Population: 5,457,000
2016 job growth: 2.7 percent
New jobs in 2016: 68,630
Unemployment rate by year-end 2016: 3.2 percent
Largest company in state: ArrowElectronics
Colorado's economy has cooled off slightly in recent years because of lower oil and crop prices, but the state with the second-highest rate of bachelor's degrees in the country is still expanding in the service sector, according to the 2016 Colorado Business Economic Outlook. In 2015, nine Colorado companies made the Fortune 500 list, including CH2MHill, DaVita Healthcare Partners, Dish Network, and Arrow Electronics. According to Kiplinger, you can look for expansion from Fidelity Investments and Lockheed Martin Space Systems in coming years.
