Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 3,884, settled in 1939.
Colorado City gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $99K for a typical one, or 1.6 years of the county’s $61K median household income. It grades C overall, 301st of 640 graded towns in Texas. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $53K, and 17% of residents live below the poverty line, and residents are less healthy than 86% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. 28% of working residents work locally in Colorado City, above both the Texas town median (8.3%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). Scott-Majors House is on the National Register of Historic Places. Among 549 Texas towns, just 7 have a lower typical home value than Colorado City.
Where Colorado City beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Colorado City is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for cost of living (better than 97% of comparable towns) to D for jobs and income (better than 6%), so the C overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,582 in 1890, a peak of 6,774 in 1950, 3,991 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1952 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Colorado City, 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 Colorado City.
Colorado City trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
Homes are within reach (about $99K for the typical one, A+ for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 62 miles. At 1.6 years of the county’s $61K median household income, the typical home (about $99K) costs less against local pay than in 96% of Texas towns; that ratio is one input to its A+ for cost of living.
The typical Colorado City home is worth about $99,000, up 2.6% in a year, 66% below the Texas typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by Colorado ISD. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado El and MiddleLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 681 | B− |
| Colorado H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 228 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
Against the 6,930 U.S. towns with household incomes like Colorado City’s, it is less healthy than 70%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
24% of Colorado City adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance. Colorado City beats the Texas average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 18. 35% of Colorado City adults get no exercise outside work.
| Colorado City | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 18% | 8.1% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 30% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 12% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 20% | 14% |
| What stands out | Colorado City | TX |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 8.1% | 5.7% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 17.3% | 12.5% |
| More adults with heart disease | 7.5% | 5.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
2.2 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. Ruddick Park, at 75 acres with 1.2 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Colorado City | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 3.1% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ruddick Park | 1.2 mi | 75 |
| 2. Paredes Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The Colorado City weather station records that about 112 days a year reach 90°, more than in 97% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 96°, hotter than in 97% of U.S. towns; January nights average 30.8°.
Colorado City has mild winters and hot summers, with very little rain. Colorado City’s July high is 96°F. About 2 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Colorado City | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 96°F | 95°F | 85°F |
| January low | 31°F | 37°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Colorado City has about as many jobs (1,152) as working residents, but only 334 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 19.2 minutes, against 26.7 across Texas.
About one in 4 of Colorado City’s working residents works in town. The average trip to work in Colorado City is 19 minutes. Since 2013, Colorado City has lost 216 jobs, to 1,152 in 2023.
| Colorado City | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $53,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Reported crimes fell from 77 to 37 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 50% of U.S. communities. Since 1986, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Colorado City.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Colorado City; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Colorado City residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
8 notable people were born in Colorado City.
City in the United States
Colorado City ( kahl-uh-RAY-dō) is a city in and the county seat of Mitchell County, Texas, United States. Its population was 3,991 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Colorado City grades C overall, better than 31% of U.S. towns and #301 of 640 in Texas. It grades D for health, B− for safety and C+ for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
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+.
8 notable people were born here, including Charles L. Harness and Martin Dies, Jr..