Census-designated place · Colorado
Fort Carson, Colorado
Fort Carson, census-designated place, in El Paso County, Colorado. Fort Carson had 18,019 people in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±1,246). GEOID 0827370.
Residents, 2020-2024
18,019
±1,246 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 17,693
Median household income
$66,237
±$8,406 (90% margin)
Colorado: $95,470
Median home value
not published
Colorado: $539,400
Median gross rent
$2,180
±$43 (90% margin)
Colorado: $1,761
Where is Fort Carson and what county is it in?
Fort Carson is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in El Paso County, Colorado. It covers 28.0 square miles of land, 633 residents per square mile in 2020.
Fort Carson is in the Colorado Springs, CO metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 2 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 Fort Carson, and is it growing?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Fort Carson's population at 18,019 (±1,246). The 2020 Census counted 17,693 residents.
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Fort Carson is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Fort Carson | El Paso County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 18,019 ±1,246 | 742,999 | +3,068 |
| Households | 3,380 ±350 | 290,190 | +641 |
| Average household size | 3.30 ±0.19 | 2.48 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 3,745 ±373 | 303,482 | +711 |
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 Fort Carson?
The median resident of Fort Carson is 22.3 years old. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 54.1%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 21.9%. 4.8% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Fort Carson | El Paso County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 22.3 ±0.4 | 35.1 | +0.6 |
| Under 18 years | 26.6% ±2.1 pts | 23.1% | – |
| 65 years and over | 0.0% ±0.1 pts | 14.0% | – |
| Male | 66.3% ±2.4 pts | 50.8% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 21.9% ±3.1 pts | 18.7% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 54.1% ±4.1 pts | 65.6% | −6.9 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 10.8% ±3.4 pts | 5.5% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 4.7% ±1.7 pts | 2.8% | +3.2 pts |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.7% ±0.4 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 1.1% ±1.0 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 5.9% ±1.5 pts | 6.4% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±0.9 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 4.8% ±1.4 pts | 7.2% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 17.8% ±2.9 pts | 11.3% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 20.1% ±6.2 pts | 15.6% | – |
| With a disability | 7.3% ±2.5 pts | 12.7% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 1.5% ±1.0 pts | 7.2% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 99.4% ±0.5 pts | 95.1% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 25.6% ±4.9 pts | 41.9% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 8.6% ±2.6 pts | 16.8% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 66.4% ±3.7 pts | 81.8% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 21.8% ±3.3 pts | 6.2% | – |
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 Fort Carson earn?
Half of Fort Carson's 3,380 households earn less than $66,237 a year (±$8,406), against $90,363 in El Paso County and $95,470 in Colorado. In 2015-2019 it was $59,468 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 15.3% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Fort Carson | El Paso County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $66,237 ±$8,406 | $90,363 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $78,069 ±$8,612 | $116,684 | – |
| Per capita income | $27,674 ±$1,911 | $46,133 | +$4,131 |
| People below the poverty line | 15.3% ±5.6 pts | 8.5% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 17.8% ±6.2 pts | 10.1% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 4.5% ±3.0 pts | 9.3% | – |
| Households with a computer | 100.0% ±1.2 pts | 97.7% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 98.8% ±1.3 pts | 94.8% | – |
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 Fort Carson?
The median renter pays $2,180 a month including utilities, and 55.2% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Fort Carson | El Paso County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $2,180 ±$43 | $1,696 | +$152 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 55.2% ±7.5 pts | 44.4% | no clear change |
| Owner-occupied homes | 0.0% ±1.2 pts | 66.2% | – |
| Renter-occupied homes | 100.0% ±1.2 pts | 33.8% | – |
| Housing units | 3,745 ±373 | 303,482 | +711 |
| Rental vacancy rate | 6.9% ±4.2 pts | 3.9% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 10.9% ±3.0 pts | 66.8% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±1.1 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.7% ±1.1 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 17.3% ±5.6 pts | 13.9% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 3.2% ±2.0 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 1.4% ±1.6 pts | 3.8% | – |
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 Fort Carson work and get to work?
53.7% of Fort Carson's workers drive alone and 1.6% work from home. The average trip to work takes 11.0 minutes.
| Measure | Fort Carson | El Paso County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 86.0% ±2.1 pts | 68.6% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% ±2.6 pts | 5.4% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 53.7% ±3.1 pts | 69.2% | – |
| Carpooled | 17.8% ±3.2 pts | 8.8% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±0.1 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Walked | 25.7% ±3.1 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 1.6% ±1.0 pts | 16.8% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 11.0 min ±0.8 | 23.5 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 Fort Carson?
4 census tracts lie mostly in Fort Carson, and 1 more reaches into it (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $51,351 (Tract 44.05) to $157,857 (Tract 44.02).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 44.02El Paso County | 6,659 | $157,857 |
| Tract 44.06El Paso County | 3,487 | $61,079 |
| Tract 44.05El Paso County | 3,236 | $51,351 |
| Tract 44.04El Paso County | 3,172 | $87,377 |
| Tract 44.03El Paso County | 1,983 | $105,625 |
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 Fort Carson) · Census block assignment files
How does Fort Carson compare with other places in Colorado?
Fort Carson ranks 173rd of 218 places in Colorado with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population (ACS 2020-2024) | 46th | 220 |
| Residents per square mile | 179th | 221 |
| Median household income | 173rd | 218 |
| Per capita income | 201st | 220 |
| Median gross rent | 26th | 200 |
| Poverty rate | 39th | 151 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 160th | 216 |
| Median age | 219th | 220 |
| Work from home | 176th | 176 |
| Travel time to work | 216th | 221 |
Fort Carson's figures with every place in Colorado (CSV)
Every place in Colorado, sortable · Compare Fort Carson 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 Fort Carson?
11 of the 54 figures for Fort Carson 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 Fort Carson 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' school search.