Research

Common Sense Institute (CSI) strives to develop insightful and educational research on the most critical debates facing Colorado. CSI employs rigorous research techniques and dynamic modeling to evaluate the potential impact of issues on the Colorado economy and individual opportunity. CSI provides elected officials, policy makers and Coloradans with facts and data-driven analysis to help make informed decisions about the biggest issues facing the state. CSI research has also sparked innovative policy solutions and bipartisan, solutions-based discussion about the future of Colorado.

Education

Energy & Our Environment

Healthcare

Housing & Our Community

Infrastructure

Jobs & Our Economy

State Budget

Taxes & Fees

The Decline of Condominium Construction in Colorado: Addressing Litigation Reform to Alleviate the Housing Affordability Crisis

2023 Research, 2024 Research, Featured Research, Housing & Our Community, Recent Research, Research

Condo development has grinded to a near halt in Colorado.

Inflation in Colorado – November 2023

2023 Research, Featured Research, Inflation Reports, Recent Research, Research

Between September and November, prices in Denver fell by .34%. This was the first two-month period of deflation since September of last year.

Colorado’s Free Enterprise Report – 2024 Edition

2023 Research, Featured Research, Research

The Free Enterprise Report is a marquis report that provides an objective, non-partisan, fact-based analysis of the Colorado economic landscape and the state’s most pressing issues.

Colorado Budget: Then and Now

2023 Research, Featured Research, Research, State Budget

Colorado Budget Then and Now illuminates the changes in Colorado state budget appropriations over the last twenty years. The figures included in the report provide a summary overview of revenue allocated to state departments through the budgeting process. The trends in appropriations reflect the shifting priorities brought on as a direct result of the laws and budgets passed each legislative session.

EXPLORE CSI RESEARCH

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Common Sense Institute Policy Brief: Rent Control at Mobile Home Parks

April 22, 2022 • 5 min read

CSI analyzes HB22-1287: Protections for Mobile Home Park Residents.

Tags: 2022, HB22-1287, Manufatured Home, Mobile Home, Rent Control

Colorado Jobs and Labor Force Update: March 2022

April 15, 2022 • 3 min read

Colorado’s robust economy has added 391,300 jobs since April 2020, eclipsing the 374,500 jobs the state lost in March and April 2020. This represents a recovery rate of 104.5 percent which is 11.6 percentage points higher than the nationwide recovery rate of 92.9.

Tags: Colorado March 2022 Employment Data, Colorado’s LFPR, Labor Force Participation, March

Inflation in Colorado – March 2022 Update

April 12, 2022 • 3 min read

Inflation in the Denver metropolitan area continues to run hot, particularly for housing. Overall price levels increased 2% between January and March and 9.1% over the last 12 months. The BLS reports housing inflation of 7.9%, but home prices (not a component of CPI) have increased 20.8% YoY through January 2021.

Tags: inflation, Inflation in Colorado, Inflation in Denver, March 2022, Wage Growth

Fentanyl’s Increasing Toll on the Colorado Economy

April 11, 2022 • 10 min read

Although the Opioid Crisis has been an ongoing public health issue since the late 1990’s, Colorado’s policymakers, law enforcement, district attorneys, addiction rehab advocates, and researchers have recently narrowed their focus on Schedule II Controlled Substances and more specifically, fentanyl.

Tags: colorado, Crime, Fentanyl

CSI Budget Watch: The FY23 Budget Is Near Final, but Major Priorities Are Not Fully Addressed

April 6, 2022 • 5 min read

As the Colorado General Assembly nears completion of the state budget there is little doubt that the decisions they make will impact Colorado’s economy for years to come. Known by insiders as the “long bill,” the state budget has passed the State House and is currently being debated by the State Senate.

Tags: colorado, Colorado FY23 State Budget, FY23 Budget, Long Bill, state budget

Colorado Housing Affordability Trends

March 30, 2022 • 4 min read

Colorado is an increasingly expensive place to live. Housing prices are surging, and affordability is decreasing. Though there has been a recent increase in building permits, the current housing supply shortage is so large that the increased construction of new homes must be sustained for years, if not increased, to overcome the shortage.

Tags: CO Housing Affordability Trends, Colorado Housing, Colorado Housing Affordability, Expensive to live, Housing Costs, Housing Prices Souring

Colorado Faces Economic, Technological, and Even Geopolitical Barriers to Meeting Its Aggressive Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Goals

March 29, 2022 • 35 min read

Governor Polis has declared that Colorado will rely on 100% renewable electricity by 2040, a goal that surpasses even that of President Biden, although achieving such targets will not come without economic and social cost. The challenge is significant, and, by most measurements, the state is behind in meeting its targets.

Tags: emissions, greenhouse gas emission reduction

Update: The Colorado Crime Wave Did Not Recede In 2021 An Economic Analysis of Crime

March 27, 2022 • 13 min read

The cost of crime in Colorado in 2021 totaled $31B. This was an increase of $3.5B, or 12.9%, from the cost in 2020, primarily driven by the increases in violent crimes.

Tags: 2021, Colorado Crime, Crime Update, Violent Crime

Colorado Jobs and Labor Force Update: February 2022

March 25, 2022 • 3 min read

Colorado’s robust economy has added 381,800 jobs since April 2020, eclipsing the 374,500 jobs the state lost in March and April 2020.

Tags: colorado, Colorado Labor Force, economic recovery, Februrary 2022

Colorado’s Future: The Impact of an Aging Workforce

March 18, 2022 • 13 min read

In the coming years, mature and older workers will play an increasing role in Colorado’s workforce. Between 2010 and 2040, the category of Coloradan workers over the age of 54 is expected to grow from 1 in every 5 workers, to nearly 1 in every 4.

Tags: colorado, Colorado's workforce, mature workers, older workers, workers over the age of 54, workforce

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