Get paid to care for family in Garfield County
Most of the 9,950 people in Garfield County who are 65 or older are cared for at home, by a relative. Colorado Medicaid can pay you for that work.
Garfield County at a glance
- Aged 65+
- 9,950
- Aged 85+
- 752
- Rank in CO
- 16th
- Median age
- 38.1
16% of residents
when daily help usually starts
of 64 counties, by residents 65+
younger than the country
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Garfield County is a smaller-city county (Rural-Urban Continuum Code 5).
- 50 + DC
- states covered
- 3,144
- counties with local data
- $0
- it is always free to apply
- 2 min
- to see if you qualify
Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Rules from each state's published Medicaid program
Care in Garfield
What being a paid caregiver looks like here
About 9,950 people in Garfield County are 65 or older — 16% of everyone who lives here. That tracks with Colorado as a whole. Roughly 752 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. There are only so many home-care agencies in a county this size, and the ones that are here do not always cover evenings, weekends, or the far end of the county.
Statewide, 975,900 people in Colorado are 65 or older — 16% of the state, across 64 counties.
What Colorado pays family caregivers
$17–$20/hr
Source: Colorado Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
Colorado's programs at a glance
- CDASS
- IHSS
- Family CNA program
- Spouse paid?
- Yes
- Parent paid for a child?
- Yes
- Waitlist
- No waitlist.
These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full Colorado guide →
Towns and cities in Garfield County
Colorado sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Rifle and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Garfield County:
- Rifle10,663
- Glenwood Springs10,311
- Carbondale6,758
- New Castle4,894
- Silt3,727
- Parachute1,362
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Garfield apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Garfield County start with Colorado's program:
Contact the local Case Management Agency (Single Entry Point) for a nursing-facility level-of-care assessment; must be enrolled in Health First Colorado (Medicaid) first.
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which Colorado program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Garfield questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Garfield County?
Yes. Colorado runs real Medicaid programs — like CDASS — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Garfield County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Garfield County?
Family caregivers in Colorado typically earn $17–$20/hr. The rate is the same across the state, including Garfield County.
Where do families in Garfield County apply?
Families in Garfield County start with the state, not the county. Contact the local Case Management Agency (Single Entry Point) for a nursing-facility level-of-care assessment; must be enrolled in Health First Colorado (Medicaid) first.
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Garfield County?
Yes — a spouse can be paid here. The fine print for Colorado: yes — spouses can be hired under CDASS/IHSS; spouse-as-LRP homemaker capped at 7 hrs/week
How many people in Garfield County might need this?
9,950 residents of Garfield County are 65 or older and about 752 are 85 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 population estimates. Most of them are cared for at home by a relative rather than in a facility. Colorado's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Garfield do you cover?
All of Garfield County — including Rifle, Glenwood Springs, Carbondale, New Castle and Silt. Eligibility is set by Colorado, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from Colorado's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
Guides
For families in Garfield County
Start with the Colorado caregiver program, then read how the pieces fit together.
Nearby
Counties next to Garfield
The counties Garfield touches, by Census boundaries — a few of those borders run across water. Ones marked with a state abbreviation are across the line, and their rules are their state's, not this one's.
Find out in 2 minutes
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