Upper Twin Lake, 1898
Twin Lakes’s story
Twin Lakes in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1898.
Explore the history →
Twin LakesCO
A town of 615.
Derry Mining Site Camp · Photo: Donald J Holmgren · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
615
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$657K
+4.1% in a year
Household income
$143K
median
Median age
63.0
years
Jobs based here
40
A commuter town
Is Twin Lakes a good place to live?
32% of the land in Twin Lakes is conserved, where Colorado’s towns sit at 6.9% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. Twin Lakes has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
615 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Nearby attractions
All 30 attractions →Mount Elbert and 16 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Twin Lakes. Close and well known come first.
Big draw7 mi MountainMount Elbert
36 mi MountainMaroon Bells
19 mi MuseumSouth Park City
36 mi Ski areaVail322 runs · 3,523 ft vertical
28 mi Ski areaCopper Mountain153 runs · 2,644 ft vertical
37 mi Ski areaBeaver Creek242 runs · 4,046 ft verticalSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Mount Elbert: Hogs555 (talk · contribs), CC BY-SA 4.0 · Maroon Bells: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0 · South Park City: Ken Gallager, Public domain · Vail: Rudi Riet from Washington, DC, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Copper Mountain: Jarrod Doll from United States of America, CC BY 2.0 · Beaver Creek: Unknown, Public domain
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Getting set up
Moving to Twin Lakes: who provides what
Twin Lakes is unincorporated, so Lake County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerSangre De Cristo Elec AssnEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterMt Elbert Wa water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & county servicesLake CountyLake County provides services here
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 hereLake County Clerk and RecorderLake County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP codes81251, 8046181251 60% · 80461 40%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 Twin Lakes.
Who lives here
In Twin Lakes, the median age runs higher than in the typical Colorado or U.S. town
People 65 and older are nearly two in five residents (16% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 8% of residents (25% statewide). Among adults 25 and older in Twin Lakes, 50% hold a bachelor’s degree or more, above both the Colorado town median (44%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%).
63median age · CO 37.7
| Twin Lakes | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 63 years | 38.3 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 50% | 44% | 29% |
Twin LakesColoradoUnited States
Ages · share of residents
23%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma0%
High school36%
Some college14%
Associate’s0%
Bachelor’s44%
Graduate7%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 40% and 66% women
The Census survey reached too few of Twin Lakes’ residents to say more: its margin here is ±13 points. Across Colorado, 49.3% of residents are women.
| Twin Lakes | CO | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.8% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 6.7% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 0% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.3% | 15.7% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 2% | 14.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 15.3% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 20% | 11.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 23.4% | 9.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 15.6% | 5.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 0% | 7.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 36% | 19.7% | 26% |
| Some college | 13.8% | 19.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 0% | 8.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 43.7% | 28.1% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.5% | 17.6% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 600, single groups can be off by several points
Outdoors
Open space protected for good: nearly a third of Twin Lakes
Twin Lakes’ trail density comes in at 0.7 miles per square mile.
31.7%conserved
31.7%
conserved · 1,361 of 4,290 acres
4.7 mi
of trails · 0.7 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Work & commute
Twin Lakes stands out in Colorado and nationally: a smaller share of its residents live below the poverty line
In Twin Lakes, the typical journey to work is 35 minutes. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in the town rose by 35, to 40. The top destinations are Leadville (15%), Vail (8%) and Denver (7%). For half of commuters, work is under 45 miles away.
0%work in town
| Twin Lakes | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 35 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 0.5% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Twin Lakes0%
Leadville15%
Vail8%
Denver7%
Colorado Springs5%
45 mi
median commute distance
40
jobs based in Twin Lakes
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Housing
The typical home in Twin Lakes is valued at about $657K
Only one of the 160 Colorado towns we compare has a higher share of homes lived in by their owners than Twin Lakes. Home values are up 4.1% over the year to September 2026.
$657KZillow home value
Typical home value
Twin Lakes$657K
Colorado$529K
+4.1%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazards
Natural hazards: high risk in Twin Lakes, mostly avalanches
Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in 70% of U.S. communities.
70risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
AvalanchesInland floodingLandslides
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
154″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter5–34°
Spring21–50°
Summer39–73°
Fall24–54°
Sep 10
typical first frost
Jun 16
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Twin Lakes is
Twin Lakes: 16% of adults report frequent mental distress. Against the Colorado average, Twin Lakes comes out ahead on 4 CDC measures out of 26, and behind on 15. 16% of adults in Twin Lakes report frequent physical distress; 14% binge drink. Only 2 of the 160 Colorado towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Twin Lakes.
| Twin Lakes | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 27% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 12% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 18% | 16% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 8.4% | 12% |
26 measures vs. Colorado
4 better7 too close to call15 worse
| What stands out | Twin Lakes | CO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 14.2% | 19% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 78.4% | 69.5% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 18.5% | 9.2% |
St. Vincent General Hospital District
9.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Twin Lakes
16pages on Twin Lakes
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Twin Lakes; the nearest are
Western Colorado UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Gunnison50.1 mi$11,318 in-state tuitionCommunity College of AuroraCommunity college · Public · Aurora91.4 mi$4,470 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Twin Lakes residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Colorado.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Twin Lakes for work
Where Twin Lakes’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
40jobs based in Twin Lakes
0%of working residents work in town
45 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Twin Lakes
Unincorporated community in Colorado, US
Twin Lakes is a pair of glacier-carved alpine lakes about 15 miles (24 km) south of historic Leadville, Colorado. They are downstream along the Arkansas River, whose headwaters are by Leadville. The lakes, however, are on a tributary, Lake Creek, which joins the Arkansas just below the lakes. After dredging, the lakes now have a surface area of 2,700 acres (11 km2), and they serve as a reservoir to store water for use in the Front Range. Both east and west lakes are recreation areas for boating and fishing. Twin Lakes is also the name of an adjacent census-designated place (CDP) and a post office in and governed by Lake County, Colorado, United States. The Twin Lakes post office has the ZIP…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 6.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 9,199 ft
- ZIP code
- 81251
Questions about Twin Lakes
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Twin Lakes, CO a good place to live?
Twin Lakes has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.