Town · Grand County, Colorado

Fraser, Colorado

Fraser is a town in Grand County, Colorado. It has 1,405 residents. Fraser, Colorado has a quality-of-life score of 80 out of 100 (high), ranking #3,166 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Colorado it ranks #73 of 220 cities and towns. It ranks best on preventable hospital stays (low), hot days (low) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) (low). It ranks worst on drought exposure (high), pharmacies (low) and distance to an emergency room (high).

80High

Quality-of-life score: #3,166 of 15,651 cities and towns
Colorado: #73 of 220 in CO
Population: 1,405 (2020-2024)
Land area: 3 mi²
Density: 406.3 /mi²
FIPS code: 0828305

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 71 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety58#6,567/15,637
Economy67#5,236/15,631
Housing38#9,246/14,977
Health75#3,939/15,609
Healthcare28#11,289/15,650
Environment88#1,917/15,453
Education93#1,169/15,649
Infrastructure55#7,099/15,650
Community88#1,932/15,651
Leisure & amenities92#1,197/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Fraser, Colorado ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Grand County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Preventable hospital stays · low890 /100k
100/100Colorado 1,686 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteGrand County value
Hot days · low0 days
100/100Colorado 23 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationGrand County value
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · low3.9 µg/m³
100/100Colorado 5.8 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyGrand County value
Restaurants and bars · high30.3 /10k
100/100Colorado 9.4 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsGrand County value
Public EV charging ports · high34.0 /10k
99/100Colorado 13.0 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyGrand County value
Arts, entertainment and recreation · high18.8 /10k
99/100Colorado 6.9 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsGrand County value

Weaknesses

Drought exposure · high100%
1/100Colorado 70%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAGrand County value
Pharmacies · low0.0 /10k
1/100Colorado 0.9 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsGrand County value
Distance to an emergency room · high21.6 mi
2/100Colorado 5.2 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesGrand County value
Home price to income ratio · high6.7×
8/100Colorado 5.7×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Uninsured residents (under 65) · high20.9%
9/100Colorado 9.3%United States 9.8%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B27010
Suicide rate · high23.8 /100k
11/100Colorado 22.4 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimateProvisional dataGrand County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationFalling
1,532 (2015-2019) → 1,405 (2020-2024)
−8.3%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Public transit commutersWorsening
14.7% (2015-2019) → 0.0% (2020-2024)
−15 pts5 yearsCensus table B08301US 5.0% → 3.2%
Median household incomeImproving
$56,083 (2015-2019) → $89,980 (2020-2024)
+60%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
35.3% (2015-2019) → 46.4% (2020-2024)
+11 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
Average commute timeWorsening
17.4 min (2015-2019) → 25.5 min (2020-2024)
+46%5 yearsCensus table B08013US 26.9 min → 26.4 min
Uninsured residents (under 65)Improving
29.0% (2015-2019) → 20.9% (2020-2024)
−8.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Fraser, Colorado improved on 1 of 12 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 11 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved1

Household income+60%$56,083 → $89,980

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 12 measures

Change of every measure of Fraser, Colorado between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	17.4 min2015-2019	25.5 min2020-2024	+8.1 min	Within the margin of error	4%
Bachelor's degree or higher	35.3%2015-2019	46.4%2020-2024	+11 points	Within the margin of error	92%
Broadband subscriptions	90.9%2015-2019	90.2%2020-2024	−0.8 points	Within the margin of error	7%
Child poverty rate	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	42%
Effective property tax rate	0.44%2015-2019	0.49%2020-2024	+0.1 points	Within the margin of error	10%
High school diploma or higher	89.9%2015-2019	87.2%2020-2024	−2.7 points	Within the margin of error	12%
Home price to income ratio	5.1×2015-2019	6.7×2020-2024	+1.6×	Within the margin of error	8%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3342015-2019	0.3972020-2024	+0.063	Within the margin of error	12%
Median household income	$56,0832015-2019	$89,9802020-2024	+60%	Improved	91%
Rent as share of income	24.5%2015-2019	25.2%2020-2024	+0.7 points	Within the margin of error	49%
Rent-burdened households	31.8%2015-2019	33.7%2020-2024	+1.9 points	Within the margin of error	49%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	29.0%2015-2019	20.9%2020-2024	−8.1 points	Within the margin of error	94%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Fraser, Colorado five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Fraser, Colorado in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Fraser, Colorado itself moved −12 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,405 residents (±348)

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79†
60–69†

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

683 households (±182)

Fraser, Colorado
Colorado share

Under $25k8.3%†57
$25k–50k14%†95
$50k–75k

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

683 households (±182)

Fraser, Colorado
Colorado share

Own59%†403
Rent41%†280

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+20.9 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

942 workers (±259)

Fraser, Colorado
Colorado share

Drive alone66%†626
Carpool11%†100
Public transit

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Grand County, the county holding most of Fraser's residents.

Grand County has 917 employer establishments, 571 for every 10,000 residents (2.30× the US rate of 248; 1.85× Colorado's), with 8,294 paid employees at an average annual pay of $44,682. The Census Bureau also counts 2,207 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 917; 2,207 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 571; US 248 · Colorado 309
Paid employees: 8,294
Average annual pay: $44,682; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Grand County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	112	69.8	4.51×More than typical	472	$70,650	229
Lessors of real estate	92	57.3	4.65×More than typical	271	$52,642	379
Restaurants and other eating places	83	51.7	2.82×More than typical	1,153	$29,593	16
Construction of buildings	79	49.2	6.51×More than typical	261	$67,345	151
Real estate agents and brokers	69	43	8.83×More than typical	188	$47,995	72
Full-service restaurants	53	33	4.30×More than typical	863	$30,750	9
Building equipment contractors	36	22.4	3.73×More than typical	184	$67,908	35
Services to buildings and dwellings	35	21.8	3.23×More than typical	121	$48,678	203
Other specialty trade contractors	30	18.7	7.45×More than typical	134	$70,134	84
Traveler accommodation	30	18.7	10.4×More than typical	744	$44,448	15
Foundation, structure and building exterior contractors	25	15.6	4.94×More than typical	102	$83,255	31
Amusement, gambling and recreation industries	24	15	5.62×More than typical	1,827	$20,371	30

Rank places for an industry Open Grand County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 16,051 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Fraser, Colorado: $0 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $0
Per resident: $0; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

THE ABO GROUP, INC.$00.0%

Spending by fiscal year

634.1FY2017
2.4KFY2018
11.1KFY2020
1.8KFY2021
20.2KFY2022
359.4FY2023
0FY2026

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Fraser, Colorado, so they do not add up across cities.

Fraser, Colorado's figures are part of those of Grand County, CO ($864.5K in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Fraser is mostly in Grand County.

See federal money in Grand County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Fraser, Colorado is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Joe NeguseD-CO-2 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 0.1%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Grand County89100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Grand County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/0828305

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends