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Place dossier plate
SheetCO-FRUITA-CO · Fruita, CO 13,578 pop · income 59th pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Fruita
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Fruita on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Martinsville · lowest
42,434
Martinsville · lowest
42,434 median HH income
22.3% of the leader · rank #1
Calvert · near
77,669
Calvert · near
77,669 median HH income
40.9% of the leader · rank #2
Lester · near
77,679
Lester · near
77,679 median HH income
40.9% of the leader · rank #3
Deal · near
77,679
Deal · near
77,679 median HH income
40.9% of the leader · rank #4
Fruita · this city
77,680
Fruita · this city
77,680 median HH income
40.9% of the leader · rank #5
Fairview Park · near
77,688
Fairview Park · near
77,688 median HH income
40.9% of the leader · rank #6
Castle Pines · highest
189,918
Castle Pines · highest
189,918 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Fruita on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 13,578.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Fruita - the verdict
Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Fruita places in the 59th percentile for household income and the 73rd percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
59th
percentile, household income
73rd
percentile, home value
68th
percentile, median rent
73rd
percentile, safety
📝 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: Fruita, CO
13,578 people live in Fruita, Colorado - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Households in Fruita report a median income of $77,680 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 1.4%. Typical homes in Fruita are valued around $361,500, and the median resident age is 40.8 years. Educational attainment runs 31.1% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 58.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 151 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Growing), up 14% from five years earlier. Fruita reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR figures show 781.4 crimes per 100,000 residents, below the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score). The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 52.2°F with 9.9 inches of precipitation per year.
Colorado carries a cost-of-living premium: the state registers 103.1 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Above Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,429 monthly. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Colorado run around $202, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. The average commute for Fruita workers runs 18.3 minutes, with 78.8% driving alone and 8.7% working from home. Natural-hazard exposure scores 40.7 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Fruita's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from housing and income to population change to work and mobility to comparison shortlist to schools and households to reported crime to climate and hazard context; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Fruita, city-specific coverage includes FBI reported-crime rates, commute-mode shares, local building permits, annual population history, matched public-school count.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
Question 1
How far does income reach against housing in Fruita?
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 4.7 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 1.4%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median. That flags a question for comparison, not a verdict: tenure, household composition, financing costs, and the age of the ACS estimate can all change what a resident actually pays.
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +573 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +4.3% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 151 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
What does the journey to work look like in Fruita?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 78.8%. The reported mean trip to work is 18.3 minutes.
Which cities make useful reference points for Fruita?
Within Colorado, the closest population matches are Steamboat Springs (13,341 residents, $100,156 income); Sterling (13,273 residents, $44,242 income); Superior (13,136 residents, $157,909 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Villas, FL (13,578 residents); Echelon, NJ (13,577 residents); New Providence, NJ (13,577 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Schools and households
What does the education layer cover for Fruita?
The NCES join finds 7 public schools within the city match. 31.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
Matched public schools
7
Bachelor's degree+
31.1%
Poverty estimate
1.4%
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Fruita?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 781.4 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 66% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Property rate
767.1
Violent rate
14.3
Total reported rate
781.4
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 52.2°F, with 9.9 inches of precipitation. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for Colorado is 40.7 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
Mean temperature
52.2°F
Annual precipitation
9.9 in
FEMA risk index (state avg)
40.7
NOAA Climate Normals and FEMA National Risk Index (state-averaged on PlainCities). Hazard context is not address-level.
Above median income · poverty 1.4% (Very low poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
103.1 (US=100)
Above-average cost · BEA RPP 2024, Colorado average
B-
City profile score · Fruita, CO
65/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Violent crime A+
14 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Poverty rate A+
1.4%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share C+
31.1%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income C
$77,680
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Cost of living F
103.1 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Fruita profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Violent crime: 93/100 (A+) · 14 /100k
Poverty rate: 90/100 (A+) · 1.4%
Bachelor's+ share: 60/100 (C+) · 31.1%
Household income: 57/100 (C) · $77,680
Cost of living: 26/100 (F) · 103.1 index
Where Fruita sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Fruita's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Fruita highlighted among 26 peers.Read the chart values
Fruita, CO (this city): home $361,500, crime 781/100k
New Providence, NJ : home $734,300, crime 299/100k
Martinsville, VA : home $92,500, crime 1,518/100k
Steamboat Springs, CO : home $874,400, crime 1,588/100k
Sterling, CO : home $205,200, crime 3,319/100k
Lone Tree, CO : home $819,800, crime 11,414/100k
New York, NY : home $751,700, crime 3,039/100k
Los Angeles, CA : home $879,500, crime 2,212/100k
Chicago, IL : home $315,200, crime 4,012/100k
Houston, TX : home $253,400, crime 5,442/100k
Phoenix, AZ : home $381,900, crime 3,125/100k
Philadelphia, PA : home $232,400, crime 5,457/100k
San Antonio, TX : home $219,700, crime 5,218/100k
San Diego, CA : home $848,500, crime 2,082/100k
Dallas, TX : home $295,300, crime 4,010/100k
San Jose, CA : home $1,187,800, crime 3,195/100k
Austin, TX : home $512,700, crime 3,709/100k
Fort Worth, TX : home $277,300, crime 3,158/100k
Columbus, OH : home $234,500, crime 3,088/100k
Indianapolis, IN : home $207,000, crime 4,214/100k
San Francisco, CA : home $1,380,500, crime 4,526/100k
Seattle, WA : home $912,100, crime 5,783/100k
Denver, CO : home $586,700, crime 5,755/100k
Oklahoma City, OK : home $215,100, crime 3,570/100k
El Paso, TX : home $171,700, crime 1,772/100k
Washington, DC : home $724,600, crime 4,514/100k
How does Fruita compare to other US cities?
Here's how Fruita stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income59% higher than other cities
Home value73% pricier than other cities
Median rent68% pricier than other cities
Safety73% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Colorado, Fruita ranks #25 of 116 Colorado cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Fruita against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Colorado only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Colorado-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Fruita near the bottom of Colorado's cities
Among the 408 Colorado cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Fruita ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Fruita only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#199 of 379
47th percentile in Colorado
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 408
0th percentile in Colorado
Median Home Value
#218 of 388
44th percentile in Colorado
Poverty Rate
#283 of 408
30th percentile in Colorado
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#213 of 408
48th percentile in Colorado
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Colorado only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
59th percentile nationally for median household income · 73rd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Fruita's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Fruita's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Fruita's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$361,50027th percentilemore affordable than 27% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
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
Fruita's home-value-to-income ratio: 4.7×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#12,287 of 15,516
More affordable than 21% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#2,440 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 4.7×, Fruita sits in the moderate band:
national rank #12,287 of 15,516 and #2,440 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$77,680Fruita, CO median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Fruita, CO median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Fruita, CO.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)31.1%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)1.4%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)58.7%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
13,578
Median Income
$77,680
Median Home Value
$361,500
Median Age
40.8
Poverty Rate
1.4%
Labor force participation
58.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
31.1%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
781.4
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
14.3
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
767.1
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Climate
Avg Temperature
52.2°F
Annual Precipitation
9.9"
Annual Snowfall
N/A
Schools
Total Schools
7
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Fruita's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
13,430 residents
2021
13,567 residents
2022
13,771 residents
2023
13,827 residents
2024
13,930 residents
2025
14,003 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
🏗️ Growing
Total Permits (2024)
151
housing units authorized
Single-Family
96
detached homes
Multifamily
55
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
11.1
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2023
133
59
74
$17.8M
2024
151
96
55
$40.1M
Permit volume increased 14% from 2023 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
18.3 minutes
Drive Alone
78.8%
Carpool
9.2%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
2.0%
Work from Home
8.7%
Other
1.3%
Based on 6,060 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Colorado statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $202
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Colorado at $202 (electricity about $90 , water and sewer about $50 ).
These are Colorado statewide averages, not a meter reading for Fruita. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Colorado's BEA cost-of-living index is 103.1 (Above Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Fruita is $1,429/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Colorado statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 40.7 / 100 (Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Colorado statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Fruita sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Fruita compares to similar-size Colorado cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, 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.