Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 3,164, settled in 1887. 2 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Colorado town.
Burlington gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $246K for a typical one, or 3.5 years of the county’s $70K median household income. It grades C+ overall, 116th among Colorado's 158 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. Its public schools trail 85% of Colorado towns on state tests and graduation. On the plus side, it is more walkable than 86% of U.S. towns. 49% of working residents work locally in Burlington, above both Colorado’s towns (7.5%) and U.S. towns (8%). Only 9 of Colorado’s 218 towns score higher on hazard risk. Burlington has 4 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Elitch Gardens Carousel and Burlington State Armory.
Where Burlington beats most towns.
4,254 counted in 2010 and 3,172 in 2020; an estimated 3,164 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Colorado), ordered by how far Burlington is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Elitch Gardens Carousel is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier.
Census counts: 146 in 1890, a peak of 4,254 in 2010, 3,172 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1926 and 2 maps from 1969 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Burlington, 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 Burlington.
Burlington carries less natural-hazard risk than nearly all of Colorado (mostly cold waves), has home values rising while Colorado’s fall and is healthy by national standards but behind most towns in Colorado.
Values rose 2.9% in the past year while the Colorado typical home fell 1.3%. Home values rose 26% in five years, to about $246K, against 6% across Colorado.
The median rent in Burlington is $1,154 a month. The typical Burlington home is worth about $246,000, 53% below the Colorado typical home.
| Burlington | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,154 a month | $1,812 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 71% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Burlington Public School District No. RE-6J.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 320 | B− |
| Burlington High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 216 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CO on state tests and graduation
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 93% of Colorado towns; that rating is what its A− for hazard risk is built on.
Burlington’s FEMA risk score is 18 of 100.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Reported crimes fell from 83 to 32 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Within Colorado, it does better than 51% of towns.
| Burlington | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 6.9 per 1,000 residents | 15.5 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.2 per 1,000 residents | 2.3 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Burlington has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 90°, January nights drop to 18° and about 34 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 1,321 working residents takes 17 minutes, against 25.2 across Colorado.
Since 2013, Burlington has added 203 jobs, to 1,517 in 2023. 10% of Burlington workers work from home. The top destinations are Denver (3%), Colorado Springs (2%) and Pueblo (2%).
| Burlington | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 10% | 18% | 11% |
| Median household income | $74,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Within Colorado it is less healthy than 82% of the 159 graded towns: Colorado sets a high bar.
Burlington beats the Colorado average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 13. 71% of adults had a checkup this year in Burlington.
| Burlington | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 71% | 71% | 79% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 10% | 8.1% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 15% | 19% |
| What stands out | Burlington | CO |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 13.4% | 9.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 7.5% | 5.3% |
| More adults with heart disease | 7% | 5.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Only 4 of the 154 Colorado towns we compare have a lower trail density than Burlington. 0.8% of the land in Burlington is conserved. 0.2 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
| Burlington | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 1.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.8% | 7% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Parmer Park | — | 8 |
| 2. Outback Territory Park | 0.1 mi | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Burlington; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Burlington residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Colorado.
4 places in Burlington on the National Register of Historic Places.
Home-rule city in Kit Carson County, Colorado, United States
Burlington is the home rule city that is the county seat of, and the most populous municipality in, Kit Carson County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 3,172 at the 2020 United States census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Burlington grades C+ overall, better than 38% of U.S. towns and #116 of 158 in Colorado. It grades B for health, C for safety and C− for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a C−.
Within Colorado, it does better than 51% of towns.
Not for the 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+.
2 notable people were born here, including Robert P. Kerr and Lola Spradley.
