Bayfield Wells Court, 1980
Bayfield’s story
127 years in pictures
Census counts: 227 in 1910, 2,838 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 1980 and 4 maps from 1908 on.
- 1899Bayfield is settled
BayfieldCO
A town of 2,974, settled in 1899.
Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 4.0
Population
2,974
2025 Census estimate · +3.9% since 2020
Typical home
$511K
+1.9% in a year
Household income
$93K
median
Median age
32.3
years
Jobs based here
1,163
Balanced
TownGrade
A−
#33 of 158 in CO
Is Bayfield a good place to live?
Bayfield grades A− overall, 33rd of 158 graded towns in Colorado, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It is healthier than 93% of U.S. towns and it reports less crime per resident than 89% of U.S. towns. On the other side, FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 83% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. Bayfield has 2 places on the National Register. Among 93 Colorado towns, just 9 have a lower violent crime rate than Bayfield.
What makes Bayfield stand out
Where Bayfield beats most towns.
A growing town
Bayfield has grown 26% since 2010
2,333 counted in 2010 and 2,838 in 2020; an estimated 2,974 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Bayfield grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Colorado), ordered by how far Bayfield is from typical.
HealthAnimas Surgical Hospital 15.3 miles awayAOpen →SafetyAOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.9 of 20; 5.9% of households have no carA−Open →Jobs & income$93K median household incomeCOpen →SchoolsBOpen →Cost of livingB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateSnowy winters, 87° summer afternoons, 93″ of snow–Open →Housing market27 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 32.3; 32% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Bayfield: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bayfield, and how to reach them.
PowerLa Plata Electric Assn18.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterTown of Bayfield water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Bayfield’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Colorado you can register online until 8 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 8 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereLa Plata County Clerk and RecorderLa Plata County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code8112281122 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Bayfield.
Bayfield gets more snow than nearly all U.S. towns and trades workers with Durango and other neighbors, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Colorado (mostly inland flooding).
HealthA
Bayfield earns an A for health
Within Colorado it is healthier than 63% of the 159 graded towns: Colorado sets a high bar.
21% of Bayfield adults have obesity, below both Colorado’s towns (26%) and U.S. towns (35%). 20% of adults binge drink in Bayfield. Bayfield beats the Colorado average on 2 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 0.
93%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| Bayfield | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 26% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 27% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 71% | 71% | 79% |
26 measures vs. Colorado
2 better24 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Bayfield | CO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.2% | 9.2% |
| Fewer adults with obesity | 20.5% | 26.1% |
Animas Surgical Hospital
15.3 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
62nd
percentile among CO towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB
Bayfield’s schools rank ahead of 60% of Colorado districts
Its public schools are run by the Bayfield School District No. 10Jt-R. The largest public high school is Bayfield High School, with 404 students.
60%of CO districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bayfield Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 283 | C |
| Bayfield High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 404 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CO on state tests and graduation
SafetyA
Bayfield earns an A for safety
Violent crime is rare: 1 reported in 2025, 0.3 per 1,000 residents.
At 7.1 per 1,000 residents, Bayfield’s property crime rate is against 15.5 in Colorado’s towns and 9.9 across U.S. towns.
89%of U.S. towns report more crimeASafety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Bayfield0.3
Colorado4.4
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Bayfield7.1
Colorado22.4
U.S.15.5
89th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
98th
percentile among CO towns
1
violent crimes reported in 2025
21
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Inland flooding leads a very high hazard risk in Bayfield
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 89% of Colorado towns; that rating is what its D for hazard risk is built on.
83risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingAvalanchesWildfire
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Bayfield has snowy winters and pleasant summers
The Bayfield 6.2 N weather station, 6 miles away, records that 93 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 96% of U.S. towns.
Bayfield has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 87° and January nights drop to 13°.
93″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter15–42°
Spring31–62°
Summer50–84°
Fall33–64°
Sep 27
typical first frost
Jun 1
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
About one in three of Bayfield’s working residents commute to Durango
Bayfield has about as many jobs (1,163) as working residents, but only 235 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 17.4 minutes, against 25.2 across Colorado.
Most working residents leave Bayfield for work: only 18% work in town. The average trip to work in Bayfield is 17 minutes. Jobs based in Bayfield grew to 1,163 in 2023, 626 more than in 2013.
18%work in town
| Bayfield | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 18% | 7.5% | 8% |
| Median household income | $93,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Bayfield18%
Durango37%
Denver2%
Grand Junction2%
Farmington2%
16 mi
median commute distance
1,163
jobs based in Bayfield
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
A−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 83% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
OutdoorsB−
Conserved land covers 5% of Bayfield
5%conserved
5%
conserved · 64 of 1,282 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Eagle Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HousingCost of living grade B−
The typical home in Bayfield is valued at about $511K
Home values rose 27% in five years, to about $511K, against 6% across Colorado.
The typical Bayfield home is worth about $511,000, up 1.9% in a year, close to the Colorado typical home. Bayfield’s median rent is $1,236 a month.
$511KZillow home value
| Bayfield | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,236 a month | $1,812 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 71% | 73% |
Typical home value
Bayfield$511K
Colorado$529K
Market temperature
27
days on market
98.7%
sale-to-list price
+1.9%
value change, 1 year
5
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Bayfield
19pages on Bayfield
The big questions
SchoolsBBeat 60% of CO districts · 4 schoolsSafetyA0.3 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthABetter than CO on 2 of 26 CDC measuresCost of livingB−$511K typical home · up 1.9% in a yearWork & commuteC$93K median household income · 1,163 jobs hereNatural hazardsDFEMA risk higher than 83% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Bayfield; the nearest are
Fort Lewis CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Durango15.3 mi$9,958 in-state tuitionSan Juan CollegeCommunity college · Public · Farmington, NM45.1 mi$1,928 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Bayfield residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Colorado.
About Bayfield
Statutory town in La Plata County, Colorado, United States
Bayfield is a statutory town located in La Plata County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 2,838 at the 2020 United States census, a +21.65% increase since the 2010 United States census. Bayfield is part of the Durango, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 6,900 ft
- ZIP code
- 81122
- Area code
- 970
Questions about Bayfield
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Bayfield, CO a good place to live?
By most measures, yes. Bayfield grades A− overall, better than 83% of U.S. towns and #33 of 158 in Colorado. It grades A for health, A for safety and B for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Bayfield, CO expensive?
That is 5.9 years of the area's median household income ($86,056 across the Durango, CO area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.