Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Empire’s July high is 74°F, below both the Colorado town median (89°F) and the median of U.S. towns (85°F). Its National Register listings include Peck House and Mint Saloon. Empire has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Empire beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 134 in 1890, a low of 93 in 1930, 345 in 2020. The archive holds 24 old photos and papers going back to 1940 and 3 maps from 1910 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Empire. Close and well known come first.
Big draw26 mi TheatreRed Rocks Amphitheatre
Big draw35 mi Stadium & arenaEmpower Field at Mile High
36 mi Stadium & arenaBall Arena
12 mi MountainMount Blue Sky
28 mi National ParkRocky Mountain National Park4.2M visitors a year
37 mi Stadium & arenaCoors FieldRed Rocks Amphitheatre: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Empower Field at Mile High: Thelastcanadian, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ball Arena: KM Newnham, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Mount Blue Sky: Lookinhere, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Rocky Mountain National Park: Charles M. Sauer -- Charlessauer, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Coors Field: Matt Kozlowski, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Empire, 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 Empire.
Empire’s FEMA risk score is 97 of 100, where Colorado’s towns sit at 51 of 100 and U.S. towns at 44 of 100.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Most working residents leave Empire for work: only 0% work in town. The median household income in Empire is $67,000. The top destinations are Georgetown (22%), Idaho Springs (8%) and Denver (6%).
| Empire | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical Empire home is worth about $359,000, down 2.6% in a year, 32% below the Colorado typical home. 47% of households own their home in Empire.
| Empire | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 47% | 71% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,614 a month | $1,808 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Empire has cold, snowy winters and cool summers, with very little rain. Empire’s January low is 9°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
7 crimes were reported in Empire in 2025: 2 property and 5 violent. In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Empire is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Empire beats the Colorado average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 72% of Empire adults had a checkup this year.
| Empire | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 72% | 71% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 26% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 27% | 35% |
| What stands out | Empire | CO |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 7.3% | 5.3% |
| More smokers | 14.2% | 10.9% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 3.4% | 2.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Empire | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.3 miles per square mile | 1.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.5% | 6.9% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Minton Park | 0.1 mi | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Empire; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Empire residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Colorado.
Where Empire’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
2 places in Empire on the National Register of Historic Places.
Statutory town in Clear Creek County, Colorado, United States
The historic Town of Empire is a statutory town located in Clear Creek County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 345 at the 2020 United States census, a +22.34% increase since the 2010 United States census. The town is a former gold mining camp settled during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush that later flourished during the Colorado Silver Boom in the late 19th century. Empire is now a part of the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Front Range Urban Corridor. It is located in the valley of Clear Creek west of Denver, on the north side of the valley. The town consists of several commercial establishments and residents. U.S. Highway 40 passes through th…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Empire has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real. Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
