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Nathrop, Colorado
Colorado›Chaffee County

NathropCO

A town of 187.

Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 3.0
Photo of Nathrop

Nathrop, CO · Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 3.0 · Source ↗

Is Nathrop a good place to live?

Nathrop’s median household income is $30,000, below both the Colorado town median ($95,000) and the median of U.S. towns ($80,000). Among 160 Colorado towns, just 1 have a higher share of households owning their home than Nathrop. Nathrop has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

Small town

187 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns
Getting set up

Moving to Nathrop: who provides what

Nathrop is unincorporated, so Chaffee County and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerSangre De Cristo Elec AssnEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterChateau Chaparrel Cg water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers86% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesChaffee CountyChaffee County provides services here
SchoolsBuena Vista School District R-31Which school depends on your addressNCES
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.gov
Who runs elections hereChaffee County Clerk and RecorderChaffee County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code8123681236 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 Nathrop.

Who lives here

Fewer children than Colorado overall

Children under 18 are 0% of residents (21% statewide); people 65 and older are 34% of residents (16% statewide). 46% of Nathrop adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more, against 44% in Colorado’s towns and 29% across U.S. towns.

63.1median age · CO 37.7
NathropColoradoUnited States

Ages · share of residents

Education · adults 25 and older

No diploma0%
High school18%
Some college32%
Associate’s4%
Bachelor’s16%
Graduate31%

Women and men · all residents

Somewhere between 19% and 65% women

The Census survey reached too few of Nathrop’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±22.9 points. Across Colorado, 49.3% of residents are women.

Ages and education in Nathrop
NathropCOU.S.
Under 100%10.9%11.6%
10 to 170%10.1%10.3%
18 to 240%9.1%9.1%
25 to 3415.5%15.7%13.7%
35 to 4428.9%14.6%13.2%
45 to 540%12.2%12.2%
55 to 6421.9%11.8%12.7%
65 to 7433.7%9.6%10.2%
75 and older0%5.9%7%
No diploma0%7.1%10.4%
High school18.2%19.7%26%
Some college32.1%19.2%19.1%
Associate’s3.7%8.3%8.8%
Bachelor’s15.5%28.1%21.6%
Graduate30.5%17.6%14.1%

U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 200, single groups can be off by several points

Natural hazards

Nathrop faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by avalanches

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 81% of U.S. communities.

81risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
81Very high riskLowerHigher
AvalanchesInland flooding

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Housing

Homes in Nathrop are worth about $714K, by Zillow’s estimate

The typical Nathrop home is worth about $714,000, up 3.3% in a year, 35% above the Colorado typical home.

$714KZillow home value

Typical home value

Nathrop$714K
Colorado$529K
+3.3%
value change, 1 year

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Work & commute

Most of Nathrop’s workers commute out: the town has 0.1 jobs for each of them

The top destinations are Buena Vista (29%), Salida (9%) and Denver (9%). Half commute less than 31 miles.

0%work in town

Where working residents work

In Nathrop0%
Buena Vista29%
Salida9%
Denver9%
Colorado Springs5%
31 mi
median commute distance
15
jobs based in Nathrop
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Climate

In Nathrop, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers

Nathrop has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. The July high in Nathrop is 83°F.

49″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter10–41°
Spring26–58°
Summer45–81°
Fall28–62°
Sep 23
typical first frost
May 27
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Health

A larger share of adults report frequent physical distress in Nathrop than in most of Colorado or the rest of the country

19% of adults report frequent physical distress in Nathrop. Among 160 Colorado towns, just 4 have a higher share of adults who say their health is fair or poor than Nathrop. 18% of adults report frequent mental distress in Nathrop.

NathropColorado townsU.S. towns
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)19%12%14%
Diabetes (CDC PLACES)15%8.4%12%
Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES)19%11%14%
Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES)26%15%19%
26 measures vs. Colorado
2 better10 too close to call14 worse
What stands outNathropCO
Fewer binge drinkers13.5%19%
More adults treating high blood pressure78.6%69.5%
More adults with COPD12.5%5.3%
Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center
13.4 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Outdoors

Conserved land covers 1% of Nathrop

0.0 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.

1%conserved
1%
conserved · 4 of 461 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
Biggest places to walkTrailsAcres
1. Browns Canyon National Monument—3

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Nathrop

15pages on Nathrop
After high school

Colleges nearby

None within 15 miles of Nathrop; the nearest are

A commuter town

100% of working residents leave Nathrop for work

Where Nathrop’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

29% → Buena Vista Buena Vista 29% 9% → Salida Salida 9% 9% → Denver Denver 9% 5% → Colorado Springs Colorado Springs 5% 2% → Dillon Dillon 2% 2% → Frisco Frisco 2% Nathrop · 0% stay
15jobs based in Nathrop
0%of working residents work in town
31 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

About Nathrop

Census-designated place in Chaffee County, CO, USA

Nathrop is an unincorporated town, a post office, and a census-designated place (CDP) located in and governed by Chaffee County, Colorado, United States. The population was 288 at the 2020 census. The Nathrop post office has the ZIP code 81236.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Elevation
7,680 ft
ZIP code
81236

Questions about Nathrop

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Nathrop, CO a good place to live?

Nathrop has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.