises.

At this point, counties with smaller populations occupy both the upper and lower portions of the chart. The top performer is Mineral County, which numbered just 824 residents in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau; it has a 49.2 percent vaccination rate. Meanwhile, Bent County, whose 2019 population hit 5,787, ranks 64th out of 64, at 10.2 percent.

In the metro area, Adams County has the lowest figures to date, at 19.8 percent; Broomfield County has the best, at 29.2 percent. (That stat backs up our April 7 story about Broomfield City Council's focus on keeping its residents safe.) Denver, meanwhile, lands at 23.6 percent, with three-quarters of its residents eligible for vaccination (anyone age sixteen or above) still needing to complete the inoculation process.

Statewide, the vaccination numbers are huge. As of today, April 9, 1,941,945 people have been immunized with one dose of the three major medications, manufactured by Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, while 1,168,890 individuals are categorized as fully immunized. (Pfizer and Moderna require a two-shot regimen; Johnson & Johnson mandates just one.) The cumulative number of doses administered currently stands at 3,028,563.

Governor Jared Polis has repeatedly emphasized that vaccinations are the quickest and best way to help the state, the country and the world to emerge from the pandemic, which has now dragged on for more than a year. Some Colorado counties are closer to reaching their goals than others.

here's how the CDPHE ranks them:

64. Bent County — 10.2 percent
63. Crowley County — 10.3 percent
62. Elbert County — 14.2 percent
61. Saguache County — 15.1 percent
60. Washington County — 15.2 percent
59. Clear Cree County — 17.9 percent
58. Logan County — 18.6 percent
57. Cheyenne County — 19.2 percent
56. Adams County — 19.8 percent
55. Prowers County — 20.4 percent
54 (tie). Park County — 20.8 percent
54 (tie). El Paso County — 20.8 percent
54 (tie). Fremont County — 20.8 percent
51 (tie). Moffat County — 21.7 percent
51 (tie). Jackson County — 21.7 percent
49. Morgan County — 21.8 percent
48 (tie). Gilpin County — 21.9 percent
48 (tie). Weld County — 21.9 percent
46. Kit Carson County — 22.1 percent
45. Rio Blanco County — 22.4 percent
44. Arapahoe County — 22.7 pecent
43. Lincoln County — 23.2 percent
42. Denver County — 23.6 percent
41 (tie). Grand County — 24.3 percent
41 (tie). Yuma County — 24.3 percent
39. Delta County — 24.4 percent
38. Baca County — 24.9 percent
37. Teller County — 25.1 percent
36. Douglas County — 25.3 percent
35. Pueblo County — 25.4 percent
34. Lake County — 25.8 percent
33. Custer County — 26.1 percent
32. Otero County — 26.2 percent
31. Larimer County — 26.4 percent
30. Dolores County — 26.7 percent
29. Boulder County — 27 percent
28 (tie). Mesa County — 27.8 percent
28 (tie). Pitkin County — 27.8 percent
26. Conejos County 28.3 percent
25. Alamosa County — 28.4 percent
24. Jefferson County — 28.7 percent
23. Broomfield County — 29.2 percent
22. Kiowa County — 29.3 percent
21. Garfield County — 29.5 percent
20 (tie). Montrose County — 30.5 percent
20 (tie). Huerfano County — 30.5 percent
18. Phillips County — 31.8 percent
17. Montezuma County — 32.6 percent
16. Sedgwick County — 32.7 percent
15. Summit County — 33 percent
14, Las Animas County — 33.1 percent
13. Rio Grande County — 34.3 percent
12. Archuleta County — 37.3 percent
11 (tie). Eagle County — 38.5 percent
11 (tie). La Plata County — 38.5 percent
9. Chaffee County — 38.6 percent
8. Routt County — 39 percent
7. Costilla County — 39.9 percent
6. San Miguel County — 40.2 percent
5. Gunnison County — 41.3 percent
4, Hinsdale County — 43.6 percent
3, Ouray County 43.9 percent
2, San Juan County — 48.2 percent
1, Mineral — 49.2 percent