Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 6,727. Public schools that outperform most of Colorado.
Air Force Academy’s best subject grades are an A for schools and an A− for health; its weakest is a D for hazard risk. Air Force Academy’s average trip to work is 12 minutes, where Colorado’s towns sit at 25 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. No town among the 159 in Colorado we compare has a lower median age than Air Force Academy. Air Force Academy’s trail density is 2.1 miles per square mile, against 1.3 in Colorado’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. Air Force Academy is home to United States Air Force Academy. Air Force Academy has no overall grade: it has no figures for cost of living and safety, and an overall grade needs at least three of the four big subjects (cost of living, safety, schools and health).
Where Air Force Academy beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Douglass Valley Elementary School | K–5 | 306 |
| Air Academy High School | 9–12 | 1,380 |
| Widest gap | Air Force Academy | CO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 1.4% | 7.8% |
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Colorado), ordered by how far Air Force Academy is from typical.
Air Force Academy has no overall grade: it has no figures for cost of living and safety, and an overall grade needs at least three of the four big subjects (cost of living, safety, schools and health).
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 8,655 in 1980, 6,608 in 2020. The archive holds 4 maps from 1948 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Air Force Academy. Close and well known come first.
Big draw14 mi MountainPikes Peak
Big draw21 mi LandmarkNorth American Aerospace Defense Command
in town Stadium & arenaFalcon Stadium
8 mi Park & preserveGarden of the Gods
12 mi Stadium & arenaWeidner Field
10 mi Scenic railwayThe Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog RailwayPikes Peak: David Shankbone, CC BY-SA 3.0 · North American Aerospace Defense Command: Unknown, Public domain · Falcon Stadium: David Shankbone, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Garden of the Gods: Dicklyon, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Weidner Field: KM Newnham, CC BY-SA 2.5 · The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway: Milan Suvajac, CC BY-SA 4.0
Air Force Academy is unincorporated, so El Paso County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Air Force Academy.
Its public schools are run by the Academy School District No. 20. The largest public high school is Air Academy High School, with 1,380 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Douglass Valley Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 306 | B+ |
| Air Academy High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,380 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CO on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 87% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
2.8% of adults have diabetes in Air Force Academy. Of the 159 Colorado towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Air Force Academy. 15% of adults have high blood pressure in Air Force Academy.
| Air Force Academy | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 2.8% | 8.5% | 12% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 16% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 23% | 23% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 27% | 35% |
| What stands out | Air Force Academy | CO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 1.4% | 7.8% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 1.6% | 5.1% |
| More adults in frequent mental distress | 27.9% | 16% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Air Force Academy has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. Air Force Academy’s July high is 84°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
0.5% of Air Force Academy working residents work locally. Jobs based in Air Force Academy grew to 971 in 2023, 62 more than in 2013. 19% of Air Force Academy residents live below the poverty line.
| Air Force Academy | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.5% | 7.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $69,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. TZO grass | — | 8 |
| 2. Cadet Tailgate Area | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
4 within 15 miles of the center of Air Force Academy
College town 65 of every 100 Air Force Academy residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Colorado.
3 places in Air Force Academy on the National Register of Historic Places.
Unincorporated community in Colorado, US
Air Force Academy is a census-designated place (CDP) located in El Paso County, Colorado, United States. The CDP includes the developed portion of the United States Air Force Academy, including the cadet housing facilities. The CDP is a part of the Colorado Springs, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Air Force Academy post office (ZIP Codes 80840 and 80841 [for post office boxes]) serves the area. At the 2020 United States census, the population of the Air Force Academy CDP was 6,680.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Air Force Academy has no overall grade: it has no figures for cost of living and safety, and an overall grade needs at least three of the four big subjects (cost of living, safety, schools and health). Public schools that outperform most of Colorado.
