Center, Colorado, 2012
Center’s story
127 years in pictures
Census counts: 385 in 1910, 1,929 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2012 and 3 maps from 1915 on.
- 1899Center is settled
CenterCO
A town of 1,890, settled in 1899.
Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 3.0
Population
1,890
2025 Census estimate · −3.6% since 2020
Typical home
$184K
−1.9% in a year
Household income
$46K
median
Median age
37.9
years
Jobs based here
521
Balanced
Is Center a good place to live?
Center’s best subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A− for walkability; its weakest is a D− for incomes. Center’s average trip to work is 13 minutes, where Colorado’s towns sit at 25 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. No town in Colorado scores higher than Center on cost of living. Center's public schools trail 95% of Colorado towns on state tests and graduation. Center's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 89% of U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is Center Community Park, at 21 acres. Center has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Center stand out
Where Center beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Typical home value
Center$184K
Colorado$529K
Cost of livingA+
3.7 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 98% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Natural hazardsA−
Very low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
Center Consolidated School District No. 26 Jt. of the count
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Haskin Elementary School | PK–5 | 312 |
| Skoglund Middle School | 6–8 | 124 |
| Center High School | 9–12 | 153 |
Worth knowing · SchoolsD
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
A shrinking town
Center has shrunk 17% since 2010
2,230 counted in 2010 and 1,929 in 2020; an estimated 1,890 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Center grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Colorado), ordered by how far Center is from typical.
Jobs & incomeD−Open →Cost of livingA+Open →SchoolsDOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 19% of U.S. communities; avalanches tops the listA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.8 of 20; 4.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitA−Open →HealthLess healthy than 67% of U.S. towns; Rio Grande Hospital 8.3 miles awayCOpen →SafetyB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0 miles of trailsB−Open →HistoryC+Open →Civic life3.3 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 37.9; 17% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Center: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Center, and how to reach them.
PowerCity of CenterEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterTown of Center water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Center’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 hereSaguache County Clerk and RecorderSaguache County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code8112581125 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 Center.
HousingCost of living grade A+
A typical Center home is worth about $184K
The typical Center home is worth about $184,000, down 1.9% in a year, 65% below the Colorado typical home.
$184KZillow home value
Typical home value
Center$184K
Colorado$529K
−1.9%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SchoolsD
For schools, Center earns a D
Its public schools are run by Center Consolidated School District No. 26 Jt. of the count. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
5%of CO districts it outscoresDSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haskin Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 312 | C− |
| Center High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 153 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CO on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A−
Avalanches leads a very low hazard risk in Center
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 81% of U.S. communities.
19risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
AvalanchesDroughtInland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthC
More of Center’s adults say their health is fair or poor than in the typical Colorado or U.S. town
29% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Center, above both Colorado’s towns (15%) and U.S. towns (19%). 17% of adults report frequent physical distress in Center. Of the 160 Colorado towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Center.
33%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Center | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 15% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 8.4% | 12% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 10% | 8.1% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 16% | 25% |
26 measures vs. Colorado
3 better12 too close to call11 worse
| What stands out | Center | CO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.4% | 7.8% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 14.4% | 19% |
| More uninsured adults | 28.5% | 11.1% |
Rio Grande Hospital
8.3 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Center
Center has cold winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. The July high in Center is 82°F.
25″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter6–37°
Spring27–60°
Summer46–80°
Fall28–62°
Sep 24
typical first frost
May 24
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
Center stands out in Colorado and nationally: the median household income there is lower
Center’s median household income is $46,000. Since 2013, Center has lost 54 jobs, to 521 in 2023. 20% of Center residents live below the poverty line.
20%work in town
| Center | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 20% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $46,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 20% | 7.7% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Center20%
Alamosa9%
Monte Vista6%
Colorado Springs3%
Del Norte2%
12 mi
median commute distance
521
jobs based in Center
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
A−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 82% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SafetyB−
Crime per resident in Center is lower than in 51% of U.S. towns
Only 2 of the 94 Colorado towns we compare have a lower property crime rate than Center.
51%of U.S. towns report more crimeB−Safety Grade
| Center | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 2.3 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.7 per 1,000 residents | 15.2 | 9.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Center0
Colorado4.4
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Center3.7
Colorado22.4
U.S.15.5
51st
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
0
violent crimes reported in 2025
7
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
OutdoorsB−
Center has set aside 0% of its land for conservation
0.4 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 627 acres
0.4 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Center Community Park | — | 21 |
| 2. Valle Vista Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Center
19pages on Center
The big questions
SchoolsDBehind 95% of CO districts · 5 schoolsSafetyB−0 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthCBetter than CO on 3 of 26 CDC measuresCost of livingA+$184K typical home · down 1.9% in a yearWork & commuteD−$46K median household income · 521 jobs hereNatural hazardsA−FEMA risk higher than 19% of U.S. communities · avalanches
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Center; the nearest are
Adams State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Alamosa23 mi$9,824 in-state tuitionUniversity of New Mexico-Taos CampusCommunity college · Public · Ranchos de Taos, NM100.2 mi$2,136 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Center residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Colorado.
About Center
Statutory town in Saguache and Rio Grande counties, Colorado, USA
Center is a statutory town located in Saguache and Rio Grande counties, Colorado, United States. The town's population was 1,929 at the 2020 United States census with 1,885 residing in Saguache County and 44 residing in Rio Grande County.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 7,644 ft
- ZIP code
- 81125
- Area code
- 719
Questions about Center
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Center, CO expensive?
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 A+.