Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Today 664 people live in this town, first settled in 1915.
35% of residents live below the poverty line in Dove Creek, where Colorado’s towns sit at 8.4% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Only 4 of the 160 Colorado towns we compare have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Dove Creek. Dove Creek has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 418 in 1940, a peak of 986 in 1960, 635 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1972 and 2 maps from 1964 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Dove Creek, 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 Dove Creek.
Only 9 of the 160 Colorado towns we compare have a lower share of homes lived in by their owners than Dove Creek. In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 3.6%.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its two schools are below. Public schools: the Dolores County School District RE-2J. 2 public schools serve Dove Creek, with 262 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dove Creek Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 124 | C |
| Dove Creek High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 138 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts
Summer afternoons peak near 86° in July, and January nights bottom out around 15°; snowfall runs to about 64 inches a winter. Winters in Dove Creek are chilly, snowy and summers warm, with very little rain.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Jobs in Dove Creek grew by 57 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 314. About one in three of the town’s working residents works in town. The town’s typical journey to work is 18 minutes. For half of commuters, work is under 42 miles away.
| Dove Creek | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 29% | 7.7% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
For adults in Dove Creek, the share who get no exercise outside work is 22%. Against the Colorado average, Dove Creek comes out ahead on 2 CDC measures out of 26, and behind on 12.
| Dove Creek | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 12% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 27% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 18% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 71% | 79% |
| What stands out | Dove Creek | CO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 15.3% | 19% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 76.5% | 69.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.1% | 5.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in 60% of U.S. communities. Of the losses FEMA expects in Dove Creek, 41% come from avalanches and 23% from inland flooding.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Weber Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Dove Creek; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Dove Creek residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Colorado.
Town in Colorado, US
Dove Creek is the statutory town that is the county seat of and the most populous municipality in Dolores County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 635 at the 2020 United States census. The community takes its name from the nearby Dove Creek. Dove Creek is the self-proclaimed pinto bean capital of the world.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Dove Creek has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.