Among 121 Colorado towns, just 5 have a lower value of a typical home than Otis. Otis has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

Small town

502 people, and everyone knows the way

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

Nearby towns

Yuma · 13 mi Akron · 14 mi

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Otis.

Housing

A home in Otis is worth about $240K, on Zillow’s estimate

$240KZillow home value

In Otis, the typical rent is $822 a month, below both Colorado’s towns ($1,808 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). Home values are up 3.1% over the year to September 2026. 77% of households are owner-occupiers in the town.

	Otis	Colorado towns	U.S. towns
Median rent	$822 a month	$1,808 a month	$1,185 a month
Households that own their home	77%	71%	73%

Typical home value

Otis$240K

Colorado$529K

+3.1%

value change, 1 year

homes sold in September

Full pageOtis’ housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page

Prices over the yearsUp 3.1% in a year Years of income to buyA typical home costs 4.3 years of income Rents$822 a month · Median rent

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Schools

The schools Otis’s kids attend

Its public schools are run by the Otis School District No. R-3. The 2 public schools in Otis teach 192 students between them.

School	Level	Students	Letter
Otis Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5	Grades PK–5	90	C⁺
Otis Junior-Senior High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12	Grades 6–12	102	C⁺

Full pageOtis’ schools pageOpen the page

The districtsOtis School District No. R-3 Every school2 schools · Otis Junior-Senior High School Questions“Are Otis’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts

Work & commute

With only 0.6 jobs per working resident, most people in Otis work out of town

7%work in town

In Otis, 15% of residents live below the poverty line, above both the Colorado town median (8.4%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). For most workers, Otis is a place to come home to: only 7% work in town. The middle household income in the town is $56,000. Employers in Otis added 25 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 120.

	Otis	Colorado towns	U.S. towns
Median household income	$56,000	$95,000	$80,000
Below the poverty line	15%	8.4%	9.6%

Where working residents work

In Otis7%

Yuma8%

Sterling8%

Akron7%

Denver6%

44 mi

median commute distance

120

jobs based in Otis

A commuter town

jobs vs. working residents

Full pageOtis’ work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here120 jobs based here · A commuter town Where people work7% work in Otis Commute times25 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 44 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Climate

Otis has four seasons and hot summers

28″snow a winter

Expect July afternoons of 90° and January nights of 17°, with about 28 inches of snow a winter.

Typical low → high °F

Winter17–43°

Spring35–63°

Summer57–87°

Fall37–66°

Oct 6

typical first frost

May 8

typical last frost

+1.6°

vs. the 20th-century average

Full pageOtis’ climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 90°, January lows 17°Rain & snow28″ of snow a winter · 17 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingMostly a heating bill Then and now+1.6° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Natural hazards

Natural hazards: high risk in Otis, mostly inland flooding

62risk score of 100

Households in Otis have drawn federal disaster aid once, in 2006. FEMA expects more storm and flood damage in the town than in 62% of U.S. communities. Expected losses in Otis break down as 39% from inland flooding and 17% from cold waves.

FEMA risk score

Inland floodingCold wavesHail

federal disasters paid out here

Full pageOtis’ hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesHigh risk Flood claims0 paid flood claims · No paid flood claims on record Past disasters1 federal disaster · Paid out in Otis Get ready0.9 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Health

How healthy Otis is

Nearly a third of Otis adults have high blood pressure. Among adults in the town, 72% had a checkup this year and 15% smoke cigarettes.

	Otis	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%
Obesity (CDC PLACES)	27%	26%	35%