Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Home to 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Rico’s July high is 72°F, where Colorado’s towns sit at 89°F and U.S. towns at 85°F. Rico’s trail density is 1.7 miles per square mile, against 1.3 in Colorado’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Rico City Hall and William Kauffman House. Rico has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Rico beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 894 in 1880, a low of 76 in 1980, 288 in 2020. The archive holds 7 old photos and papers going back to 1870 and 2 maps from 1897 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Rico, 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 Rico.
Adults 18 to 34 are 9% of residents (25% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 49% of residents (39% statewide). 51% of Rico adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more. Rico has grown 19% since 2020, to 347 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Rico | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 51% | 44% | 29% |
| Median age | 45.1 years | 38.3 years | 40.5 years |
Somewhere between 42% and 66% women
The Census survey reached too few of Rico’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±11.9 points. Across Colorado, 49.3% of residents are women.
| Rico | CO | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 0% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 23.2% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 1% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 7.7% | 15.7% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 17.6% | 14.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 17.9% | 11.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.4% | 9.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.2% | 5.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 0% | 7.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 20.1% | 19.7% | 26% |
| Some college | 27.1% | 19.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 1.9% | 8.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 38.5% | 28.1% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.4% | 17.6% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 300, single groups can be off by several points
Most working residents leave Rico for work: only 3% work in town. The average trip to work in Rico is 32 minutes. Jobs based in Rico grew to 54 in 2023, 38 more than in 2013.
| Rico | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 32 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 18% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.1% | 7.7% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Rico has cold winters and cool summers. Rico’s January low is 11°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
16% of adults smoke cigarettes in Rico. Rico beats the Colorado average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 19% of adults binge drink in Rico.
| Rico | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 70% | 71% | 79% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 11% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 12% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| What stands out | Rico | CO |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 16.4% | 10.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 7.4% | 5.3% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 3.3% | 2.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 60% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1.2 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves.
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The typical Rico home is worth about $529,000, up 5.6% in a year, close to the Colorado typical home.
| Rico | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 87% | 71% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,625 a month | $1,808 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
None within 15 miles of Rico; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Rico residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Colorado.
Where Rico’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 places in Rico on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in Colorado, United States
Rico is a town in eastern Dolores County, Colorado, United States. It was settled in 1879 as a silver mining center in the Pioneer Mining District; today it functions as a historic and tourism site. The population was 288 at the 2020 census. Its current form of government is that of a home rule municipality. Rico is a name derived from Spanish meaning "rich".
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Rico has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real. Home to 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
