Town · Colorado
Empire, Colorado
Empire, town, in Clear Creek County, Colorado. Empire had 317 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 6.8% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 345 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 672 (±149). GEOID 0824620.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
317
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 345 · ACS 2020-2024: 672 ±149
Median household income
$66,797
±$6,426 (90% margin)
Colorado: $95,470
Median home value
$356,500
±$92,746 (90% margin)
Colorado: $539,400
Median gross rent
$1,614
±$222 (90% margin)
Colorado: $1,761
Where is Empire and what county is it in?
Empire is a town in Clear Creek County, Colorado. It covers 0.3 square miles of land, 1,182 residents per square mile in 2020.
Empire is in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 10 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Empire, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 317 people lived in Empire on July 1, 2025, down 6.8% since 2020, while Colorado grew 4.1%. The 2020 Census counted 345 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 672 (±149).
| Measure | Empire | Clear Creek County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 672 ±149 | 9,262 | +369 |
| Households | 384 ±95 | 4,677 | +239 |
| Average household size | 1.75 ±0.29 | 1.96 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 399 ±95 | 5,814 | +213 |
Empire's population since 2000
From 355 in 2000 to 317 in 2025: down 10.7%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Empire as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Empire?
The median resident of Empire is 44.4 years old; 18.2% are under 18 and 17.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 85.1%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 8.6%.
| Measure | Empire | Clear Creek County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44.4 ±4.4 | 49.1 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 18.2% ±7.5 pts | 14.8% | – |
| 65 years and over | 17.4% ±7.9 pts | 22.7% | – |
| Male | 60.6% ±8.4 pts | 52.1% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 5.5% ±6.5 pts | 7.8% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 85.1% ±9.6 pts | 85.8% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.5 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.7 pts | 1.8% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.4 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 8.6% ±6.4 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.1 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.6% ±1.0 pts | 3.5% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 5.8% ±4.5 pts | 6.1% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 5.8% ±5.1 pts | 3.9% | – |
| With a disability | 13.2% ±7.0 pts | 12.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 14.9% ±14.4 pts | 5.7% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 84.0% ±15.3 pts | 93.5% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 19.4% ±7.2 pts | 57.5% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 6.9% ±3.4 pts | 26.4% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 87.8% ±14.9 pts | 88.6% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±6.3 pts | 3.0% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Empire earn?
Half of Empire's 384 households earn less than $66,797 a year (±$6,426), against $94,577 in Clear Creek County and $95,470 in Colorado. In 2015-2019 it was $56,920 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 12.6% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Empire | Clear Creek County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $66,797 ±$6,426 | $94,577 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $81,969 ±$10,890 | $136,303 | – |
| Per capita income | $41,667 ±$6,090 | $66,540 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 12.6% ±5.8 pts | 6.4% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 12.3% ±15.9 pts | 6.0% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 14.8% ±8.4 pts | 6.0% | – |
| Households with a computer | 97.4% ±2.8 pts | 97.4% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 87.8% ±9.1 pts | 90.2% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Empire?
Owners occupy 47.4% of Empire's occupied homes and renters 52.6%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $356,500 by its owner (±$92,746). The median renter pays $1,614 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Empire | Clear Creek County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $356,500 ±$92,746 | $608,500 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $1,614 ±$222 | $1,467 | +$793 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 23.0% ±18.0 pts | 36.5% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,688 ±$351 | $2,311 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 47.4% ±17.5 pts | 81.6% | −25.0 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 52.6% ±17.5 pts | 18.4% | – |
| Housing units | 399 ±95 | 5,814 | +213 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±20.6 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 1.9% ±3.3 pts | 5.2% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 56.1% ±14.9 pts | 81.6% | – |
| Mobile homes | 15.8% ±7.5 pts | 4.5% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±10.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 1.0% ±1.7 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 21.6% ±9.6 pts | 18.1% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 10.4% ±6.5 pts | 4.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Empire work and get to work?
62.8% of Empire's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 24.9 minutes.
| Measure | Empire | Clear Creek County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 77.3% ±9.0 pts | 67.8% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 6.0% ±5.0 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 62.8% ±18.2 pts | 62.1% | – |
| Carpooled | 13.5% ±6.3 pts | 8.1% | – |
| Public transportation | 5.9% ±6.0 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Walked | 16.5% ±21.7 pts | 3.9% | – |
| Worked from home | 1.2% ±1.8 pts | 24.2% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 24.9 min ±6.3 | 28.4 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Empire?
No census tract lies mostly in Empire; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 149Clear Creek County | 2,565 | $66,311 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Empire) · Census block assignment files
How does Empire compare with other places in Colorado?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Empire is the 14,952nd-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 215th-most populous of 272 in Colorado.
Empire is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 215th | 272 |
Empire's figures with every place in Colorado (CSV)
Every place in Colorado, sortable · Compare Empire with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Empire?
22 of the 57 figures for Empire on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Empire are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Empire.