Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Aspen's standout: it has 21 miles of trail and 36% conserved land. Overall it grades B−, ranked 101st of 158 in Colorado. Residents are healthier than 98% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates and its schools rank ahead of 86% of Colorado towns. Its weakest subject is cost of living: the typical home is worth about $3.6 million, 37.2 years of the Rifle area’s $96K median household income. Aspen’s typical home value is $3,560,000, against $531,000 in Colorado’s towns and $332,000 across U.S. towns. Only 4 of Colorado’s 217 towns score higher on walkability. Its National Register listings include Wheeler-Stallard House and Independence and Independence Mill Site.
Where Aspen beats most towns.
Its 30 National Register listings are more than in 97% of Colorado towns with a listing.
Census counts: 5,108 in 1890, a low of 705 in 1930, 7,004 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1889 and 3 maps from 1893 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Colorado), ordered by how far Aspen is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Aspen, and how to reach them.
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 Aspen.
Aspen is a second-home town, draws workers from El Jebel and beyond and has more trail for its size than nearly any town in Colorado.
At 37.2 years of the Rifle area’s $96K median household income, the typical home (about $3.56M) costs more against local pay than in any other Colorado town; that ratio is one input to its D− for cost of living. Values rose 8.3% in the past year while the Colorado typical home fell 1.3%.
The median rent in Aspen is $2,081 a month. Typical home values rose 8.3% in the year to September 2026. 57% of Aspen households own their home.
| Aspen | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,081 a month | $1,807 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 57% | 71% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
At 5.5 miles of trail per square mile, it ranks #3 of 140 Colorado towns. Its 893 conserved acres are a larger share of the town than in 97% of Colorado towns.
Aspen’s trail density is 5.5 miles per square mile. The biggest place to walk is Marolt Open Space, 64 acres with 1 miles of trail. 21 miles of trail in 24 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Marolt Open Space | 1 mi | 64 |
| 2. Iselin Park | 0.3 mi | 8 |
| 3. Moore Ballfields | — | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its widest gap with Colorado is tooth loss: 4.8% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 9.2% statewide.
26% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Aspen. Aspen beats the Colorado average on 11 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 21% of adults have obesity in Aspen.
| Aspen | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 30% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 26% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 25% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 27% | 35% |
| What stands out | Aspen | CO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 4.8% | 9.2% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.9% | 11.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
9,298 jobs are based in Aspen, 2.2 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 14.4 minutes, against 25.2 across Colorado.
51% of Aspen’s working residents work right in town. Since 2013, Aspen has added 1,795 jobs, to 9,298 in 2023. Among 159 Colorado towns, just 10 have a lower average trip to work than Aspen.
| Aspen | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 14 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 18% | 18% | 11% |
| Median household income | $74,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Reported crimes fell from 211 to 163 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Within Colorado, it does better than 44% of towns.
| Aspen | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 24.3 per 1,000 residents | 15.2 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.9 per 1,000 residents | 2.3 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 73% of U.S. communities. Since 1995, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Aspen.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Aspen 1sw weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 113 days, shorter than in 98% of U.S. towns. The Aspen 1sw weather station records that 171 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 100% of U.S. towns.
Aspen has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. Among 159 Colorado towns, just 9 have a lower July high than Aspen.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Aspen. Close and well known come first.
Big draw22 mi MountainMount Elbert
12 mi MountainMaroon Bells
2 mi Ski areaAspen Mountain138 runs · 3,299 ft vertical6 mi Ski areaAspen Snowmass107 runs · 4,403 ft vertical
2 mi Ski areaButtermilk50 runs · 2,009 ft vertical
39 mi Ski areaVail322 runs · 3,523 ft verticalMount Elbert: Hogs555 (talk · contribs), CC BY-SA 4.0 · Maroon Bells: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Aspen Mountain: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Buttermilk: Werdna, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Vail: Rudi Riet from Washington, DC, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0
None within 15 miles of Aspen; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Aspen residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Colorado.
36.3% of the town is conserved land, across 24 parks and preserves.
30 places in Aspen on the National Register of Historic Places.
25 notable people were born in Aspen.
Home rule city in Pitkin County, Colorado, United States
Aspen is the home rule city that is the county seat of, and the most populous municipality in, Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 7,004 at the 2020 United States census. Aspen is in a remote area of the Rocky Mountains' Sawatch Range and Elk Mountains, along the Roaring Fork River at an elevation just below 8,000 feet (2,400 m) on the Western Slope, 11 miles (18 km) west of the Continental Divide. Aspen is now a part of the Rifle, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area. Founded as a mining camp during the Colorado Silver Boom and later named Aspen for the abundance of aspen trees in the area, the city boomed during the 1880s, its first decade. The boom ended when the …
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Aspen grades B− overall, better than 50% of U.S. towns and #101 of 158 in Colorado. It grades A+ for health, C− for safety and A for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Within Colorado, it does better than 44% of towns.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.
25 notable people were born here, including Gabe Newell and Alex Ferreira.
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