Business Environment

Brighton has been a sustainable community for 140 years, offering progressive planning and superior accessibility while very intentionally preserving an authentic, family-friendly environment.

The city has dedicated millions of dollars and created dozens of programs designed to improve the quality of life in Brighton, but civic leaders aren't the only ones involved in the effort. Residents play an active role through their involvement in social and political volunteer programs.

As shown by its expansion of the Adams County government offices, Brighton is proud of its leadership role as Adams County seat and wants to maintain a positive reputation among other local governments.

Progressive city. Hometown heritage. In Brighton, tradition meets innovation.

Industry and Business

Employment more than doubled in Brighton between 1990 and 2000, reaching nearly 10,500. It is projected to reach nearly 25,000 by the end of the decade, and add another 10,000 jobs between 2010 and 2020.

Brighton's economy relies heavily on government employers, but manufacturing, distribution and retail are other important employment sectors.

Business Environment Rankings

Brighton is at (or near) the top of nearly everyone's list for its attributes and those of the metro Denver area and the state as a whole.

Metro Denver Business Climate

Colorado received an 'A' for Business Vitality, based on business competitiveness and entrepreneurial energy. (2006 Development Report Card for the States)
Colorado also received an 'A' for Development Capacity based on the positioning of the state for future economic growth. (2006 Development Report Card for the States )
Metro Denver is the second most competitive place in the nation to do business. (San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp. Study, 2005)
Colorado ranked fifth of the 50 states for long-term employment growth. (Corporation for Enterprise Development, 2006)
Colorado also ranked fifth of the 50 states for short-term development growth. (Corporation for Enterprise Development, 2006)
Colorado ranked second for Economic Freedom. (Economic Freedom of North America, 2005 Annual Report)
Metro Denver ranked in the top 10 for business growth in the past five years. (infoUSA, 2005)
Seventeen Colorado companies made Fortune's 1000 list in 2006.
Colorado ranked third in the nation for economic competitiveness based on ability to generate income and promote growth. (Suffolk University's Beacon Hill Institute, 2005)
Colorado has the largest space economy in terms of private employment. (Development Research Partners, 2006)
Colorado entrepreneurial activity ranked second in the U.S. (Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, 2006)

Venture Capital in Metro Denver

Colorado ranked fifth in the first quarter of 2006 for venture capital investment. (PricewaterhouseCoopers, Thomson Venture and the National Venture Capital Association, 2006)
Eighteen Colorado companies were awarded $107.2 million in the first quarter of 2006. (Ernst & Young, 2006)

Quality of Life in Metro Denver

Denver ranked third on the list of 'Best Cities for Relocating Families'. (Worldwide ERC, Primary Relocation, Sperling's Best Places, 2006)
Denver has the nation's largest park system, with more than 200 parks in the city limits and 20,000 acres of parks in nearby mountains.
For the third consecutive year, Denver ranked as the best city in the nation for singles, thanks to the area's booming job market, relatively low cost of living, and large university population. (Forbes Magazine, 2006)
Denver ranked as the fifth fittest city in the nation. (Men's Fitness Magazine, 2005)
Denver ranked sixth of the nation's 50 largest metro areas for being one of the 'Cleanest Cities in America'. (Reader's Digest, 2005)
Boulder is the best place to retire for 'outdoor addicts'. (Fortune, 2006)
Denver ranked as the nation's ninth most sustainable city, based on making its resources sustainable for future generations to enjoy without passing on a major cost burden. (SustainLane.com, 2006)
Colorado ranked fifth of the 50 states in the percent of households with computers. (Corporation for Enterprise Development, 2006)

Metro Denver Healthcare

Colorado currently has the nation's lowest obesity rate and, as a result, metro Denver's annual health insurance rates cost about $400 less than the national average. (Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, 2006)
National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver was named the nation's top respiratory hospital for the ninth year in a row. (U.S. News & World Report, 2006)
University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora was cited for excellence in nine of 16 medical specialties. (U.S. News & World Report, 2006)
The Children's Hospital in Denver ranked seventh among hospitals that specialize in children's diseases. (U.S. News & World Report, 2006)