Mancos Opera House · National Register of Historic Places
Mancos’s story
149 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1903.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1877Mancos is settled
MancosCO
A town of 1,266, settled in 1877. 42% more nonprofits per person than the typical Colorado town.
Photo: Carol M. Highsmith · Public domain
Population
1,266
2025 Census estimate · +5.9% since 2020
Typical home
$516K
+1.7% in a year
Household income
$66K
median
Median age
51.5
years
Jobs based here
528
Balanced
Is Mancos a good place to live?
Mancos’ best subject grades are an A for health and civic life and an A− for cost of living; its weakest is a D for hazard risk. 29% of residents are 65 or older in Mancos, against 15% in Colorado’s towns and 18% across U.S. towns. On cost of living, just 10 of Colorado’s 217 towns do better. Mancos is more walkable than 68% of U.S. towns. Mancos’ trail density is 2.3 miles per square mile, where Colorado’s towns sit at 1.3 and U.S. towns at 0.4. On civic life, just 14 of Colorado’s 146 towns do better. Mancos has 4 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Mancos Opera House and Mancos High School. Mancos has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Mancos stand out
Where Mancos beats most towns.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Mancos7.4
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical CO town5.2
Civic lifeA
42% more nonprofits per person
than the typical Colorado town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
26 measures vs. Colorado
3 better22 too close to call1 worse
| Widest gap | Mancos | CO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 8.3% | 11.1% |
HealthA
Healthier than 91% of U.S. towns
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
Small town
1,266 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Mancos grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Colorado), ordered by how far Mancos is from typical.
HealthSouthwest Memorial Hospital 15.4 miles awayAOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →Jobs & income$66K median household incomeC−Open →Cost of livingA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.4 of 20; 3.2% of households have no car; 6.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →SchoolsBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 0% conserved landA−Open →History2 notable people born hereB+Open →Civic life7.4 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 18 attractions →Mesa Verde National Park and 11 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Mancos. Close and well known come first.
Big draw6 mi National ParkMesa Verde National Park463K visitors a year
16 mi Ancient siteCliff Palace
23 mi Scenic railwayDurango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
38 mi National MonumentAztec Ruins National Monument39K visitors a year
24 mi National MonumentHovenweep National Monument27K visitors a year
39 mi Park & preserveCanyons of the Ancients National MonumentSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Mesa Verde National Park: Elaine from Sheffield, England, CC BY 2.0 · Cliff Palace: W. Bulach, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad: pixelFire, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Aztec Ruins National Monument: G. Edward Johnson, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Hovenweep National Monument: teofilo, CC BY 2.0 · Canyons of the Ancients National Monument: Bureau of Land Management, Public domain
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Mancos: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Mancos, and how to reach them.
PowerEmpire Electric Assn15.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterMancos Rural Water CompanyNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Mancos’ trash rules yet
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 hereMontezuma County Clerk and RecorderMontezuma County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code8132881328 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Mancos.
HealthA
Mancos is healthier than 90% of U.S. towns
Mancos beats the Colorado average on 3 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 27% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Mancos.
91%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| Mancos | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 30% | 36% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 72% | 71% | 79% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 26% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 27% | 35% |
26 measures vs. Colorado
3 better22 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Mancos | CO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 8.3% | 11.1% |
| More adults seeing a dentist | 69.9% | 64.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.2% | 7.8% |
Southwest Memorial Hospital
15.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB
Mancos’ schools rank ahead of 62% of Colorado districts
Its public schools are run by the Mancos School District Re-6.
62%of CO districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mancos Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 217 | C− |
| Mancos High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 142 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CO on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Mancos faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 84% of U.S. communities.
84risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingAvalanchesWildfire
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than Colorado overall
Adults 18 to 34 are 9% of residents (25% statewide); people 65 and older are 29% of residents (16% statewide). Mancos’ median age is 51.5 years. Mancos has grown 5.9% since 2020, to 1,266 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
51.5median age · CO 37.7
| Mancos | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 51.5 years | 38.3 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 19% | 22% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 36% | 44% | 29% |
MancosColoradoUnited States
Ages · share of residents
19%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma7%
High school26%
Some college22%
Associate’s10%
Bachelor’s18%
Graduate18%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.8 points. Across Colorado, 49.3% of residents are women.
| Mancos | CO | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.2% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.5% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 1.4% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 7.9% | 15.7% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15.3% | 14.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.2% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.3% | 11.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 19.2% | 9.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10% | 5.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.6% | 7.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 25.7% | 19.7% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.9% | 19.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.5% | 8.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.4% | 28.1% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 17.9% | 17.6% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,300, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
In Mancos, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Mancos has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. The July high in Mancos is 85°F.
57″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–41°
Spring30–60°
Summer48–82°
Fall32–63°
Sep 24
typical first frost
Jun 4
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Mancos has 1.2 jobs for every working resident, and 438 people commute in
About one in 5 of Mancos’s working residents works in town. Jobs based in Mancos grew to 528 in 2023, 195 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Cortez (15%), Durango (11%) and Grand Junction (3%).
21%work in town
| Mancos | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 21% | 7.7% | 8% |
| Median household income | $66,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 14% | 18% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Mancos21%
Cortez15%
Durango11%
Grand Junction3%
Denver3%
17 mi
median commute distance
528
jobs based in Mancos
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 68% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Safety
Crime reported in Mancos
Mancos's reported crime rate is well below Colorado's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. Violent crime is rare: 2 reported in 2025.
| Mancos | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 7.7 per 1,000 residents | 15.2 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.5 per 1,000 residents | 2.3 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Mancos1.5
Colorado4.4
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Mancos7.7
Colorado22.3
U.S.15.5
2
violent crimes reported in 2025
10
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
HousingCost of living grade A−
The typical home in Mancos is valued at about $516K
The typical Mancos home is worth about $516,000, up 1.7% in a year, close to the Colorado typical home. Among 152 Colorado towns, just 6 have a lower median rent than Mancos.
$516KZillow home value
| Mancos | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $820 a month | $1,808 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 75% | 71% | 73% |
Typical home value
Mancos$516K
Colorado$529K
+1.7%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
OutdoorsA−
0.4% of Mancos is conserved land
1.4 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. Among 155 Colorado towns, just 10 have a lower share of conserved land than Mancos.
0.4%conserved
0.4%
conserved · 2 of 407 acres
1.4 mi
of trails · 2.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cottonwood Park | 0.7 mi | 13 |
| 2. Mancos Wayside Park | 0.3 mi | 6 |
| 3. Riverside Park | 0.2 mi | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Mancos
20pages on Mancos
The big questions
SchoolsBBeat 62% of CO districts · 4 schoolsSafety1.5 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthABetter than CO on 3 of 26 CDC measuresCost of livingA−$516K typical home · up 1.7% in a yearWork & commuteC−$66K median household income · 528 jobs hereNatural hazardsDFEMA risk higher than 84% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Mancos; the nearest are
Fort Lewis CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Durango23.9 mi$9,958 in-state tuitionSan Juan CollegeCommunity college · Public · Farmington, NM40.4 mi$1,928 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Mancos residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Colorado.
A shrinking town
Mancos has shrunk 5% since 2010
1,336 counted in 2010 and 1,196 in 2020; an estimated 1,266 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Landmarks
4 places in Mancos on the National Register of Historic Places.
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About Mancos
Town in Colorado, United States
Mancos is a statutory town in Montezuma County, Colorado, United States. The population was 1,196 at the 2020 census, down from 1,336 in 2010. The town is in southwestern Colorado, at the base of Mesa Verde National Park, and holds the trademark for "Gateway to Mesa Verde". Surrounded by rangeland and mountains, Mancos offers a variety of outdoor recreational activities. The town was founded in 1894, near the site where early Spanish explorers first crossed the Mancos River. It is the commercial center for east Montezuma County, and was considered at one time as a county seat. It is served by U.S. Highway 160 and State Highway 184.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1894
- Area
- 0.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 7,028 ft
- ZIP code
- 81328
- Area code
- 970
Questions about Mancos
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Mancos, CO a good place to live?
42% more nonprofits per person than the typical Colorado town.
Is Mancos, CO expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.
What is Mancos, CO known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Jaye P. Morgan and Luther Elliss.