Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Grand Lake’s midsummer high is 76°F, where Colorado’s towns sit at 89°F and U.S. towns at 85°F. No town among the 160 in Colorado we compare has a higher age of the median resident than Grand Lake. Grand Lake’s trail density is 2.3 miles per square mile, where Colorado’s towns sit at 1.3 and U.S. towns at 0.4. Its National Register listings include Trail Ridge Road and Dutchtown. Grand Lake has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Grand Lake beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 309 in 1950, a low of 170 in 1960, 410 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1911 and 2 maps from 1958 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Grand Lake. Close and well known come first.
in town National ParkRocky Mountain National Park4.2M visitors a year
11 mi MountainLongs Peak
34 mi Stadium & arenaFolsom Field26 mi Ski areaWinter Park Resort155 runs · 2,898 ft vertical
40 mi Ski areaLoveland Basin Ski Area97 runs · 2,030 ft vertical
14 mi MuseumAlpine Visitor CenterRocky Mountain National Park: Charles M. Sauer -- Charlessauer, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Longs Peak: Photo by Scott Bauer., Public domain · Folsom Field: Thelastcanadian, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Loveland Basin Ski Area: Blakeops at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Alpine Visitor Center: inkknife_2000 (7.5 million views +), CC BY-SA 2.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Grand Lake, 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 Grand Lake.
4.8% of residents live below the poverty line in Grand Lake. Only 8% of working residents stay in Grand Lake for work; the rest commute out. Also worth knowing: jobs based in Grand Lake grew to 266 in 2023, 60 more than in 2013. The median commute is under 44 miles.
| Grand Lake | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 4.8% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $104,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
In Grand Lake, 81% of households live in a home they own. Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home lost 1.8% of its value.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Of the losses FEMA expects locally, 56% come from avalanches and 38% from inland flooding. In Grand Lake, the FEMA hazard score is 87 of 100. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Grand Lake once, in 2003.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The seasons in Grand Lake: cold, snowy winters, cool summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 76°, January nights drop to 4° and about 155 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The biggest park or preserve is Arapaho National Recreation Area, at 44 acres. Trails run 2.5 miles in 4 parks and preserves. Parks and preserves in Grand Lake: 4, covering 93 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Arapaho National Recreation Area | 0.4 mi | 44 |
| 2. Arapaho National Forest | — | 44 |
| 3. Rocky Mountain National Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
For adults 18 to 64 in Grand Lake, the share who have no health insurance is 6.9%. On the CDC’s 26 measures, Grand Lake is ahead of Colorado on 7 and behind on 4. Two figures for adults in the town: 23% have obesity, 14% report frequent mental distress.
| Grand Lake | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 30% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 26% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 25% |
| What stands out | Grand Lake | CO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.9% | 11.1% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.3% | 9.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.1% | 7.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Grand Lake; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Grand Lake residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Colorado.
Where Grand Lake’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
5 places in Grand Lake on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in Colorado, United States
The Town of Grand Lake is a statutory town located in Grand County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 410 at the 2020 United States census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Grand Lake has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
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