Merino, Colorado, 2017
Merino’s story
143 years in pictures
Census counts: 263 in 1920, 281 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and a map from 1951 on.
- 1883Merino is settled
MerinoCO
The town, settled in 1883, counts 276 residents.
Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 4.0
Population
276
2025 Census estimate · −2.5% since 2020
Typical home
$327K
+1.8% in a year
Household income
$62K
median
Median age
42.0
years
Jobs based here
64
A commuter town
Is Merino a good place to live?
20% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Merino, below both Colorado’s towns (44%) and U.S. towns (29%). Merino has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
276 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Merino: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Merino, and how to reach them.
PowerHighline Electric Assn15.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterTown of Merino water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Merino’s 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 hereLogan County Clerk and RecorderLogan County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code8074180741 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 Merino.
Housing
Zillow puts the typical Merino home at about $327K
The share of households in Merino who live in a home they own: 64%. Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 1.8% in value. Also worth knowing: the going rate for rent for Merino comes to $1,118 a month.
$327KZillow home value
| Merino | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,118 a month | $1,808 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 64% | 71% | 73% |
Typical home value
Merino$327K
Colorado$529K
+1.8%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in March
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commute
With only 0.5 jobs per working resident, most people in Merino work out of town
The top destinations are Sterling (25%), Greeley (5%) and Denver (5%). Among working residents in Merino, 3.8% work locally. Half the trips to work are shorter than 28 miles.
4%work in town
| Merino | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 3.8% | 7.7% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Merino4%
Sterling25%
Greeley5%
Denver5%
Brush3%
28 mi
median commute distance
64
jobs based in Merino
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
37″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter17–44°
Spring35–65°
Summer58–88°
Fall36–67°
Oct 9
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Merino is
In Merino, nearly a fifth of adults say their health is fair or poor. Among adults here, 72% had a checkup this year and 15% smoke cigarettes.
| Merino | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 72% | 71% | 79% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 11% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 23% | 23% |
26 measures vs. Colorado
0 better13 too close to call13 worse
| What stands out | Merino | CO |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 19.4% | 9.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 7.9% | 5.3% |
| More smokers | 15.4% | 10.9% |
Sterling Regional Medcenter
11.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Natural hazards: moderate risk in Merino, mostly inland flooding
Of the losses FEMA expects in Merino, 28% come from inland flooding and 17% from cold waves. Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in 58% of U.S. communities. Households locally have drawn federal disaster aid once, in 2013.
58risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesDrought
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Merino
16pages on Merino
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Merino
About 6 of every 100 Merino residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Colorado.
A commuter town
96% of working residents leave Merino for work
Where Merino’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
64jobs based in Merino
4%of working residents work in town
28 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Merino
Town in Colorado, United States
The Town of Merino is a Statutory Town in Logan County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 281 at the 2020 United States census. The town was named for the merino sheep which grazed there.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 4,035 ft
- ZIP code
- 80741
- Area code
- 970
Questions about Merino
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Merino, CO a good place to live?
Merino has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.