Olathe, Colorado, 2014
Olathe’s story
130 years in pictures
Census counts: 458 in 1910, 2,019 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 2 maps from 1955 on.
- 1896Olathe is settled
OlatheCO
A town of 1,927, settled in 1896.
Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,927
2025 Census estimate · −3.7% since 2020
Typical home
$458K
+3.9% in a year
Household income
$56K
median
Median age
37.8
years
Jobs based here
433
A commuter town
Is Olathe a good place to live?
Olathe’s best subject grades are a B for health and cost of living; its weakest is a D for incomes. 26% of residents live below the poverty line in Olathe, above both the Colorado town median (8.4%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Only 17 of Colorado’s 216 towns score lower on incomes. Olathe has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
WeakestDJobs & income
A commuter town
92% of working residents leave Olathe for work
Where Olathe’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
433jobs based in Olathe
8%of working residents work in town
11 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Olathe grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Colorado), ordered by how far Olathe is from typical.
Jobs & income433 jobs based hereDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.4 of 20; 1.4% of households have no car; 0.3% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →HealthDelta County Memorial Hospital 9.9 miles awayBOpen →Cost of livingBOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC+Open →SchoolsB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trailCOpen →History2 notable people born hereCOpen →Civic life3.3 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsCOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 14 attractions →Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and 5 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Olathe. Close and well known come first.
8 mi National ParkBlack Canyon of the Gunnison National Park250K visitors a year
36 mi MountainGrand Mesa
19 mi National Recreation AreaCurecanti National Recreation Area807K visitors a year33 mi Ski areaPowderhorn56 runs · 1,653 ft vertical29 mi Ski areaCimarron Mountain Club45 runs · 1,542 ft vertical12 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
The full setup list →Moving to Olathe: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Olathe, and how to reach them.
PowerDelta Montrose Electric Assn14.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterTown of Olathe water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Olathe’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 hereMontrose County Clerk and RecorderMontrose County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code8142581425 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 Olathe.
SchoolsB−
Olathe’s schools rank behind 54% of Colorado districts
Its public schools are run by the Montrose County School District Re-1J. Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is Olathe Middle/High School, with 499 students.
46%of CO districts it outscoresB−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olathe Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 424 | C |
| Olathe Middle/High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 499 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CO on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
About one in three of Olathe’s working residents commute to Montrose
Most working residents leave Olathe for work: only 8% work in town. Olathe’s average trip to work is 19 minutes, against 25 minutes in Colorado’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. The median household income in Olathe is $56,000.
8%work in town
| Olathe | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $56,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Olathe8%
Montrose32%
Grand Junction6%
Delta5%
Denver4%
11 mi
median commute distance
433
jobs based in Olathe
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 34% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Olathe has four seasons and hot summers
Olathe has chilly winters and warm summers, with very little rain. Olathe’s July high is 92°F.
22″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter19–43°
Spring37–66°
Summer56–89°
Fall38–67°
Oct 14
typical first frost
Apr 28
typical last frost
+2.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthB
Olathe is healthier than 65% of U.S. towns
Olathe beats the Colorado average on 1 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 22% of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in Olathe.
65%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| Olathe | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 10% | 8.1% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 68% | 71% | 79% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 15% | 19% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 26% | 35% |
26 measures vs. Colorado
1 better15 too close to call10 worse
| What stands out | Olathe | CO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.8% | 7.8% |
| More uninsured adults | 22.3% | 11.1% |
Delta County Memorial Hospital
9.9 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade B
Homes in Olathe are worth about $458K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Olathe home is worth about $458,000, up 3.9% in a year, 13% below the Colorado typical home. Only 9 of the 152 Colorado towns we compare have a lower median rent than Olathe. 64% of Olathe households own their home.
$458KZillow home value
| Olathe | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $967 a month | $1,808 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 64% | 71% | 73% |
Typical home value
Olathe$458K
Colorado$529K
+3.9%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Safety
Crime reported in Olathe
Olathe's reported crime rate is well below Colorado's. Only 4 of the 94 Colorado towns we compare have a lower property crime rate than Olathe.
| Olathe | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.1 per 1,000 residents | 15.2 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2 per 1,000 residents | 2.3 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Olathe2
Colorado4.4
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Olathe4.1
Colorado22.4
U.S.15.5
4
violent crimes reported in 2025
8
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
Olathe faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 55% of U.S. communities.
55risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingAvalanchesLightning
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 957 acres
0.6 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lions Park | — | 2 |
| 2. Sugar Beet Park | 0.1 mi | 1 |
| 3. Olathe Town Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Olathe
20pages on Olathe
The big questions
SchoolsB−Behind 54% of CO districts · 2 schoolsSafety2 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthBBetter than CO on 1 of 26 CDC measuresCost of livingB$458K typical home · up 3.9% in a yearWork & commuteD$56K median household income · 433 jobs hereNatural hazardsC+FEMA risk higher than 55% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Olathe; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Olathe residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Colorado.
About Olathe
Town in Montrose County, Colorado, United States
Olathe is a statutory town in Montrose County, Colorado, United States. The population was 2,019 as of the 2020 census, up from 1,849 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 5,361 ft
- ZIP code
- 81425
- Area code
- 970
Questions about Olathe
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Olathe, CO expensive?
That is 6.3 years of the area's median household income ($72,120 across the Montrose, CO area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
What is Olathe, CO known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Hiram A. McNeil and Keith Loper.