143 years in pictures
Census counts: 8,257 in 2000, 11,246 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2010 and 2 maps from 1962 on.
- 1883Edwards is settled
Each edition grades its towns against each other only.

A town of 10,785, settled in 1883.
Edwards's standout: CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 96% of the country. Overall it grades C+, ranked 112th of 158 in Colorado. It has 33 miles of trail. Its weakest subject is cost of living: homes are expensive, about $1.7 million for a typical one and 16.4 times the Edwards area’s $104K median household income. Edwards’ typical home value is $1,708,000, above both Colorado’s towns ($531,000) and U.S. towns ($332,000). Among 159 Colorado towns, just 8 have a lower July high than Edwards. The biggest park or preserve is Holy Cross Wilderness, at 194 acres.
Where Edwards beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Colorado), ordered by how far Edwards is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 8,257 in 2000, 11,246 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2010 and 2 maps from 1962 on.
Edwards is unincorporated, so Eagle County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Edwards.
Edwards has a shorter frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns and has commutes shorter than most of Colorado, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Colorado.
At 16.4 years of the Edwards area’s $104K median household income, the typical home (about $1.71M) costs more against local pay than in 97% of Colorado towns; that ratio is one input to its D for cost of living. Values rose 3.8% in the past year while the Colorado typical home fell 1.3%.
Edwards’ median rent is $1,845 a month. Typical home values rose 3.8% in the year to September 2026. 63% of Edwards households own their home.
| Edwards | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,845 a month | $1,807 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 63% | 71% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by Eagle County School District No. Re 50. Two of its 10 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eagle County Charter AcademyLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 360 | A− |
| Battle Mountain High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 916 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CO on state tests and graduation
24% of adults have high blood pressure in Edwards. Edwards beats the Colorado average on 1 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 28% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Edwards.
| Edwards | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 27% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 30% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 26% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 16% |
| What stands out | Edwards | CO |
|---|---|---|
| More adults seeing a dentist | 69.7% | 64.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The trail density in Edwards is 1.2 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Freedom Park | 0.3 mi | 33 |
| 2. Holy Cross Wilderness | 0.1 mi | 194 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The average commute for its 4,658 working residents takes 17.3 minutes, against 25.2 across Colorado.
Most working residents leave Edwards for work: only 18% work in town. Since 2013, Edwards has added 718 jobs, to 3,288 in 2023. The top destinations are Vail (15%), Avon (14%) and Eagle (6%).
| Edwards | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 18% | 7.5% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $82,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The Vail weather station, 14 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 77 days, shorter than in 100% of U.S. towns. The Vail weather station, 14 miles away, records that 189 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 100% of U.S. towns.
Edwards has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 79° and January nights drop to 11°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 54% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Edwards. Close and well known come first.
Big draw35 mi MountainMount Elbert
5 mi Ski areaBeaver Creek242 runs · 4,046 ft vertical
14 mi Ski areaVail322 runs · 3,523 ft vertical
26 mi Ski areaCopper Mountain153 runs · 2,644 ft vertical
31 mi Ski areaBreckenridge157 runs · 3,193 ft vertical
33 mi Ski areaAspen Mountain138 runs · 3,299 ft verticalMount Elbert: Hogs555 (talk · contribs), CC BY-SA 4.0 · Beaver Creek: Unknown, Public domain · Vail: Rudi Riet from Washington, DC, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Copper Mountain: Jarrod Doll from United States of America, CC BY 2.0 · Breckenridge: Ahodges7, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Aspen Mountain: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0
None within 15 miles of Edwards; the nearest are
About 6 of every 100 Edwards residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Colorado.
Census-designated place in Colorado, US
Edwards is an unincorporated town and a census-designated place located in and governed by Eagle County, Colorado, United States. Despite being an unincorporated community, Edwards is the principal community of the Edwards, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area and the Edwards-Rifle, CO Combined Statistical Area. The Edwards post office has the ZIP Code 81632. At the United States Census 2020, the population of the Edwards CDP was 11,246. The Edwards Metropolitan District provides services.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Edwards.
Edwards reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Edwards with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Edwards grades C+ overall, better than 42% of U.S. towns and #112 of 158 in Colorado. It grades A+ for health and B+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
2 notable people were born here, including Valerie Constien and Colby Lange.