Walden, Colorado, 2008
Walden’s story
145 years in pictures
Census counts: 64 in 1890, a peak of 947 in 1980, 606 in 2020. The archive holds 13 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and a map from 1955 on.
- 1881Walden is settled
WaldenCO
Photo: MyName (Wusel007 (talk)) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
529
2025 Census estimate · −13% since 2020
Median home value
$170K
Census ACS
Household income
$41K
median
Median age
50.8
years
Jobs based here
252
Balanced
Is Walden a good place to live?
Walden’s average trip to work is 11 minutes, below both the Colorado town median (25 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Only 4 of the 160 Colorado towns we compare have a lower January low than Walden. Walden has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Walden stand out
Where Walden beats most towns.
Small town
529 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Walden: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Walden, and how to reach them.
PowerMountain Parks Electric17.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterTown of Walden water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Walden’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 hereJackson County Clerk and RecorderJackson County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code8048080480 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 Walden.
Schools
The schools Walden’s kids attend
Its one school is below. Walden’s only public school teaches 144 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Park SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 144 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Walden
In July, afternoons reach 78°; in January, nights fall to 6°, and about 67 inches of snow falls in a winter.
67″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter7–32°
Spring23–51°
Summer40–75°
Fall24–55°
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commute
Most of Walden’s workers commute out: the town has 0.8 jobs for each of them
Roughly one working resident in three has a job in Walden itself. The top destinations are Denver (6%), Steamboat Springs (4%) and Fort Collins (2%). In Walden, just over one in ten residents live below the poverty line. Half commute less than 17 miles.
33%work in town
| Walden | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 33% | 7.7% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Walden33%
Denver6%
Steamboat Springs4%
Fort Collins2%
Montrose2%
17 mi
median commute distance
252
jobs based in Walden
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Walden has a high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from avalanches
Walden’s risk rating from FEMA is 61 of 100. Of the losses FEMA expects locally, 81% come from avalanches and 16% from inland flooding.
61risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
AvalanchesInland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
Compared with most of Colorado and the rest of the country, more of Walden’s adults smoke cigarettes
Among adults in Walden, 15% binge drink. This Colorado town beats the Colorado average on 2 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 14.
| Walden | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 12% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 15% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 11% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 8.4% | 12% |
26 measures vs. Colorado
2 better10 too close to call14 worse
| What stands out | Walden | CO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 15.2% | 19% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 75.4% | 69.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.2% | 5.3% |
Uchealth Yampa Valley Medical Center
33.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
Homes in Walden sell for about $278K
The median rent in Walden is $1,692 a month. For households locally, the share who live in a home they own is 73%.
$278Kmedian sale price
| Walden | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,692 a month | $1,808 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 71% | 73% |
1
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Walden
17pages on Walden
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Walden; the nearest are
University of WyomingUniversity or college · Public · Laramie, WY54.3 mi$7,768 in-state tuitionCommunity College of AuroraCommunity college · Public · Aurora104.8 mi$4,470 in-state tuition
About 7 of every 100 Walden residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Colorado.
About Walden
Town in Jackson County, Colorado, United States
Walden is the statutory town that is the county seat of, the most populous community in, and the only incorporated municipality in Jackson County, Colorado, United States. The town is situated in the center of a large open valley called North Park. People from Walden and the surrounding area refer to themselves as "North Parkers". The town population was 606 at the 2020 census. The town sits at an elevation of 8,098 feet (2,468 meters). It was established in 1889 and was incorporated December 2, 1890. Mark A. Walden, an early postmaster, gave the community his name.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1889
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 8,100 ft
- ZIP code
- 80480
- Area code
- 970
Questions about Walden
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Walden, CO a good place to live?
Walden has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.