El Paso County, CO

This county of 762,607 residents needs 16,288 more housing units over the next five years. El Paso County is a CDBG-entitlement community, see how the ROAD to Housing Act could change that funding. El Paso County is part of the Pikes Peak Area COG.

Housing snapshot

Population
762,607 (2026)
Households
295,023
Median household income
$101,303 (2026)
Typical home value
$433,099
Owner-occupied
63%
Five-year housing need
16,288 units

Comparison to other Colorado counties

El Paso County: $101,303 Median income (2026 estimate)
<$38K >$166K
El Paso County: 0.95 jobs to household ratio
<0.31 >1.6
El Paso County: Permits since 2021 represent 10.7% of housing
<0.7% >16%
On this page

How affordable is this community?

At $433,099, typical home prices in El Paso County, CO are close to the Colorado average of $461,626. With a median household income of $101,303 in El Paso County, CO, housing costs are a modest stretch for the typical household.

This chart tracks whether housing prices are keeping pace with local incomes. The gap between what homes cost and what households can afford reveals affordability trends over time.

How is the population changing?

El Paso County, CO has a population of roughly 742,999, growing modestly at 1.2% per year.

Population growth patterns reveal how communities are evolving. This chart shows historical population changes by age group and projects future trends based on demographic patterns.

How has employment changed over time?

Jobs by industry sector since 2012. Switch between local jobs — counted where the jobs are located — and resident jobs, counted where the workers live. On the local view the most recent year is a nowcast: it grows the latest local LODES job mix forward using recent county employment growth from QCEW and the BLS local employment series, so the newest point tracks today's economy instead of data that is roughly two years old.

How are households changing by income?

With roughly 295,023 households, El Paso County, CO is growing modestly at 1.2% per year.

Understanding how households at different income levels are growing or declining helps identify which groups face the greatest housing pressure and where new housing is most needed.

Who lives here today?

In El Paso County, CO, detached single-family accounts for 67% of the housing stock. Homeownership is the norm in El Paso County, CO, with 63% of units owner-occupied.

Households may have different structure type preferences depending on characteristics such as household size, income, employment, presence of children, age of individuals, and lifestyle choices. Understanding the housing stock in corresponding terms helps assess how well existing units align with existing households' ideals.

What does the housing stock look like?

The mix of housing types and ownership patterns shapes a community's character. This chart breaks down housing units by structure type and whether they're owner-occupied or rented.

How much new housing supply is needed?

To keep up with growth and fill current housing shortages, El Paso County, CO needs 16,288 new units over the next 5 years.

10,430
Units needed to keep up with expected growth
Projected total household growth from 2026 to 2031.
3.5%
Projected household growth rate
Expected increase in total households from 295,023 in 2026 to 305,453 in 2031.
5,858
Units to address shortages in existing housing stock
Production needs to address vacancy rates and other factors.
945
Replacement housing
Effective annual loss rate is 0.6 per 1,000 units.
1,002
Ownership vacancy adjustment
Owner-occupied vacancy is 1.0%. This is below the minimum stable target of 1.5%.
3,911
Rental vacancy adjustment
Rental vacancy is 3.9%. This is below the minimum stable target of 7.4%.
16,288
Total 5-year housing production need (2026-2031)
3,258
Annual production pace
Average units needed per year to meet 5-year need
5.4%
Total housing unit growth
Percent increase in housing stock over 5 years
1.1%
Annual housing unit growth
Average percent increase in housing stock per year

Build Now Act: how could CDBG funding change?

The Build Now Act (Section 213 of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act) ties a CDBG entitlement community's grant to how much housing it is building. This is a CommunityScale estimate from public ACS data, not HUD's official determination — HUD calculates from Census Master Address File block counts.

How do these communities compare to each other?