Town · Ouray County, Colorado

Ridgway, Colorado

Ridgway is a town in Ouray County, Colorado. It has 1,237 residents. Ridgway, Colorado has a quality-of-life score of 83 out of 100 (very high), ranking #2,719 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Colorado it ranks #60 of 220 cities and towns. It ranks best on voter turnout (high), preventable hospital stays (low) and restaurants and bars (high). It ranks worst on pharmacies (low), distance to an emergency room (high) and job growth (low).

83Very high

Quality-of-life score: #2,719 of 15,651 cities and towns
Colorado: #60 of 220 in CO
Population: 1,237 (2020-2024)
Land area: 2 mi²
Density: 669.2 /mi²
FIPS code: 0864200

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 69 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.

Safety39#9,520/15,637
Economy44#8,750/15,631
Housing39#9,159/14,977
Health86#2,219/15,609
Healthcare43#8,937/15,650
Environment99#155/15,453
Education100#17/15,649
Infrastructure69#4,878/15,650
Community86#2,251/15,651
Leisure & amenities97#475/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Ridgway, Colorado ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Ouray 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

Voter turnout · high95.5%
100/100Colorado 74.4%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionOuray County value
Preventable hospital stays · low274 /100k
100/100Colorado 1,686 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2020University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteOuray County value
Restaurants and bars · high41.8 /10k
100/100Colorado 9.4 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsOuray County value
Math scores · high3.88
100/100Colorado 3.06United States 3.032019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteOuray County value
Arts, entertainment and recreation · high34.2 /10k
100/100Colorado 6.9 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsOuray County value
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · low3.5 µg/m³
100/100Colorado 5.8 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2019Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyOuray County value

Weaknesses

Pharmacies · low0.0 /10k
1/100Colorado 0.9 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsOuray County value
Distance to an emergency room · high25.6 mi
1/100Colorado 5.2 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesOuray County value
Job growth · low-5.3%
1/100Colorado -0.7%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataOuray County value
Distance to an airport · high171 mi
1/100Colorado 40 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauOuray County value
Traffic deaths · high43.4 /100k
2/100Colorado 11.9 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationProvisional dataOuray County value
Drought exposure · high99%
2/100Colorado 70%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAOuray County value

Trends

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

PopulationRising
992 (2015-2019) → 1,237 (2020-2024)
+25%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
66.2% (2015-2019) → 39.1% (2020-2024)
−27 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Rent as share of incomeImproving
45.7% (2015-2019) → 28.4% (2020-2024)
−17 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
New homes permittedWorsening
72.6 /1k (2021) → 11.3 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−84%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
82.9% (2015-2019) → 99.2% (2020-2024)
+16 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Median household incomeImproving
$53,235 (2015-2019) → $83,750 (2020-2024)
+57%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604

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, Ridgway, Colorado improved on 3 of 12 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 9 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.

Improved3

Inequality−0.1100.536 → 0.426
Poverty−8.6 points15.7% → 7.2%
Broadband+16 points82.9% → 99.2%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 12 measures

Change of every measure of Ridgway, Colorado between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	33.3 min2015-2019	26.6 min2020-2024	−6.7 min	Within the margin of error	95%
Bachelor's degree or higher	51.0%2015-2019	60.7%2020-2024	+9.7 points	Within the margin of error	89%
Broadband subscriptions	82.9%2015-2019	99.2%2020-2024	+16 points	Improved	83%
Effective property tax rate	0.38%2015-2019	0.25%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	44%
High school diploma or higher	100.0%2015-2019	98.7%2020-2024	−1.3 points	Within the margin of error	20%
Home price to income ratio	7.5×2015-2019	8.5×2020-2024	+0.9×	Within the margin of error	25%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.5362015-2019	0.4262020-2024	−0.110	Improved	97%
Median household income	$53,2352015-2019	$83,7502020-2024	+57%	Within the margin of error	89%
Poverty rate	15.7%2015-2019	7.2%2020-2024	−8.6 points	Improved	90%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	45.7%2015-2019	28.4%2020-2024	−17 points	Within the margin of error	98%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	8.8%2015-2019	14.6%2020-2024	+5.8 points	Within the margin of error	8%

“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 Ridgway, Colorado five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Ridgway, 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, Ridgway, Colorado itself moved +20.4 points in standing on average over the same 9 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

1,237 residents (±269)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 10–19 women (+11.1 points).

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

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

1,237 residents (±269)

Ridgway, Colorado
Colorado share

White87%1,074
Black0.9%†11
Hispanic or Latino7.8%†97

Education

938 residents (±185)

Ridgway, Colorado
Colorado share

No high school diploma1.3%†12
High school or GED21%†198
Some college9.7%†

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

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

Household income

594 households (±136)

Ridgway, Colorado
Colorado share

Under $25k19%†110
$25k–50k19%†113
$50k–75k6.9%†41
$75k–100k15%†88
$100k–150k22%†130
$150k–200k8.4%†50
$200k or more10%†62

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $150k–200k (+5.9 points).

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

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

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

Owners and renters

594 households (±136)

Ridgway, Colorado
Colorado share

Own73%433
Rent27%†161

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+13.3 points).

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

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

161 households (±72)

Ridgway, Colorado
Colorado share

Under $7500.0%0
$750–1,0000.0%0
$1,000–1,50046%†74

Home values

433 homes (±107)

Ridgway, Colorado
Colorado share

Under $150k0.9%†4
$150k–250k0.0%0
$250k–400k24%†106

Age of homes

663 homes (±138)

Ridgway, Colorado
Colorado share

2010 or later17%†113
2000–200944%†292
1980–199919%†127

Size of homes

663 homes (±138)

Ridgway, Colorado
Colorado share

Studio0.0%0
1 bedroom27%†177
2 bedrooms25%†169

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

613 workers (±140)

Ridgway, Colorado
Colorado share

Drive alone52%†317
Carpool8.5%†52
Public transit0.0%0
Walk11%†66
Bike1.5%†9
Work from home24%†146
Other3.8%†23

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+12.5 points).

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

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

467 workers (±132)

Ridgway, Colorado
Colorado share

Under 15 min39%†183
15–29 min14%†64
30–44 min9.9%†46

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

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 Ouray County, the county holding most of Ridgway's residents.

Ouray County has 321 employer establishments, 621 for every 10,000 residents (2.50× the US rate of 248; 2.01× Colorado's), with 1,626 paid employees at an average annual pay of $45,415. The Census Bureau also counts 1,012 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 321; 1,012 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 621; US 248 · Colorado 309
Paid employees: 1,626
Average annual pay: $45,415; US $68,342

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

Restaurants and other eating places	27	52.3	2.85×More than typical	300	$36,430	7
Construction of buildings	21	40.6	5.38×More than typical	82	$65,098	65
Specialty trade contractors	21	40.6	2.63×More than typical	61	$77,426	84
Traveler accommodation	21	40.6	22.5×More than typical	189	$40,667	11
Lessors of real estate	20	38.7	3.14×More than typical	33	$50,727	158
Full-service restaurants	16	31	4.03×More than typical	184	$37,060	3
Management, scientific and technical consulting	16	31	4.62×More than typical	37	$75,973	50
Ambulatory health care services	14	27.1	1.30×More than typical	46	$40,087	51
Services to buildings and dwellings	14	27.1	4.02×More than typical	29	$65,931	40
Architectural, engineering and related services	10	19.4	5.55×More than typical	9	$107,222	25
Landscaping services	10	19.4	5.52×More than typical	18	$86,111	12
Real estate agents and brokers	10	19.4	3.98×More than typical	11	$57,091	34

Rank places for an industry Open Ouray County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 5,167 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

No federal contract obligations recorded here in FY2026.

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

See federal money in Ouray 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.

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

House

Jeff HurdR-CO-3 · 100% of residentsWith party 96%Missed 0.6%

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.

Ouray County85100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Ouray 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
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
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

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