Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Durango - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.
Nationally, Durango sits in the 61st percentile for household income among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS.
61st
percentile, household income
90th
percentile, home value
63rd
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Durango, CO
19,257 people live in Durango, Colorado - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $79,545 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 10.6%. Typical homes in Durango are valued around $609,700, and the median resident age is 37.2 years. About 58.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 64.6% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 49 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 62% from five years earlier. NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 47.4°F with 19.6 inches of precipitation per year and 63.7 inches of snowfall.
Colorado carries a cost-of-living premium: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Colorado at 103.1 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Above Average). Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,589 monthly. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Colorado's average monthly utility costs around $202 (state average). The average commute for Durango workers runs 12.1 minutes, with 63.7% driving alone and 14.1% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 75.2 out of 100 (High).
Population
19,257 residents
Census ACS 2023 - Colorado
Median Household Income
$79,545/yr
Poverty 10.6%
Cost of Living Index (state)
103.1 (US=100)
Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, Colorado average
How does Durango compare to other US cities?
Where Durango sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income61% higher than other cities
Home value90% pricier than other cities
Median rent63% pricier than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Durango's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Colorado, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.
61st percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
How Durango's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$609,70010th percentilemore affordable than 10% of 15,600 US cities
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Income distribution context
Durango, CO's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Durango, CO. Diagonal = perfect equality.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)58.3%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)10.6%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)64.6%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
19,257
Median Income
$79,545
Median Home Value
$609,700
Median Age
37.2
Poverty Rate
10.6%
Labor force participation
64.6%
Bachelor's Degree+
58.3%
Climate
Avg Temperature
47.4°F
Annual Precipitation
19.6"
Annual Snowfall
63.7"
Schools
Total Schools
15
Public schools in this city
Population Change
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Durango's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Housing Supply
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
49
housing units authorized
Single-Family
14
detached homes
Multifamily
35
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
2.5
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
129
70
59
$20.6M
2020
80
36
44
$13.9M
2021
170
114
56
$17.4M
2022
168
99
69
$18.5M
2023
196
23
173
$29.2M
2024
49
14
35
$11.8M
Permit volume decreased 62% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
12.1 minutes
Drive Alone
63.7%
Carpool
6.0%
Public Transit
1.0%
Walk
9.4%
Work from Home
14.1%
Other
5.8%
Based on 10,827 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
State-average estimates for Colorado - EIA 2023 residential energy data
Electricity
$90
avg/month
Natural Gas
$62
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$50
avg/month
Total Utilities
$202
estimated/month
Estimates reflect Colorado state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Cost of living is a Colorado state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Durango sits in
Census ACS 5-year FIPS CO NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01
What do people ask about Durango, CO?
What is the population of Durango, CO?+
Durango, CO has a population of 19,257 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in Durango, CO?+
In Durango, the typical household earns $79,545 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the cost of living in Durango?+
BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Durango; the closest available measure is the Colorado state average, a cost of living index of 103.1 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Colorado vary by metro area.
What is the median home value in Durango, CO?+
Durango's median home value sits at $609,700, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the climate like in Durango?+
The average annual temperature in Durango runs 47.4°F, 19.6 inches of precipitation, and 63.7 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.