Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
This town in Colorado has a population of 5,755.
Battlement Mesa’s weakest is walkability (D). Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 85% of U.S. towns. With a C overall, Battlement Mesa is better than 31% of U.S. towns and ranks 124th of 158 in Colorado. Cost of living is its strong suit: a typical home costs about $313K, 3.3 years of the Rifle area’s $96K median household income. Havemeyer-Willcox Canal Pumphouse and Forebay and Battlement Mesa Schoolhouse is on the National Register of Historic Places. The town’s average trip to work is 44 minutes, against 25 minutes in Colorado’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. This Colorado town has 2 places on the National Register.
Figures: home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · National Register of Historic Places.
4,471 counted in 2010 and 5,438 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Colorado), ordered by how far Battlement Mesa is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,477 in 1990, 5,438 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2012 and 2 maps from 1929 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Battlement Mesa is unincorporated, so Garfield 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 Battlement Mesa.
Battlement Mesa trades lower home prices for longer drives to work and sends most of its workers to Glenwood Springs and beyond, but it is a long drive from an emergency room.
Battlement Mesa has 307 jobs for its 2,161 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. Jobs based here fell from 566 in 2013 to 307.
For most workers, Battlement Mesa is a place to come home to: only 5% work in town. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Battlement Mesa dropped by 259, to 307. The top destinations are Glenwood Springs (12%), Rifle (12%) and Grand Junction (9%). The middle household income in the town is $76,000.
| Battlement Mesa | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 44 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $76,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.6% | 7.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
One of its 2 schools is below, with the reason it’s listed. The Grand Valley School District No. 16 runs its public schools. The 2 public schools in Battlement Mesa teach 654 students between them.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bea Underwood Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades 2–5 | Grades 2–5 | 390 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CO on state tests and graduation
In Battlement Mesa, the peak summer temperature is 91°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Battlement Mesa’s natural-hazard score from FEMA comes in at 34 of 100. Of the losses FEMA expects locally, 40% come from avalanches and 27% from inland flooding. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 66% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The nearest emergency room, Grand River Hospital District, is 21.4 miles away in a straight line. Within Colorado it is less healthy than 79% of the 159 graded towns: Colorado sets a high bar.
29% of adults in Battlement Mesa sleep under 7 hours; 15% report frequent physical distress. The share of adults in Battlement Mesa who had a checkup this year: 71%.
| Battlement Mesa | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 71% | 71% | 79% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 10% | 8.1% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 36% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 14% |
| What stands out | Battlement Mesa | CO |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 7.5% | 5.3% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 12.8% | 9.2% |
| More smokers | 14.9% | 10.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Trails total 5.1 miles in 1 park or preserve. Battlement Mesa’s concentration of trails stands at 0.5 miles per square mile.
| Battlement Mesa | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 1.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.8% | 7% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Turkey Trail Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Homes are within reach (B+ for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 38 miles. The median property tax bill is $1,175, against $2,602 across Colorado, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
A home in Battlement Mesa typically sold within 57 days of listing. For Battlement Mesa, the midpoint rent is $1,106 a month. Also worth knowing: homes in Battlement Mesa sold for 97% of their list price on average.
| Battlement Mesa | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,106 a month | $1,812 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 70% | 71% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
None within 15 miles of Battlement Mesa; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Battlement Mesa residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Colorado.
Where Battlement Mesa’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Census-designated place in Garfield County, Colorado, United States
Battlement Mesa is an unincorporated community, a census-designated place (CDP), and post office in and governed by Garfield County, Colorado, United States. The CDP is a part of the Glenwood Springs, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area. The Battlement Mesa post office has the ZIP Codes 81635 and 81636 (for post office boxes). At the United States Census 2020, the population of the Battlement Mesa CDP was 5,438. The Battlement Mesa Metropolitan District provides services.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Battlement Mesa.
| Town | CO rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battlement Mesa | #124 | C | B+ | — | C | B |
| Parachute | — | — | A− | — | C | B+ |
Parachute has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Battlement Mesa and Parachute report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Battlement Mesa with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Battlement Mesa grades C overall, better than 31% of U.S. towns and #124 of 158 in Colorado. It grades B for health and C for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a D.
Not for the area. The typical home is worth about $313,000, 41% below the Colorado typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.