Colorado’s Economy Is Among The Fastest Growing In The Nation

<p>(Nathaniel Minor/CPR News)</p>
<p>Colorado’s economy is growing faster than almost any other state in the nation with the state&#039;s GDP expanding 3 percent in the first quarter of 2018.</p>
Clone of Photo: Construction cranes in LoDo, Feb. 2016 1: GDP 2018
Colorado’s economy is growing faster than almost any other state in the nation with the state's GDP expanding 3 percent in the first quarter of 2018.

Colorado’s economy is growing faster than almost any other state in the nation.

The state’s GDP expanded 3 percent in the first quarter of this year, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Learn how your state's economy is performing with our latest GDP by state release for the first quarter of 2018. View our blog for the details, https://t.co/ljY24utQXn. pic.twitter.com/WkHiOhI4qI

“I don't think it came as a shock to anybody that Colorado continues to be one of the hottest economies in the country,” said Andrew Friedson, an economics professor at CU Denver.

More people means an increasing GDP, but the state’s economic growth is across several sectors.

Even oil and gas, and agriculture were among the fastest growing sectors in Colorado, two categories that have struggled in the past.

GDP increased in 48 states and the District of Columbia. Colorado came behind Washington with a GPD of 3.6 percent and Utah, which had a 3.2 percent change. North Dakota was the lowest across the country at negative 0.6 percent.

Friedson said Colorado’s evidence for growth is everywhere.

“I cannot drive more than two minutes without seeing a crane building something, and it's a new business, it's new economic activity,” he said.