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. 8 Wealthiest County in the United States. (2021)
- Castle Rock was named Best Large Community for Economic Development by the Economic Development Council of Colorado (2010 and following years), 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.
- Money Magazine named Castle Rock the No. 28 Best Places to Live in the United States. (2021).
- CNBC ranked Colorado as 4th best state for business in 2022.
- In 2022, Money Geek named Castle Rock the safest small city in Colorado.
- Wallet Hub ranked Castle Rock as one of the best small cities in America.
- Castle Rock EDC was named the most Innovative Economic Development 2016 by Rockies Venture Club.
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 |