Cortez is considered a Small Town with a population of 8,603 and 1,961 businesses. 6 in 2018 were added to the Cortez Chamber of Commerce business directory which was less than 2017 which had 23.

The economy of Cortez employs 5,308 people and has an unemployment rate of 4.8%. Some of the largest industries in Cortez are Professional Services (167),Restaurants (59), and Entertainment Agencies & Bureaus (50).