The Division of Housing within DOLA is responsible for classifying the 64 Colorado counties as “urban”, “rural”, or “rural resort”, based on the final report of the Colorado Strategic Housing Working Group as stated in House Bill 22-1304 and Senate Bill 22-159.
These classifications enable different area median income (AMI) requirements that jurisdictions can access.
- In urban and rural counties, affordable housing has been classified as 140% AMI for home ownership and rental
- In rural resort counties, affordable housing has been classified as 140% AMI for rental and 160% AMI for homeownership.
A county or municipality may petition the Division of Housing to change to their county designation using the County and Municipality Reclassification Request form.
Definitions of Rural by Office
The Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) have statutory definitions that maintain a different classification of Colorado counties than DOLA based on population size, which include Mesa, Pueblo, and Teller counties as rural.
- DOLA: Rural does not include Mesa, Pueblo, and Teller counties
- OEDIT: Rural includes Mesa, Pueblo, and Teller counties
OEDIT and DOLA both use DOLA’s Rural Resort classifications, which are referenced in HB23-1304 and listed below.
DOLA Designations
DOLA’s designations are assigned as follows:
Urban
- Adams County
- Arapahoe County
- Boulder County
- Broomfield County
- Denver County
- Douglas County
- El Paso County
- Jefferson County
- Larimer County (excluding municipalities classified otherwise)
- Mesa County
- Pueblo County
- Teller County
- Weld County
Rural
- Alamosa County
- Baca County
- Bent County
- Cheyenne County
- Clear Creek County
- Conejos County
- Costilla County
- Crowley County
- Custer County
- Delta County
- Dolores County
- Elbert County
- Fremont County
- Garfield County
- Gilpin County
- Hinsdale County
- Huerfano County
- Jackson County
- Kiowa County
- Kit Carson County
- Las Animas County
- Lincoln County
- Logan County
- Mineral County
- Moffat County
- Montezuma County
- Montrose County
- Morgan County
- Otero County
- Park County
- Phillips County
- Prowers County
- Rio Blanco County
- Rio Grande County
- Saguache County
- Sedgwick County
- Washington County
- Yuma County
Rural Resort
- Archuleta County
- Chaffee County
- Eagle County
- Grand County
- Gunnison County
- La Plata County
- Lake County
- Ouray County
- Pitkin County
- Routt County
- San Juan County
- San Miguel County
- Summit County
Rural Resort Municipalities
- Town of Estes Park