DSCN3398 dotsero e 600, 2005
Dotsero’s story
143 years in pictures
The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2005.
- 1883Dotsero is settled
DotseroCO
A town of 1,306, settled in 1883.
Population
1,306
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$482K
Census ACS
Household income
$84K
median
Median age
29.2
years
Jobs based here
234
A commuter town
Is Dotsero a good place to live?
Dotsero’s best subject grade is an A for health; its weakest is a D− for hazard risk. 32% of residents are under 18 in Dotsero, against 22% in Colorado’s towns and 22% across U.S. towns. On hazard risk, just 4 of Colorado’s 218 towns do worse. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 82% of U.S. towns. Dotsero has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Dotsero stand out
Where Dotsero beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
26 measures vs. Colorado
8 better13 too close to call5 worse
| Widest gap | Dotsero | CO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 3.8% | 7.8% |
HealthA
Healthier than 89% of U.S. towns
Beats CO on 8 of 26 CDC measures, trails it on 5
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
Worth knowing · Natural hazardsD−
Avalanches and inland flooding at the top
FEMA National Risk Index.
Small town
1,306 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Dotsero grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Colorado), ordered by how far Dotsero is from typical.
Hazard riskavalanches tops the listD−Open →HealthValley View Hospital Association 16.6 miles awayAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.2 of 20; 2.4% of households have no car; 0.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →Cost of livingTypical home $482K, 4.6 years of the Edwards area’s $104K median household incomeCOpen →SchoolsBeat 66% of Colorado districts on tests and graduationB+Open →Jobs & income$84K median household incomeB−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.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Dotsero: who provides what
Dotsero is unincorporated, so Eagle County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerHoly Cross Electric Assn12.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterTwo Rivers Village water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers92% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesEagle CountyEagle County provides services here
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 hereEagle County Clerk and RecorderEagle County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code8163781637 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 Dotsero.
HealthA
Dotsero stands out in Colorado and nationally, with fewer of its adults who have high blood pressure
18% of adults have high blood pressure in Dotsero, where Colorado’s towns sit at 27% and U.S. towns at 35%. 7.1% of Dotsero adults have diabetes. No town among the 160 in Colorado we compare has a lower share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Dotsero.
89%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| Dotsero | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 27% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 65% | 71% | 79% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 10% | 8.1% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 7.1% | 8.4% | 12% |
26 measures vs. Colorado
8 better13 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Dotsero | CO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 3.8% | 7.8% |
| Fewer adults with COPD | 3.1% | 5.3% |
| More uninsured adults | 20.8% | 11.1% |
Valley View Hospital Association
16.6 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
Dotsero has 0.3 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Dotsero for work: only 5% work in town. 2.5% of residents live below the poverty line in Dotsero. Jobs based in Dotsero grew to 234 in 2023, 25 more than in 2013.
5%work in town
| Dotsero | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 2.5% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.7% | 7.7% | 8% |
| Median household income | $84,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Dotsero5%
Eagle17%
Gypsum13%
Vail10%
Denver6%
28 mi
median commute distance
234
jobs based in Dotsero
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 18% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−
Dotsero faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by avalanches
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 74% of U.S. communities.
74risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
AvalanchesInland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Dotsero has four seasons and pleasant summers
Dotsero has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 10° and about 39 inches of snow falls in a winter.
39″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter12–37°
Spring30–60°
Summer48–84°
Fall31–62°
Oct 3
typical first frost
May 13
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsB
7.1% of Dotsero is conserved land
1.3 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves. Dotsero’s trail density is 0.9 miles per square mile.
7.1%conserved
| Dotsero | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.9 miles per square mile | 1.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 7.1% | 6.9% | 4.3% |
7.1%
conserved · 70 of 988 acres
1.3 mi
of trails · 0.9 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HousingCost of living grade C
A home in Dotsero sells for about $635K at the median
$635Kmedian sale price
1
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 22 attractions →Maroon Bells and 11 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Dotsero. Close and well known come first.
40 mi MountainMaroon Bells
36 mi Ski areaVail322 runs · 3,523 ft vertical
28 mi Ski areaBeaver Creek242 runs · 4,046 ft vertical
11 mi Canyon & gorgeGlenwood Canyon
10 mi National forestWhite River National Forest16 mi Theme parkGlenwood CavernsSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Maroon Bells: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Vail: Rudi Riet from Washington, DC, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Beaver Creek: Unknown, Public domain · Glenwood Canyon: White River National Forest U.S. Forest Service, Public domain · White River National Forest: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Public domain
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Dotsero
17pages on Dotsero
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Dotsero; the nearest are
Colorado Mountain CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Glenwood Springs16.2 mi$2,616 in-state tuitionCommunity College of AuroraCommunity college · Public · Aurora119.6 mi$4,470 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Dotsero residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Colorado.
A commuter town
95% of working residents leave Dotsero for work
Where Dotsero’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
234jobs based in Dotsero
5%of working residents work in town
28 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Dotsero
Unincorporated community in Colorado, US
Dotsero is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place (CDP) located in and governed by Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The CDP is a part of the Edwards, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population of the Dotsero CDP was 1,172 at the United States Census 2020. The Gypsum post office (Zip Code 81637) serves the area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 6,150 ft
Questions about Dotsero
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Dotsero, CO expensive?
The typical home is worth about $482,000, 9% below the Colorado typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.