Colorado
The Impact Project synthesizes publicly available data about the impacts of government change.
State Dashboards provide a snapshot of impacts to states, including the size of the federal workforce, federal dollars, a profile of probationary workers, and impacts to federal programs.
Dashboards will change as the data does, and you may find areas that need updating. Please reach out via [email protected] if you would like to support our work, share data, or provide feedback.
Click here to download state data.
Federal Workforce in Colorado
Total Workforce
3,151,001
Federal Workforce
39,910
Probationary Federal Workforce
4,023
Sources: OPM.gov (Mar. '24); Census.gov (Dec '24); BLS.gov (Feb. '24)
Federal Funding & State Revenue
Historically, federal dollars have accounted for about a quarter to a third of state revenue. The COVID-19 Pandemic increased those numbers. Approximately 28.23% of the State's 2019 budget came from federal funding, and 34.86% of 2022's budget.
Sources: Pew Trusts; Census.gov; NBER.gov
Summary of State Dots
| Action | Colorado Stories |
|---|---|
| Defense | 14 |
| Economy & Employment | 12 |
| Education | 6 |
| Emergency Services, Public Safety & Law Enforcement | 9 |
| Energy | 22 |
| Food & Agriculture | 15 |
| Housing | 6 |
| Humanities & the Arts | 1 |
| Immigration | 1 |
| Infrastructure | 29 |
| International Development | 15 |
| Natural Resources, Environment & Public Lands | 57 |
| Overarching | 32 |
| Public Health & Healthcare | 42 |
| Research & Academic Research | 12 |
| Social Services | 6 |
| Total | 279 |
Sources: theimpactproject.org
Last Updated: 4/20/25
DOGE Data Summary
According to DOGE data, 58 contracts, 46 grants and 17 leases have been terminated in Colorado.
Source: https://doge.gov/savings
Top Federal Occupations in Colorado
This table provides a snapshot of federal occupations in this state. Click here for descriptions of these occupations.
Probationary employees include those employed by a federal agency for a year or less by March, 2024. For some agencies, the probationary period last longer (2-3yrs). In most cases, the probationary period restarts when a worker is promoted.
| Occupation | Total Employees | Probationary Employees |
|---|---|---|
| MISCELLANEOUS ADMINISTRATION AND PROGRAM | 2709 | 211 |
| INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT | 2160 | 186 |
| MANAGEMENT AND PROGRAM ANALYSIS | 1840 | 109 |
| NURSE | 1798 | 255 |
| CONTRACTING | 964 | 52 |
| GENERAL BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY | 920 | 62 |
| MISCELLANEOUS CLERK AND ASSISTANT | 886 | 160 |
| HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT | 835 | 42 |
| GENERAL NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES | 800 | 68 |
| CIVIL ENGINEERING | 736 | 50 |
Sources: OPM.gov (2024)
Top Federal Employers in State
| State | Agency | Non-probationary | Probationary | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CO | Department Of Veterans Affairs | 7110 | 1004 | 8114 |
| CO | Department Of The Interior | 5562 | 392 | 5954 |
| CO | Department Of The Air Force | 5135 | 757 | 5892 |
| CO | Department Of Agriculture | 3104 | 406 | 3510 |
| CO | Department Of Defense | 2572 | 429 | 3001 |
Sources: OPM.gov
Impacted Funding for Food Programs
This summarizes cuts from only a few of the food-related programs impacted by funding changes since January 2025.
The LFS program awards money to states to buy local foods for schools and childcare institutions, and the LFPA program provides funding for state, tribal and territorial governments to buy food produced within the state or within 400 miles of delivery destinations. Both programs have been cancelled.
| State, Tribe, or Territory | Local Food for Schools (FY25) | Local Food Purchase Cooperative Agreement (FY25) |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado | $7,669,794 | $5,482,136 |
Source: https://www.usaspending.gov/
Top 5 Counties with Federal Workers
| County | Federal Employees |
|---|---|
| Denver County | 13743 |
| El Paso County | 13722 |
| Jefferson County | 7419 |
| Adams County | 3622 |
| Arapahoe County | 3320 |
Sources: BLS.gov
Potentially Impacted Federal Programs
In Colorado, several federally supported social programs play a significant role in assisting residents. These programs collectively provide essential services to Colorado residents, addressing needs related to financial assistance, healthcare, nutrition, child care, and community development. Examples include:
- Colorado Works (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families – TANF)
- Health First Colorado (Medicaid)
- Food Assistance Program (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP))
- Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP)
- Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP)
- Head Start and Early Head Start
- Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
- Supported Living Services Waiver (SLS)
- Americorps Programs
Due to federal budget cuts in 2025, some of these programs have already been impacted, and others may be impacted in the future.
State Map
- Rural Counties
- Indigenous Lands
- Majority Non-White
- Poverty Rate >= 20%
- 0 - 4,000
- 4,000 - 7,000
- 7,000 - 10,000
- 10,000 - 15,000
- 15,000 - 25,000
- 25,000 - 35,000
- 35,000 - 50,000
- >50,000
- 0 - 50
- 50 - 100
- 100 - 250
- 250 - 500
- 500 - 1,000
- 1,000 - 5,000
- 5,000 - 10,000
- >10,000
- Statewide Impact
- Location-Specific
Future Analysis
Check back for deeper dives into this data, including consideration of these questions:
- How do these changes impact local and state economies?
- How are local and state governments, NGOs, and businesses responding to federal changes? What gaps are they filling, and what gaps remain?
- How is federal government change evolving over time?
Download Full Data Set
Access a comprehensive Excel file containing all the data shown on this page. This downloadable resource is ideal for further analysis, reporting, or presentations.
“The funding that Colorado receives from the federal government is imperative to accomplish projects that cover everything from flood mitigation to dam and mine safety — typically in rural communities" - Anonymous