Ten Mile Range and Blue River, Col, 1917
Blue River’s story
Blue River in pictures
The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 1917.
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Blue RiverCO
A town of 859.
Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 4.0
Population
859
2025 Census estimate · −1.8% since 2020
Median home value
$1.27M
Census ACS
Household income
$134K
median
Median age
32.9
years
Jobs based here
72
A commuter town
Is Blue River a good place to live?
Blue River’s median rent is $2,853 a month, above both the Colorado town median ($1,808 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). Of the 160 Colorado towns we compare, none has a lower July high than Blue River. Blue River’s trail density is 1.8 miles per square mile, where Colorado’s towns sit at 1.3 and U.S. towns at 0.4. Blue River has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
859 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Blue River: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Blue River, and how to reach them.
PowerXcel Energy15.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterTown of Breckenridge water system2 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Blue River’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 hereSummit County Clerk and RecorderSummit County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code8042480424 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 Blue River.
Work & commute
About half of Blue River’s working residents commute to Breckenridge
Most working residents leave Blue River for work: only 0% work in town. The median household income in Blue River is $134,000. Jobs based in Blue River grew to 72 in 2023, 21 more than in 2013.
0%work in town
| Blue River | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $134,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 7.6% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Blue River0%
Breckenridge46%
Denver6%
Colorado Springs3%
Frisco2%
7 mi
median commute distance
72
jobs based in Blue River
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Who lives here
More young adults than Colorado overall
Adults 18 to 34 are 33% of residents (25% statewide); people 65 and older are 10% of residents (16% statewide). 55% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Blue River.
32.9median age · CO 37.7
| Blue River | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 55% | 44% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 9.7% | 15% | 18% |
| Median age | 32.9 years | 38.3 years | 40.5 years |
Blue RiverColoradoUnited States
Ages · share of residents
24%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma4%
High school10%
Some college22%
Associate’s9%
Bachelor’s37%
Graduate18%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±6.2 points. Across Colorado, 49.3% of residents are women.
| Blue River | CO | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.6% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.9% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 24.3% | 15.7% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8.8% | 14.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.2% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.5% | 11.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 5.2% | 9.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.5% | 5.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.8% | 7.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 9.9% | 19.7% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.1% | 19.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.2% | 8.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 37.2% | 28.1% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 17.8% | 17.6% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 900, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Blue River
Blue River has cold, snowy winters and cool summers, with very little rain. Blue River’s January low is 10°F.
185″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter10–31°
Spring23–46°
Summer42–67°
Fall27–49°
Sep 9
typical first frost
Jun 16
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
Blue River faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by avalanches
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 66% of U.S. communities.
34risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
AvalanchesInland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
13.3%conserved
13.3%
conserved · 215 of 1,615 acres
4.5 mi
of trails · 1.8 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Camp Hale - Continental Divide National Monument | — | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Safety
Crime reported in Blue River
2 crimes were reported in Blue River in 2025: 1 property and 1 violent. In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Blue River is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
1
violent crimes reported in 2025
1
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Health
How healthy Blue River is
Blue River beats the Colorado average on 12 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 21% of Blue River adults binge drink.
| Blue River | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 18% | 16% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 16% | 25% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 27% | 35% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 26% | 35% |
26 measures vs. Colorado
12 better14 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Blue River | CO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 4.4% | 9.2% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.9% | 11.1% |
St. Anthony Summit Medical Center
10.3 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
$1.5Mmedian sale price
2
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 69 attractions →Mount Elbert and 19 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Blue River. Close and well known come first.
Big draw32 mi MountainMount Elbert
2 mi Ski areaBreckenridge157 runs · 3,193 ft vertical
7 mi Ski areaCopper Mountain153 runs · 2,644 ft vertical
23 mi MountainMount Blue Sky
21 mi Ski areaVail322 runs · 3,523 ft vertical
16 mi MuseumSouth Park CitySources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Mount Elbert: Hogs555 (talk · contribs), CC BY-SA 4.0 · Breckenridge: Ahodges7, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Copper Mountain: Jarrod Doll from United States of America, CC BY 2.0 · Mount Blue Sky: Lookinhere, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Vail: Rudi Riet from Washington, DC, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0 · South Park City: Ken Gallager, Public domain
,_Beaver_Creek.jpg){kind=link}
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Blue River
18pages on Blue River
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Blue River; the nearest are
Colorado School of MinesUniversity or college · Public · Golden48.1 mi$21,914 in-state tuitionCommunity College of AuroraCommunity college · Public · Aurora68.3 mi$4,470 in-state tuition
About 10 of every 100 Blue River residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Colorado.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Blue River for work
Where Blue River’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
72jobs based in Blue River
0%of working residents work in town
7 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Blue River
Statutory town in Summit County, Colorado, United States
Blue River is a statutory town located along the Blue River in Summit County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 877 at the 2020 United States census. The town is located in the Blue River Valley along Colorado State Highway 9.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 10,036 ft
- Area code
- 970
Questions about Blue River
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Blue River, CO a good place to live?
Blue River has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.