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PULSE OF DENVER
Denver, CO · 5,280 ft · 41 metrics · updating live
--:-- -- Live · Mountain Time
How it works Counters tick up from Jan 1 (or midnight for "today" stats) based on publicly available annual data — by Dec 31 each counter hits its yearly total. Seasonal stats only show when in season. Denver-specific where noted, otherwise Colorado statewide. These are rough estimates and a creative side project — not a live data feed or journalism.
Money

How Denver makes, spends, and occasionally loses dollars to powder days

🌿 — Cannabis Revenue in Denver This Year
Denver = ~30–35% of Colorado's market · est. $411M/yr for Denver city · +$13 every second · CO Dept of Revenue 2023. By Dec 31 this counter will read ~$411M.
🏛️ — Colorado Cannabis Tax Revenue YTD
~$282M/yr collected statewide · 15% excise + 15% retail sales tax · funds BEST school construction grants, transportation, behavioral health · CO DOR 2023.
🍃 — Grams of Weed Sold in Denver Today
Est. ~112K g/day · based on Denver's $411M/yr ÷ $10 avg retail price per gram · resets at midnight. Denver has 180+ licensed dispensaries.
🏔️ — Colorado Outdoor Rec Revenue YTD
$28B/yr statewide · Colorado's fastest-growing economic sector · skiing, hiking, cycling, climbing, camping · Denver metro drives ~40% of state total · OIA 2023.
✈️ — Visitors to Denver Metro This Year
32M visitors/yr to Metro Denver · contributes $6.6B/yr to local economy · doesn't include drive-through Colorado visitors · VISIT DENVER Annual Report 2023.
🍽️ — Denver Restaurant Revenue YTD
~$3B/yr for Denver city · 5,000+ restaurants · one of the highest per-capita dining spends in the US · Colorado Restaurant Association / BLS OEWS 2023.
❄️ — Corporate $ Lost to Powder Days
Est. $47M per significant powder event · Denver metro workers taking "powder days" (in-person + remote) · ~15 events/ski season avg · not verifiable, very real. (Obviously not this year — 2025–26 has been painfully dry.)
🏠 $515,000 Denver Median Home Price
Up 71% since 2018 · nearly double the US national median of $306K · Denver Metro Association of Realtors / Zillow 2024. Static — doesn't update in real time.
🏢 $1,787/mo Average Denver Apartment Rent
Down from 2022 peak of $1,940 · requires ~$71K/yr income at the 30% rule · studio avg $1,419 · 2BR avg $2,050 · Apartment List 2024.
Denver retail landscape
Licensed dispensaries 180+ Starbucks locations ~75 CO cannabis tax collected since 2014 $2.3B+
Roads & Transit

Getting around — or more accurately, sitting on I-70 thinking about getting around

🚗 — Hours Lost on I-70 This Year
~2.5M hours of delay/yr on the I-70 mountain corridor · Eisenhower Tunnel (11,013 ft elevation) is the primary chokepoint · CDOT / INRIX Traffic Analytics 2023.
✈️ — DIA Passengers This Year
Denver International Airport · 69.0M passengers in 2023 · 5th busiest US airport · ~189K/day average · largest airport by land area in the US · DEN Authority 2023.
🚌 — RTD Boardings in Denver Metro YTD
Regional Transportation District · ~85M boardings/yr (2023 recovery) · light rail, commuter rail, bus · peak was 101M in 2019 · RTD Annual Report 2023.
🚙 9.8% Subaru Market Share — Colorado
National average is 3.5% · Colorado ranks #1 or #2 in Subaru penetration every year · AWD + outdoorsy lifestyle · Denver metro is most concentrated · S&P Global Mobility 2023.
🚙 ~600,000 Subarus Registered in Colorado
Roughly 1 in every 10 registered vehicles in Colorado · higher concentration than Japan · the Outback and Forester are the dominant models · S&P Global Mobility 2023.
🚧 250,000 Vehicles on I-70 Each Ski Weekend
Peak ski season Saturdays · 70+ mile backups are a regular occurrence · CDOT mountain corridor estimates · most are Subarus, obviously · departs at 4am or suffers.
People

Who's here, who's leaving, who has three dogs and a Subaru

👋 — People Who Moved to Denver This Year
~180K/yr gross in-migration to Denver metro (domestic only) · top origins: California, Texas, Illinois, New York · US Census Bureau ACS / CO State Demography Office.
📦 — People Who Left Denver This Year
~188K/yr gross out-migration · primary destinations: Austin TX, Phoenix AZ, Salt Lake City UT, Boise ID · departures now slightly outnumber arrivals · US Census ACS 2023.
🏃 — Net People Leaving Denver This Year
~8K net domestic annual loss · one-way U-Haul Denver→Austin: $847 · Austin→Denver: $234 · U-Haul prices are a real-time demand indicator. Peak was 2021–2022.
🅿️ — Denver Parking Tickets Issued YTD
Denver Mobility & Parking Services issued 547K citations in FY2022 · ~500K/yr avg · most common: expired meter + street sweeping · avg fine $35–75 · very Denver.
🏙️ 715,000 Denver City Population
2023 Census estimate · Denver metro 2.96M · Colorado total 5.84M · Denver grew 20%+ in the 2010s and is now in slight decline · US Census Bureau.
🐕 ~470,000 Registered Dogs in Denver
Most dogs per capita of any major US city · 1 dog for every 1.5 residents · Denver has 800+ miles of trails and 28+ off-leash dog parks · Denver Animal Shelter data.
🤷 43% Colorado Residents Born Here
Among the lowest native-born rates of any US state · most people moved here "just for a few years" 5–15 years ago · "are you from here?" is a Denver icebreaker · US Census.
Who's actually from here
Born in Colorado 43% Top origin states CA · TX · IL · NY Net domestic out-migration / yr ~8,000 people
Mountains & Outdoors

What you actually moved here for — 45 minutes away, as Denverites will tell you within 45 minutes

⛷️ — Ski Vertical Feet Descended Today
Denver metro generates ~35% of CO's 14.4M annual ski visits (CO Ski Country USA 2023) · ~27,600 skier-days/day in season · avg ~20K vert ft/skier · shown Nov–Apr ski season only.
🎿 — Ski Runs Completed Today
~27,600 Denver metro skier-days/day in season × avg 15 runs = ~414K runs/day · includes Vail, Breckenridge, Steamboat, Copper, A-Basin, Keystone, etc. · resets midnight · shown Nov–Apr.
🏔️ — Rocky Mountain NP Visitors YTD
40 miles from downtown Denver · 4.0M visitors in 2023 · 3rd most visited US national park · timed entry permits required May–Oct · RMNP is free in winter · NPS 2023.
⛰️ — 14er Summits This Summer
Colorado's 58 peaks above 14,000 ft · ~200K logged attempts/yr on CO14ers.com (actual number much higher) · most are day hikes from Denver · shown June–September only.
🏃 — Miles Run or Biked on Denver Trails Today
Denver has 850+ miles of off-street trails · est. ~100K users/day × 3mi avg = 300K miles/day · includes Cherry Creek Trail, Platte River Trail, and High Line Canal · resets midnight.
❄️ — Inches of Snow in Denver This Year
Denver averages 57.1"/yr (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals) · displayed as linear projection from Jan 1 · real snowfall is winter-heavy · most snow falls Oct–Apr.
☀️ — Sunny Days in Denver This Year
300 sunny days/yr average · more annual sunshine hours than Miami, LA, or San Diego · Denver gets ~3,132 sunshine hours/yr vs Miami's 2,888 · NOAA climate data. Yes, really.
📏 5,280 ft Denver Elevation — Exactly One Mile
The 13th step of the Colorado State Capitol is officially marked at exactly 5,280 ft · verified by surveyors multiple times · beer hits ~20% harder due to altitude dehydration. Pace yourself.
⛰️ 58 Colorado Fourteeners
Peaks above 14,000 ft · Colorado has 75% of all US fourteeners · Mount Elbert is highest at 14,440 ft · 4 of the 5 highest US peaks are in Colorado · go on, try one.
Annual sunshine hours
Denver 3,132 hrs Miami 2,888 hrs Los Angeles 2,956 hrs
Culture & Food

Beer, burritos, the Coors paradox, and a brewery per 7,000 residents

🏭 — Coors Cans Produced in Golden This Year
Golden, CO — 15 miles from Denver · world's largest single-site brewery · est. ~15M barrels/yr × 336 cans/barrel = ~5B cans/yr · ships nationwide · Molson Coors.
🍺 — Gallons of Craft Beer Brewed in Denver Today
Denver's 100+ craft breweries produce est. ~10M gal/yr (23% of CO's 43M gal total) · ~27K gal/day · Brewers Association 2023. Resets at midnight. Does not include Coors.
🍻 — Beer Pints Consumed in Denver Today
Est. ~300K pints/day · 520K Denver adults × Colorado's ~28 gal/yr avg beer consumption per adult (all types, incl. domestic) ÷ 365 × 8 pints/gal · Beer Institute 2023.
🎸 — Red Rocks Attendees This Year
~200 concerts/yr · avg 9,525 capacity at ~80% = ~7,600/show · est. ~1.5M attendees/yr · shows run year-round (yes, even winter) · National Geographic called it the world's best venue.
🏅 100+ Craft Breweries in Denver
Within Denver city limits · Colorado has 426 total — most per capita in the US · yes, more per capita than Portland · Great American Beer Festival is held in Denver every October.
☕ — Cups of Coffee Consumed in Denver Today
~700K cups/day est. · Denver population 715K × ~70% adults × 1.4 cups/day avg · altitude dehydrates you faster, making caffeine hit harder · resets at midnight.
🌯 — Breakfast Burritos Served in Denver Today
Denver metro's unofficial state meal · est. ~89K/day (Denver metro 2.96M × 3% eat one daily) · available at every gas station, diner, and food truck · green chile included.
🌶️ — Green Chile Servings in Denver Today
Colorado's unofficial state dish · Pueblo or Hatch NM green chile on burritos, eggs, burgers, pizza, anything · est. ~50K/day Denver city · "Christmas" = red AND green.
🏪 180+ Licensed Dispensaries in Denver
Denver city has 180+ licensed cannabis retail locations · more than McDonald's, Starbucks (~75), and 7-Elevens combined in Denver · CO Marijuana Enforcement Division registry.
🌮 1993 Year Chipotle Opened Its First Location
East Hampden Ave, Denver · Steve Ells opened it with an $85K loan from his father · McDonald's became an early investor in 1998 · now 3,500+ global locations · very Denver.