Most Americans have never been to small town Colorado. However, as the Coloradan who live there know, small town Colorado is an awesome place to call home.
But is it all roses? Definitely not. Just like any other state, Colorado has its trouble spots. This article aims to determine, using Saturday Night Science, the absolute worst small towns to live in the Centennial State. Don’t freak out, we will use data to show which places have high crime, poverty, and unemployment.
After analyzing more than 99 of Colorado’s smallest cities, we came up with this list as the 10 worst small towns in Colorado where you’d never want to live:
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
These are the worst small towns in Colorado for 2024:
- Ellicott
- Yuma
- Towaoc
- Center
- Las Animas
- Walsenburg
- Rocky Ford
- Monte Vista
- Parachute
- Pagosa Springs
So what is the worst small town to call home in Colorado for 2024? According to the most recent census data, Ellicott is the worst small town to live in Colorado.
While many of these small towns have seen better days, they have wonderful communities and people. This report in no way means to knock the folks that call towns like Ellicott home. Everyone
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers, or scroll to the bottom to see how your town ranked.
And if you already know about the small towns, check out the best places to live in Colorado or the worst places to live in Colorado.
If you’re looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.
The 10 Worst Small Towns In Colorado For 2024
1. Ellicott
/10
Population: 1,247
Median Home Value: $0
Median Income: $44,219
Unemployment Rate: 1.3%
2. Yuma
/10
Population: 3,443
Median Home Value: $245,330
Median Income: $46,314
Unemployment Rate: 9.3%
3. Towaoc
/10
Population: 1,186
Median Home Value: $0
Median Income: $46,466
Unemployment Rate: 0.0%
4. Center
/10
Population: 2,349
Median Home Value: $154,906
Median Income: $50,203
Unemployment Rate: 10.7%
5. Las Animas
/10
Population: 2,421
Median Home Value: $90,001
Median Income: $45,355
Unemployment Rate: 10.3%
6. Walsenburg
/10
Population: 3,072
Median Home Value: $188,250
Median Income: $37,725
Unemployment Rate: 8.9%
7. Rocky Ford
/10
Population: 3,850
Median Home Value: $137,715
Median Income: $31,418
Unemployment Rate: 10.9%
8. Monte Vista
/10
Population: 4,201
Median Home Value: $238,568
Median Income: $51,071
Unemployment Rate: 8.3%
9. Parachute
/10
Population: 1,555
Median Home Value: $373,959
Median Income: $55,089
Unemployment Rate: 19.3%
10. Pagosa Springs
/10
Population: 1,643
Median Home Value: $538,947
Median Income: $32,500
Unemployment Rate: 3.7%
Methodology: How do you decide if a small place in Colorado is lousy or not?
To rank the worst small towns to live in Colorado, we had to determine what criteria people like or dislike about a place. Assuming that people like low crime, solid education, things to do, and a stable economy isn’t a stretch.
We then analyzed the criteria using Saturday Night Science, the thinking you’d use at a bar. It seems like even your crazy Uncle would agree that a town with high crime is worse than a town with low crime; all else the same.
Using FBI crime data and the Census’s 2018-2022 American Community Survey, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (The lower, the worse)
- Highest Unemployment Rates
- Low housing costs (meaning there’s no demand)
- Adjusted Median Income (Median income adjusted for the cost of living)
- Education (Number of high school dropouts)
- High Crime
We looked at cities with populations between 1,000 and 5,000 people, of which there were many – 99 to be exact.
We get the crime numbers from the FBI, which gets them from the cities. Dropout numbers are based on the adult population, not just the current graduation rates of teenagers.
We base all our research on facts, which is meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2024, which is our tenth time ranking the worst small places to live in Colorado.
There You Have It – The Worst Small Towns In Colorado
If you’re analyzing teeny places in the Centennial State with the worst economic situations, where there’s high crime and there’s not a lot to do, this is an accurate list.
The worst small towns in Colorado are Ellicott, Yuma, Towaoc, Center, Las Animas, Walsenburg, Rocky Ford, Monte Vista, Parachute, and Pagosa Springs.
If you’re curious enough, here are the best small towns to live in Colorado, according to science:
- Aspen Park (Pop. 1,006)
- Castle Pines Village (Pop. 4,462)
- Columbine Valley (Pop. 1,928)
For more Colorado reading, check out:
Worst Small Towns In Colorado
| Rank | Town | Population | Unemployment Rate | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ellicott | 1,247 | 1.3% | $0 | $44,219 |
| 2 | Yuma | 3,443 | 9.3% | $245,330 | $46,314 |
| 3 | Towaoc | 1,186 | 0.0% | $0 | $46,466 |
| 4 | Center | 2,349 | 10.7% | $154,906 | $50,203 |
| 5 | Las Animas | 2,421 | 10.3% | $90,001 | $45,355 |
| 6 | Walsenburg | 3,072 | 8.9% | $188,250 | $37,725 |
| 7 | Rocky Ford | 3,850 | 10.9% | $137,715 | $31,418 |
| 8 | Monte Vista | 4,201 | 8.3% | $238,568 | $51,071 |
| 9 | Parachute | 1,555 | 19.3% | $373,959 | $55,089 |
| 10 | Pagosa Springs | 1,643 | 3.7% | $538,947 | $32,500 |
| 11 | Olathe | 1,901 | 4.6% | $379,737 | $60,966 |
| 12 | Ordway | 1,874 | 16.3% | $142,256 | $45,938 |
| 13 | Wray | 2,461 | 5.7% | $255,717 | $67,596 |
| 14 | Cripple Creek | 1,093 | 8.4% | $315,815 | $36,783 |
| 15 | Cedaredge | 2,572 | 12.8% | $395,364 | $40,395 |
| 16 | Del Norte | 1,808 | 7.7% | $267,579 | $40,756 |
| 17 | Julesburg | 1,187 | 4.2% | $154,239 | $37,232 |
| 18 | Springfield | 1,357 | 2.3% | $138,520 | $36,354 |
| 19 | Sanford | 1,306 | 6.9% | $201,388 | $50,461 |
| 20 | Aristocrat Ranchettes | 1,987 | 5.7% | $401,299 | $83,500 |
| 21 | Fraser | 1,220 | 10.1% | $763,715 | $75,893 |
| 22 | Hudson | 2,167 | 2.9% | $672,979 | $73,542 |
| 23 | Georg | 1,104 | 8.8% | $487,105 | $56,458 |
| 24 | Paonia | 1,571 | 6.2% | $416,794 | $54,643 |
| 25 | Orchard City | 3,150 | 4.8% | $362,952 | $69,556 |
| 26 | Aetna Estates | 1,194 | 9.9% | $60,246 | $60,857 |
| 27 | Fowler | 1,115 | 5.2% | $182,643 | $38,162 |
| 28 | Buena Vista | 2,887 | 16.8% | $622,708 | $58,168 |
| 29 | Kersey | 1,453 | 7.3% | $478,601 | $61,111 |
| 30 | Ignacio | 1,257 | 7.7% | $425,745 | $62,833 |
| 31 | Platteville | 2,917 | 8.7% | $491,083 | $76,406 |
| 32 | Mountain Village | 1,582 | 5.5% | $2,087,454 | $56,917 |
| 33 | Rangely | 2,382 | 6.5% | $207,492 | $70,363 |
| 34 | Gilcrest | 1,082 | 0.0% | $304,882 | $64,583 |
| 35 | Laporte | 2,233 | 3.4% | $526,014 | $69,732 |
| 36 | Holyoke | 2,430 | 0.0% | $250,131 | $51,435 |
| 37 | Hotchkiss | 1,083 | 2.9% | $435,431 | $53,214 |
| 38 | Wiggins | 1,138 | 7.3% | $421,876 | $77,083 |
| 39 | Florence | 3,874 | 1.6% | $270,598 | $58,167 |
| 40 | Strasburg | 3,149 | 6.1% | $542,005 | $88,482 |
| 41 | Penrose | 3,900 | 8.5% | $369,171 | $77,286 |
| 42 | Akron | 1,675 | 2.1% | $235,055 | $52,813 |
| 43 | Kremmling | 1,779 | 2.4% | $499,913 | $64,141 |
| 44 | Cascade-Chipita Park | 1,302 | 18.2% | $529,437 | $78,542 |
| 45 | Dotsero | 1,189 | 6.7% | $452,760 | $79,957 |
| 46 | Alamosa East | 1,319 | 0.0% | $296,667 | $1,000 |
| 47 | Limon | 1,479 | 1.9% | $255,196 | $49,034 |
| 48 | Pierce | 1,018 | 10.9% | $448,224 | $71,071 |
| 49 | Lincoln Park | 4,413 | 5.9% | $301,117 | $79,408 |
| 50 | Burlington | 3,184 | 2.6% | $238,048 | $61,528 |
| 51 | Bennett | 3,299 | 2.3% | $427,950 | $82,035 |
| 52 | Palisade | 2,571 | 4.6% | $507,678 | $56,359 |
| 53 | Ridgway | 1,093 | 10.1% | $870,001 | $82,903 |
| 54 | Idaho Springs | 2,113 | 6.8% | $500,049 | $72,101 |
| 55 | Keenesburg | 1,669 | 6.4% | $468,197 | $86,827 |
| 56 | Meeker | 2,500 | 0.7% | $338,091 | $69,295 |
| 57 | Byers | 1,635 | 17.5% | $541,641 | $93,750 |
| 58 | Colorado City | 1,932 | 0.0% | $316,679 | $55,759 |
| 59 | Glendale | 4,580 | 2.6% | $366,045 | $63,143 |
| 60 | Silverthorne | 4,550 | 6.3% | $853,918 | $97,558 |
| 61 | Silt | 3,529 | 1.7% | $558,268 | $72,450 |
| 62 | Ault | 1,601 | 1.6% | $425,248 | $76,215 |
| 63 | Loma | 1,481 | 1.5% | $593,703 | $137,995 |
| 64 | Ouray | 1,007 | 4.5% | $694,456 | $68,750 |
| 65 | El Jebel | 4,328 | 0.0% | $884,753 | $120,278 |
| 66 | Hayden | 2,057 | 1.4% | $482,471 | $74,028 |
| 67 | Manitou Springs | 4,848 | 11.8% | $538,984 | $72,775 |
| 68 | New Castle | 4,874 | 2.7% | $572,983 | $82,473 |
| 69 | Bayfield | 2,853 | 5.9% | $472,286 | $84,609 |
| 70 | Leadville North | 2,003 | 3.2% | $431,537 | $79,942 |
| 71 | Mancos | 1,121 | 1.5% | $450,145 | $63,185 |
| 72 | La Salle | 2,874 | 1.6% | $421,834 | $91,080 |
| 73 | Kittredge | 1,021 | 4.8% | $491,126 | $143,147 |
| 74 | Lazy Acres | 1,014 | 3.8% | $1,001,024 | $150,927 |
| 75 | Granby | 2,074 | 0.2% | $757,853 | $77,679 |
| 76 | Vail | 4,833 | 7.6% | $1,659,103 | $96,667 |
| 77 | Crested Butte | 1,434 | 6.1% | $1,412,975 | $67,625 |
| 78 | Palmer Lake | 2,642 | 7.0% | $508,099 | $104,712 |
| 79 | Elizabeth | 1,830 | 3.0% | $673,288 | $99,889 |
| 80 | Leadville | 2,622 | 2.3% | $463,116 | $80,100 |
| 81 | Coal Creek | 2,431 | 2.1% | $605,197 | $129,091 |
| 82 | Ponderosa Park | 3,577 | 0.7% | $715,310 | $127,901 |
| 83 | Inverness | 2,772 | 3.3% | $773,731 | $109,339 |
| 84 | Frisco | 2,900 | 1.5% | $932,987 | $101,140 |
| 85 | Niwot | 4,091 | 7.4% | $1,041,176 | $135,758 |
| 86 | Blue River | 1,238 | 0.8% | $1,248,399 | $150,074 |
| 87 | Nederland | 1,413 | 2.5% | $625,998 | $115,120 |
| 88 | Genesee | 4,046 | 2.3% | $1,086,636 | $174,375 |
| 89 | Holly Hills | 2,801 | 1.3% | $697,625 | $129,700 |
| 90 | Basalt | 3,815 | 3.2% | $1,274,527 | $103,049 |
| 91 | Telluride | 2,622 | 2.8% | $1,917,901 | $81,429 |
| 92 | Indian Hills | 1,445 | 0.0% | $635,756 | $166,429 |
| 93 | Lyons | 1,936 | 3.4% | $739,742 | $131,179 |
| 94 | Snowmass Village | 3,076 | 0.0% | $1,741,212 | $94,761 |
| 95 | Perry Park | 1,712 | 0.0% | $828,957 | $147,548 |
| 96 | Acres Green | 2,627 | 1.1% | $592,943 | $124,219 |
| 97 | Aspen Park | 1,006 | 0.0% | $690,892 | $111,964 |
| 98 | Castle Pines Village | 4,462 | 5.7% | $1,380,987 | $250,001 |
| 99 | Columbine Valley | 1,928 | 0.5% | $1,599,009 | $250,001 |
