Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Home to 446 people, the town was established in 1858.
34% of residents live below the poverty line in Fort Garland, against 8.4% in Colorado’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Of the 160 Colorado towns we compare, none has a higher share of children under 18 than Fort Garland. Fort Garland is on the National Register of Historic Places. Fort Garland has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Fort Garland beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 432 in 2000, 464 in 2020. The archive holds 15 old photos and papers going back to 1878 and 2 maps from 1967 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Fort Garland is unincorporated, so Costilla 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 Fort Garland.
Only 9 of the 152 Colorado towns we compare have a lower midpoint rent than Fort Garland. Typical home values fell 1.9% in the year to September 2026.
| Fort Garland | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $933 a month | $1,808 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 72% | 71% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Commuting out is the norm in Fort Garland: a tenth of working residents work locally. Jobs based in Fort Garland grew to 69 in 2023, 46 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Alamosa (10%), Blanca (8%) and Denver (8%). For half of commuters, work is under 25 miles away.
| Fort Garland | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 9.8% | 7.7% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical July afternoon high for Fort Garland comes to 81°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Fort Garland: just over a fifth of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance. No town among the 160 in Colorado we compare has a lower share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Fort Garland. Among adults locally, 13% binge drink and 26% say their health is fair or poor.
| Fort Garland | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 8.4% | 12% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 10% | 8.1% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 18% | 16% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 15% | 19% |
| What stands out | Fort Garland | CO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 13% | 19% |
| Fewer adults with depression | 18.8% | 22.7% |
| More uninsured adults | 22.4% | 11.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
FEMA puts nearly three fifths of Fort Garland’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 14% to drought. Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in 58% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Parks and preserves in Fort Garland: one, of 2 acres. Only 8 of the 155 Colorado towns we compare have a lower share of conserved land than Fort Garland.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Fort Garland Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Fort Garland; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Fort Garland residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Colorado.
Where Fort Garland’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Census-designated place in Costilla County, Colorado, United States
Fort Garland was a United States Army post from 1858 to 1883. Today, Fort Garland is a historic unincorporated community, a post office, and a census-designated place (CDP) located in and governed by Costilla County, Colorado, United States. At the United States Census 2020, the population of the Fort Garland CDP was 464, while the population of the 81133 ZIP Code Tabulation Area was 840 including adjacent areas. The Fort Garland post office has the ZIP Code 81133. Fort Garland is a part of the Alamosa, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Fort Garland has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
