Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 3,248, settled in 1879.
Buena Vista's standout: 18% of its land is conserved. Overall it grades B−, 92nd among Colorado's 158 graded towns. Crime is low: it reports less per resident than 88% of U.S. towns and it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 87% of U.S. towns. Its weakest subject is cost of living: the typical home is worth about $665K, 7.9 years of the county’s $84K median household income. Buena Vista’s average commute is 14 minutes, against 25 minutes in Colorado’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Buena Vista has 12 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Grace Episcopal Church and Bridge over Arkansas River. Only 6 of the 93 Colorado towns we compare have a lower rate of reported violence than Buena Vista.
Where Buena Vista beats most towns.
Census counts: 2,141 in 1880, a low of 751 in 1930, 2,855 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 2 maps from 1955 on.
12 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Colorado), ordered by how far Buena Vista is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Buena Vista, 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 Buena Vista.
Buena Vista draws workers from Salida and beyond and has a shorter frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Colorado.
1,789 jobs are based in Buena Vista, 1.6 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 13.8 minutes, against 25.2 across Colorado.
The top destinations are Salida (9%), Denver (8%) and Colorado Springs (4%). Buena Vista had 1,789 jobs in 2023, up 363 from 2013. The share of working residents in Buena Vista who work locally: 30%. The median commute is under 22 miles.
| Buena Vista | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 30% | 7.5% | 8% |
| Median household income | $78,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 7.3% | 8.5% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Public schools: the Buena Vista School District No. R-31. Below: Two of its 6 schools, each with why it was picked. 5 public schools serve Buena Vista, with 925 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avery/Parsons Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 383 | C |
| Buena Vista High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 256 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CO on state tests and graduation
Violent crime is rare: 1 reported in 2025, 0.3 per 1,000 residents.
Only 8 of the 93 Colorado towns we compare have a lower rate of thefts and burglaries than Buena Vista.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Only 45.9% of households own their home, against 66.2% across Colorado.
A bachelor’s degree or higher: 54% of adults 25 and older, vs 46% across Colorado. People 65 and older are 5% of residents (16% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 45% of residents (39% statewide). Since 2020, Buena Vista has grown 14%, to 3,248 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. In Buena Vista, the age of the median resident is 36 years.
| Buena Vista | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 54% | 44% | 29% |
| Median age | 36 years | 38.4 years | 40.5 years |
44% women, 56% men
About 128 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±5.7 points). Across Colorado, 49.3% of residents are women. Among residents 18 to 24, 98% are men (CO 52%).
| Buena Vista | CO | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 15.7% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.1% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.8% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 17.3% | 15.7% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15.5% | 14.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 17.5% | 11.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 2% | 9.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 3% | 5.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.1% | 7.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 21.7% | 19.7% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.7% | 19.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 1% | 8.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 38.7% | 28.1% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 14.8% | 17.6% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,200, single groups can be off by several points
At 7.9 years of the county’s $84K median household income, the typical home (about $665K) costs more against local pay than in 78% of Colorado towns; that ratio is one input to that grade. 68.1% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 52.9% across Colorado.
Buena Vista: 46% of households are owner-occupiers. The typical home value locally is about $665,000, up 1.5% in a year, 26% above the Colorado typical home. Also worth knowing: in Buena Vista, the median rent is $2,020 a month.
| Buena Vista | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 46% | 71% | 73% |
| Median rent | $2,020 a month | $1,807 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Trails total 3.3 miles in 3 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is River Park, at 37 acres. Buena Vista’s trail density stands at 0.9 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. River Park | 0.7 mi | 37 |
| 2. McPhelemy Park | 0.2 mi | 6 |
| 3. Columbine Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The Buena Vista 2s weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 116 days, shorter than in 98% of U.S. towns.
Buena Vista’s July high comes in at 82°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Within Colorado it is less healthy than 78% of the 159 graded towns: Colorado sets a high bar.
72% of adults had a checkup this year in Buena Vista. This Colorado town beats the Colorado average on 1 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 12.
| Buena Vista | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 11% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 72% | 71% | 79% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 26% | 35% |
| What stands out | Buena Vista | CO |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 73.4% | 69.5% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 15.6% | 9.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The national flood insurance program has paid one claim in Buena Vista since 1996. Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in 64% of U.S. communities. Of the losses FEMA expects locally, 78% come from inland flooding and 14% from lightning.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Buena Vista; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Buena Vista residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Colorado.
Where Buena Vista’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
12 places in Buena Vista on the National Register of Historic Places.
Statutory town in Chaffee County, Colorado, United States
Buena Vista ( BEW-nə VIST-ə) is a statutory town located in Chaffee County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 2,855 at the 2020 United States census. Buena Vista is located in central Colorado roughly midway between Salida and Leadville in the Upper Arkansas River Valley at an elevation of 7,965 feet (2,428 m). The name "Buena Vista", Spanish for "Good View", can often be heard pronounced locally as . This Americanized pronunciation was specified by Alsina Dearheimer, who chose this name for the town, which was officially selected over other names (Cottonwood, Mahonville) on the occasion of the town's incorporation. Alternate pronunciations include the Spanish [ˈbwena ˈβista.…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Buena Vista grades B− overall, better than 53% of U.S. towns and #92 of 158 in Colorado. It grades B for health, A for safety and B+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes, by national standards. Buena Vista reports less crime per resident than 88% of U.S. towns, an A Safety Grade: 1 violent and 17 property crimes in 2025.
2 notable people were born here, including Robert James Eaton and Carol Springer.
