Lazear, Colorado, 2016
Lazear’s story
114 years in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2016 and 2 maps from 1955 on.
- 1912Lazear is settled
LazearCO
Population 196: a town settled in 1912.
Population
196
Census survey, 2020–24
Household income
$42K
median
Median age
72.0
years
Jobs based here
30
A commuter town
Settled
1912
114 years ago
Is Lazear a good place to live?
49% of residents live below the poverty line in Lazear, against 8.4% in Colorado’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. No town among the 160 in Colorado we compare has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Lazear. Lazear has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
196 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Lazear.
Work & commute
Lazear has 0.5 jobs per working resident, so most workers leave town for work
2%work in town
Lazear: 1.6% of working residents work locally. Employers in Lazear added 23 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 30. The top destinations are Hotchkiss (13%), Grand Junction (9%) and Delta (8%). Half commute less than 20 miles.
Where working residents work
In Lazear2%
Hotchkiss13%
Grand Junction9%
Delta8%
Montrose8%
20 mi
median commute distance
30
jobs based in Lazear
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Snowy winters and hot summers: that is Lazear’s year
41″snow a winter
The town’s typical July afternoon high stands at 91°F.
Typical low → high °F
Winter19–42°
Spring36–65°
Summer55–89°
Fall37–67°
Oct 12
typical first frost
May 3
typical last frost
+2.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
Lazear has a low natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
39risk score of 100
45% of Lazear’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by avalanches at 28%. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in just over three fifths of U.S. communities.
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingAvalanchesWildfire
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
More of Lazear’s adults have high blood pressure than in the typical Colorado or U.S. town
21% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Lazear. Among 160 Colorado towns, just 7 have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Lazear. The town does better than the Colorado average on 3 of 26 CDC measures and worse on 13.
| Lazear | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 27% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 12% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 8.4% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 18% | 16% |
26 measures vs. Colorado
3 better10 too close to call13 worse
| What stands out | Lazear | CO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 14.5% | 19% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79% | 69.5% |
| More adults with heart disease | 10.6% | 5.1% |
Delta County Memorial Hospital
14.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Lazear
14pages on Lazear
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
Nearby attractions
All 21 attractions →Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and 5 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Lazear. Close and well known come first.
10 mi National ParkBlack Canyon of the Gunnison National Park250K visitors a year
26 mi MountainGrand Mesa
19 mi National Recreation AreaCurecanti National Recreation Area807K visitors a year28 mi Ski areaPowderhorn56 runs · 1,653 ft vertical34 mi Ski areaCimarron Mountain Club45 runs · 1,542 ft vertical22 mi GardenMontrose Botanic GardensSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park: http://www.terraprints.com, CC BY 2.5 · Grand Mesa: DrunkDriver, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Curecanti National Recreation Area: The original uploader was Nationalparks at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 2.5
Getting set up
Moving to Lazear: who provides what
Lazear is unincorporated, so Delta County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerDelta Montrose Electric Assn14.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterLazear Domestic Wc water system2 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesDelta CountyDelta County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Colorado you can register online until 8 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 8 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereDelta County Clerk and RecorderDelta County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code8141981419 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Lazear for work
Where Lazear’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
30jobs based in Lazear
2%of working residents work in town
20 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Lazear; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Lazear residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Colorado.
Questions about Lazear
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lazear, CO a good place to live?
Lazear has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Lazear is in here
Say something about Lazear.
Ask a question, answer one, post a photo or an event. Free, and the parts only a neighbor would know are the parts worth reading.