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Sell gold in Denver: city-county data and Colorado's tax rule
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By GoldGuy. First published Oct 24, 2026; text updated Oct 25, 2026. Census data retrieved Oct 24, 2026; state tax rules checked Oct 24, 2026; melt values refresh with every price update.
Denver is a city and a county at once, so its Census business counts match the city exactly. It had 50 jewelry stores and 13 precious-metal wholesalers in 2023 (Census CBP). The jewelry-store count is up from 41 in 2022. Colorado does not tax coins and bullion at the state level, but Denver runs its own city sales tax. As of Oct 31, 2026 2:24 AM ET, 14k gold melts at $72.70 per gram.
Key facts
- Jewelry stores, Denver County: 50 (Census CBP 2023)
- Precious-metal wholesalers, Denver County: 13 (CBP 2023)
- Denver median household income: $92,504 (ACS 2024)
- Colorado bullion sales tax: Exempt from state and state-administered local tax; Denver collects its own city tax (checked Oct 24, 2026)
- 14k gold melt: $72.70/g (Oct 31, 2026 2:24 AM ET)
Denver jewelry stores, 2019 to 2023
| Year | Jewelry stores, Denver County | Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 41 | 231 |
| 2022 | 41 | 238 |
| 2023 | 50 | 365 |
| Area | Jewelry stores (2023) | Per 100,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| Denver County | 50 | 6.9 |
| Colorado | 309 | 5.2 |
| United States | 19,897 | 5.9 |
Source: Census CBP 2019, 2022 and 2023, NAICS 448310 (jewelry stores); per-100,000 rates use ACS 2024 population. Notes.
What the Denver numbers mean
Denver had 41 jewelry stores in 2019 and 41 in 2022, then 50 in 2023. Jobs went from 238 to 365. Wholesalers moved the other way, from 16 to 13.
Denver has 6.9 jewelry stores per 100,000 residents, above Colorado (5.2) and the US (5.9). Because city and county are the same, these numbers cover only the city. The wider metro has more buyers in nearby counties that this page does not count.
Denver households are well off by the ACS measure: median income $92,504 and median home value $636,400. Only 13.0% of residents are 65 or older. None of that changes what gold is worth. Melt comes from the spot price.
Precious-metal wholesalers in Denver
| Area | Precious-metal wholesalers (2023) | Per 100,000 residents | Change since 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver County | 13 | 1.8 | -3 |
| Colorado | 74 | 1.2 | -7 |
| United States | 6,949 | 2.0 | - |
Source: Census CBP 2019 and 2023, NAICS 423940 (jewelry, watch, precious stone and precious metal merchant wholesalers), 43 employees locally in 2023. These are business-to-business firms, not a count of shops that buy from the public. Notes.
Why Denver's city tax is a separate question
Colorado's Department of Revenue says its coin-and-bullion guidance covers state and state-run local sales taxes. It does not cover home-rule cities the state does not run. Denver collects its own sales tax, so the state exemption does not settle the city part. Check with the City and County of Denver's tax office before relying on an exemption for a Denver purchase.
Colorado tax on coins and bullion
Exempt from state and state-administered local tax; Denver collects its own city tax. Colorado does not charge state or state-run local sales and use tax on coins and precious metal bullion (C.R.S. §39-26-706). Art, jewelry and commemoratives made from coins or bullion are taxed. The Department says this guidance does not cover home-rule cities it does not run. Denver is a home-rule city with its own sales tax.
Sources: Colorado Dept. of Revenue, Coins and Precious Metal Bullion. Checked Oct 24, 2026. These rules cover buying; they are general information, not tax advice. Selling gold can raise a federal capital-gains question instead: see how to sell silver and gold.
Denver residents (ACS 2024)
| Measure (ACS 2024) | Denver | Colorado | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 729,019 | 5,957,494 | 340,110,990 |
| Median household income | $92,504 | $97,113 | $81,604 |
| Residents age 65+ | 13.0% | 16.5% | 18.0% |
| Households with retirement income | 16.5% | 22.5% | 24.4% |
| Median home value | $636,400 | n/a | n/a |
Source: Census ACS 2024 1-year estimates (tables B01003, B19013, B19059, B25077, S0101), city limits of Denver. Notes.
Melt values for Denver sellers
Gold is worth the same in Denver as anywhere else: weight times purity times the spot price. As of Oct 31, 2026 2:24 AM ET, gold spot is $3,876.40/troy oz. Online dealers' published buy prices for bullion: 1 oz American Gold Eagle 98.9% of melt (Hero Bullion); 1 oz Gold Krugerrand 97.7% of melt (Hero Bullion); 1 oz gold bar (.9999) 97.9% of melt (Hero Bullion). Checked Oct 31, 2026 2:32 AM ET.
| Karat | Melt per gram | Melt per pennyweight |
|---|---|---|
| 24k | $124.50 | $193.63 |
| 22k | $114.24 | $177.67 |
| 21k | $109.05 | $169.59 |
| 18k | $93.47 | $145.36 |
| 14k | $72.70 | $113.06 |
| 10k | $51.93 | $80.76 |
Plug in your own weight with the pawn shop gold price calculator, which also shows what share of melt an offer is.
Melt = grams × purity × spot ÷ 31.1035 (spot: gold-api.com). Local offers for jewelry and scrap are below melt; the gap depends on the buyer.
Frequently asked questions
Are there coin shops in Denver?
Yes, but no official statistic counts them. Census files coin dealers with other collectibles stores. The nearest official measures are 13 precious-metal wholesalers and 50 jewelry stores (2023).
Where can I sell gold in Denver?
Coin shops, jewelers that buy gold, pawn shops and online dealer buyback programs. We do not list or rank local businesses. Denver had 50 jewelry stores in 2023, up from 41 in 2022 (Census CBP). Compare written offers per gram with melt.
What is the best place to sell gold in Denver?
We do not rank local buyers, and no official data does either. The best offer is the highest written one once you check it against melt: 14k is $72.70 per gram and 18k is $93.47 as of Oct 31, 2026 2:24 AM ET.
Denver takeaways
- Bring melt figures: 20 g of 14k is $1,454.01 as of Oct 31, 2026 2:24 AM ET.
- Get several written offers per gram, inside and outside the city limits.
- Buying bullion? The state exemption is clear. The Denver city part is a question for Denver's tax office.
More local gold-selling data
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All city pages · Pawn shop gold price calculator · Gold jewelry value by karat · 14k gold price per gram · How to sell gold step by step
Bullion Price Check publishes price data and does not buy, sell or lend on gold. No business on this page is listed, rated or endorsed. General information, not financial or tax advice.
Notes: establishment counts are from the U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023 (the latest year published; NAICS 2017 codes 448310 jewelry stores and 423940 jewelry, watch, precious stone and precious metal merchant wholesalers), county level, retrieved Oct 24, 2026. Population, income, age and retirement-income figures are from the U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, retrieved Oct 24, 2026. Per-100,000 rates divide 2023 business counts by 2024 population, so they mix years and are approximate. Census does not count pawnshops, coin shops or gold buyers as such: a jewelry-store count includes stores that never buy gold, and pawnshops are filed under a broader lending code that we do not use. ACS figures are survey estimates with margins of error.