City profile · Colorado · Census ACS 2023

Steamboat Springs, CO

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Steamboat Springs - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

13,341
Residents
$100,156
Median income
$874,400
Median home
$2,022
Median rent (state)

Steamboat Springs - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Steamboat Springs lands in the 78th percentile for household income and the 43rd percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

78th
percentile, household income
96th
percentile, home value
84th
percentile, median rent
43rd
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: Steamboat Springs, CO

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 13,341 residents in Steamboat Springs, a small town within Colorado. The typical household in Steamboat Springs brings in $100,156 a year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 4.2%. Home values in Steamboat Springs run a median of $874,400, and the median resident age is 43.0 years. Educational attainment runs 58.0% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 65.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Steamboat Springs reports a comparatively low crime rate: per-100,000 total crime stands at 1587.5 in FBI UCR data, below the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA puts Steamboat Springs's yearly average temperature at 40.8°F with 24.7 inches of precipitation per year and 184.5 inches of snowfall.

Colorado carries a cost-of-living premium: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Colorado scores 103.1 (Above Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $2,022 monthly. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Colorado's average monthly utility costs around $202 (state average). Workers in Steamboat Springs report an average commute of 11.1 minutes, with 64.8% driving alone and 18.5% working from home. Natural-hazard exposure scores 33.4 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very Low).

Population

13,341 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Colorado

Median Household Income

$100,156 /yr

Poverty 4.2%

Cost of Living Index (state)

103.1 (US=100)

Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, Colorado average

How does Steamboat Springs compare to other US cities?

Here's how Steamboat Springs stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 78% higher than other cities
Home value 96% pricier than other cities
Median rent 84% pricier than other cities
Safety 43% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Colorado alone, Steamboat Springs ranks #58 of 116 Colorado cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Steamboat Springs against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Colorado only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Colorado-relative analysis

Median Home Value is Steamboat Springs's strongest outlier among Colorado cities

Among the 388 Colorado cities PlainCities tracks with reported median home value data, Steamboat Springs ranks #36 - the 91st percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Steamboat Springs only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#119 of 379
69th percentile in Colorado
Median Gross Rent
#178 of 408
55th percentile in Colorado
Median Home Value
#36 of 388
91st percentile in Colorado
Poverty Rate
#215 of 408
47th percentile in Colorado
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#83 of 408
80th percentile in Colorado

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.

78thIncome percentile
43rdSafety percentile

78th percentile nationally for median household income · 43rd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Steamboat Springs's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Steamboat Springs'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. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 44 Avg. percentile National median
Steamboat Springs'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 Steamboat Springs's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$874,400 4th percentile more affordable than 4% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). This entry sits in this band. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Steamboat Springs $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

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

Household income distribution - Steamboat Springs, CO Steamboat Springs, CO's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Steamboat Springs, CO-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Steamboat Springs, CO median $100,156/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Steamboat Springs, 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 Steamboat Springs, CO. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 58.0%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 4.2%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 65.2%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
13,341
Median Income
$100,156
Median Home Value
$874,400
Median Age
43.0
Poverty Rate
4.2%
Labor force participation
65.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
58.0%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1587.5
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
323.4
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1264.1
per 100,000 residents

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
40.8°F
Annual Precipitation
24.7"
Annual Snowfall
184.5"

Schools

Total Schools
7
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
13,000 residents13,200 residents13,400 residents13,600 residents13,800 residents 202020212022202320242025 13,225 residents 13,557 residents ▲ +2.5%
Steamboat Springs's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
11.1 minutes
Drive Alone
64.8%
Carpool
7.6%
Public Transit
1.3%
Walk
2.9%
Work from Home
18.5%
Other
4.9%

Based on 7,479 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 Steamboat Springs sits in

Cost of Living Index
103.1
Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$2,022/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
33.4 / 100
Very Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Colorado

Sterling
13,273 people
Superior
13,136 people
Fruita
13,578 people
Castle Pines
12,573 people
Lone Tree
14,136 people
Federal Heights
14,160 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Steamboat Springs's 13,341 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Nesconset, NY
13,344 people
Harrison, WI
13,345 people
Bonita, CA
13,336 people
Conway, FL
13,346 people
Henderson, TX
13,348 people
Kingston, PA
13,333 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Steamboat Springs's $100,156 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Rockford, MI
$100,156 median income
Pacheco, CA
$100,152 median income
Lely Resort, FL
$100,163 median income
Cordry Sweetwater Lakes, IN
$100,167 median income
Nisswa, MN
$100,167 median income
Round Top, NY
$100,167 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Steamboat Springs, CO Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Steamboat Springs, CO - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 83.3% 12.2% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 10.9% White 83.3% Black or African American 0.1% Asian 1.3% American Indian 0.3% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 2.7% Two or more races 12.2% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Steamboat Springs compares to nearby Colorado cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Steamboat Springs (this city) 13,341 $100,156
Sterling 13,273 $44,242
Superior 13,136 $157,909
Fruita 13,578 $77,680
Census ACS 5-year FIPS CO FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Steamboat Springs, CO?

What is the population of Steamboat Springs, CO? +

Steamboat Springs, CO has a population of 13,341 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Steamboat Springs, CO? +

The median household income in Steamboat Springs is $100,156 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Steamboat Springs? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Steamboat Springs; 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.

Is Steamboat Springs, CO safe? +

Steamboat Springs has a total crime rate of 1587.5 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Steamboat Springs, CO? +

Homes in Steamboat Springs carry a median value of $874,400, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Steamboat Springs? +

The average annual temperature in Steamboat Springs runs 40.8°F, 24.7 inches of precipitation, and 184.5 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, 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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.