Douglas County and Castle Rock shine brightly on both the state and national levels. These recognitions provide third-party affirmations that Castle Rock is a great place to conduct business and an enjoyable place to live.
- Forbes magazine named Douglas County the No. 9 Wealthiest County in the United States. (2016)
- Castle Rock was named Best Large Community for Economic Development by the Economic Development Council of Colorado (2010), due much in part to the Castle Rock Economic Partnership – a unique collaborative group comprising the Town leadership, Castle Rock Economic Development Council, Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce and the Castle Rock Downtown Alliance.
- Castle Rock EDC was named the most Innovative Economic Development 2016 by Rockies Venture Club.
- Money Magazine named Castle Rock the No. 28 Best Places to Live in the United States. (2021).
- Castle Rock’s Department of Innovation and Technology was a 2011 Recipient of the 2011 CIO 100 Award, which honors 100 companies for IT excellence. Castle Rock was one of only two municipalities recognized in North America. (2011)
- WalletHub ranked Castle Rock as the No. 8 place in Colorado to raise a family.
- American City and County ranked Castle Rock as the No. 20 best small city in America.
Colorado Rankings
Colorado consistently receives top rankings nationally as a place to live and start and succeed in business.
| Best States for Business Forbes Magazine | 4th |
| Venture Capital per Capita Beacon Hill State Competitiveness | 3rd |
| Tech Industry Employment Concentration TechAmerica Cyberstates 2010 | 3rd |
| Research & Development Inputs Milken Institute | 4th |
| Entrepreneurial Activity ITIF New Economy Index | 2nd |
| Fortune 500 Companies Headquartered in CO Fortune Magazine | 8th |
| High Tech Establishments Cyberstates 2010 | 10th |
| Most Preferred State to Live In The Harris Poll | 5th |
| Percent of Sunny Days CQ Press State Rankings | 4th |
| Largest Space Economy (private employment) Development Research Partners | 1st |
| State Technology & Science Index Milken Institute | 3rd |
| Percent of Adults in Labor Force U.S. Census Bureau | 5th |
| Percent of Population with Bachelor’s Degree or Higher U.S. Census Bureau | 2nd |
| Science & Engineering Degrees per Capita Beacon Hill State Competitiveness | 9th |
| Scientistis & Engineers as Percent of Labor Force Beacon Hill State Competitiveness | 3rd |
| Economic Outlook ALEC Latter State Econ Comp Index | 2nd |
| Patents per 1,000 Workers ITIF New Economy Index | 2nd |
| Average Elevation CQ Press State Rankings | 1st |