Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 2,304, settled in 1885.
Rangely’s best subject grades are an A for walkability and cost of living and an A− for civic life; its weakest is a D for incomes. Rangely’s average trip to work is 10 minutes, below both the Colorado town median (25 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). On cost of living, just 5 of Colorado’s 217 towns do better. Rangely’s trail density is 2.0 miles per square mile, above both Colorado’s towns (1.3) and U.S. towns (0.4). Rangely is home to Colorado Northwestern Community College. Rangely has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Rangely beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Colorado), ordered by how far Rangely is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 808 in 1950, 2,299 in 2020. The archive holds 10 old photos and papers going back to 1995 and 2 maps from 1962 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Rangely, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Rangely.
The typical Rangely home is worth about $230,000, up 4.1% in a year, 57% below the Colorado typical home. The median rent in Rangely is $770 a month.
| Rangely | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $770 a month | $1,808 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 74% | 71% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Rangely School District RE4. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parkview Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 236 | B |
| Rangely Junior/Senior High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 249 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CO on state tests and graduation
Rangely beats the Colorado average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 69% of adults had a checkup this year in Rangely.
| Rangely | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 69% | 71% | 79% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 27% | 35% |
| What stands out | Rangely | CO |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 15.4% | 9.2% |
| More adults in frequent mental distress | 19.1% | 16% |
| Fewer adults seeing a dentist | 59.4% | 64.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
44% of Rangely’s working residents work right in town. 15% of Rangely residents live below the poverty line. Since 2013, Rangely has lost 342 jobs, to 731 in 2023.
| Rangely | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 44% | 7.7% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $66,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 76% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Rangely.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Rangely has cold winters and warm summers, with very little rain. Rangely’s July high is 92°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Rangely's reported crime rate is below Colorado's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. 4 violent crimes were reported in 2025.
| Rangely | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 15.3 per 1,000 residents | 15.2 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.7 per 1,000 residents | 2.3 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
8.8 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. Among 155 Colorado towns, just 8 have a lower share of conserved land than Rangely.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. East End Park | — | 2 |
| 2. Hefley Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Rangely
About 12 of every 100 Rangely residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Colorado.
Town in Rio Blanco County, Colorado, United States
Rangely is a statutory town in Rio Blanco County, Colorado, United States. The population was 2,299 at the 2020 census. Rangely is the home of Colorado Northwestern Community College.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
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.
2 notable people were born here, including Paul Foerster and Ryan Jensen.