Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Erie grades A overall, 8th of 158 graded towns in Colorado. On CDC health estimates it is near the top nationally. The median household earns $173K and its schools rank ahead of 82% of Colorado towns. The catch is cost: the typical home is worth about $717K, 7.4 years of the Greeley metro’s $97K median household income. Erie’s median rent is $2,805 a month, above both Colorado’s towns ($1,807 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). Lincoln School is on the National Register of Historic Places. Only 10 of the 159 Colorado towns we compare have a higher median household income than Erie.
Where Erie beats most towns.
| Widest gap | Erie | CO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.9% | 11.1% |
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Soaring Heights PK-8 | PK–8 | 1,211 |
| Meadowlark School | PK–8 | 747 |
| Black Rock Elementary | PK–5 | 597 |
18,135 counted in 2010 and 30,038 in 2020; an estimated 40,904 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 36.1% since 2020, after 65.6% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Colorado), ordered by how far Erie is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 358 in 1880, 30,038 in 2020. The archive holds 24 old photos and papers going back to 1946 and 4 maps from 1904 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Erie. Close and well known come first.
Big draw27 mi TheatreRed Rocks Amphitheatre
Big draw21 mi Stadium & arenaEmpower Field at Mile High
20 mi Stadium & arenaBall Arena
20 mi Stadium & arenaCoors Field
29 mi National ParkRocky Mountain National Park4.2M visitors a year
12 mi Stadium & arenaFolsom 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 · Coors Field: Matt Kozlowski, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Rocky Mountain National Park: Charles M. Sauer -- Charlessauer, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Folsom Field: Thelastcanadian, CC BY-SA 4.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Erie, 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 Erie.
Erie fares better on crime within Colorado than nationally, has less no health insurance than most of Colorado and has home values still below their peak.
Its widest gap with Colorado is no health insurance: 5.9% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 11.1% statewide.
Erie beats the Colorado average on 16 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 23% of Erie adults have high blood pressure. Among 159 Colorado towns, just 7 have a lower share of adults who say their health is fair or poor than Erie.
| Erie | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 27% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 16% | 25% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 70% | 71% | 79% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.4% | 12% | 14% |
| What stands out | Erie | CO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.9% | 11.1% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.5% | 9.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its A− for schools comes with a D for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $717K.
Its public schools are run by the St. Vrain Valley School District No. Re1J.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soaring Heights PK-8Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 1,211 | B |
| Erie High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,727 | A |
| Black Rock ElementaryTop results in townGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 597 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CO on state tests and graduation
The typical value, about $717K, is 10% below its July 2022 peak. The median property tax bill is $5,395, against $2,602 across Colorado, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
88% of households own their home in Erie. The typical Erie home is worth about $717,000, down 1.1% in a year, 36% above the Colorado typical home.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Erie has 4,432 jobs for its 15,799 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. Jobs based here grew from 1,910 in 2013 to 4,432.
Most working residents leave Erie for work: only 5% work in town. Jobs based in Erie grew to 4,432 in 2023, 2,522 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Boulder (17%), Denver (13%) and Longmont (7%).
| Erie | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 34% | 18% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 2.3% | 8.5% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.1% | 7.8% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
At 10.6 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 88% of Colorado’s graded towns. Violent crime is rare: 29 reported in 2025, 0.7 per 1,000 residents.
The violent crime rate in Erie is 0.7 per 1,000 residents.
| Erie | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.7 per 1,000 residents | 2.3 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 7.2 per 1,000 residents | 15.5 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Erie has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. Erie’s July high is 89°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
20 miles of trail in 19 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Coal Creek Open Space, at 172 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Erie Community Park | 1.1 mi | 44 |
| 2. Coal Creek Open Space | 0.9 mi | 172 |
| 3. Star Meadows Park | 0.6 mi | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 67% of U.S. communities. Since 1986, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Erie.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
4 within 15 miles of the center of Erie
About 4 of every 100 Erie residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Colorado.
Where Erie’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 notable people were born in Erie.
Home rule town in Weld and Boulder counties, Colorado, United States
The Town of Erie is a home rule town located in Weld and Boulder counties, Colorado, United States. The town population was 30,038 at the 2020 United States census, a +65.64% increase since the 2010 United States census. At the 2020 census, 17,387 (58%) Erie residents lived in Weld County and 12,651 (42%) lived in Boulder County. Erie is a part of the Denver-Aurora-Greeley, CO Combined Statistical Area and the Front Range Urban Corridor. Erie is the most populous statutory town in Colorado. Erie is located just west of Interstate 25, with easy access to Interstate 70, Denver International Airport and Colorado's entire Front Range. Erie's Planning Area spans 48 square miles (120 km2), extend…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Erie.
At #8 in CO, it grades higher overall than all 4 graded towns on its borders; Frederick (A) comes closest.
| Town | CO rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erie | #8 | A | D | B+ | A− | A+ |
| Frederick | #25 | A | C− | A− | A− | A |
| Lafayette | #51 | B+ | D | C− | A | A+ |
| Broomfield | #45 | A− | C− | C+ | A− | A+ |
| Dacono | #56 | B+ | C− | B | A− | B+ |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Erie grades A overall, better than 91% of U.S. towns and #8 of 158 in Colorado. It grades A+ for health, B+ for safety and A− 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.
3 notable people were born here, including Jaccob Slavin and Chris Eggleston.
