Town · San Miguel County, Colorado

Telluride, Colorado

Telluride is a town in San Miguel County, Colorado. It has 2,160 residents. Telluride, Colorado has a quality-of-life score of 96 out of 100 (very high), ranking #563 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Colorado it ranks #4 of 220 cities and towns. It ranks best on life expectancy (high), average commute time (low) and restaurants and bars (high). It ranks worst on distance to an emergency room (high), distance to an airport (high) and job growth (low).

96Very high

Quality-of-life score: #563 of 15,651 cities and towns
Colorado: #4 of 220 in CO
Population: 2,160 (2020-2024)
Land area: 2 mi²
Density: 977.1 /mi²
FIPS code: 0876795

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 70 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.

Safety73#4,250/15,637
Economy82#2,763/15,631
Housing37#9,503/14,977
Health97#460/15,609
Healthcare47#8,217/15,650
Environment96#629/15,453
Education99#168/15,649
Infrastructure94#927/15,650
Community96#699/15,651
Leisure & amenities100#1/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Life expectancy · high89.2 yrs
100/100Colorado 78.7 yrsUnited States 77.6 yrs2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteSan Miguel County value
Average commute time · low6.1 min
100/100Colorado 25.2 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Restaurants and bars · high50.3 /10k
100/100Colorado 9.4 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsSan Miguel County value
Gyms and fitness centers · high9.0 /10k
100/100Colorado 1.7 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsSan Miguel County value
Arts, entertainment and recreation · high31.0 /10k
100/100Colorado 6.9 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsSan Miguel County value
Grocery stores · high7.7 /10k
100/100Colorado 1.0 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsSan Miguel County value

Weaknesses

Distance to an emergency room · high30.6 mi
1/100Colorado 5.2 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesSan Miguel County value
Distance to an airport · high186 mi
1/100Colorado 40 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauSan Miguel County value
Job growth · low-4.7%
2/100Colorado -0.7%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataSan Miguel County value
Mental health care shortage · high19.0
4/100Colorado 12.2United States 9.9Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationSan Miguel County value
Traffic deaths · high35.1 /100k
5/100Colorado 11.9 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationProvisional dataSan Miguel County value
Child care cost burden · high40.2%
8/100Colorado 32.6%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteSan Miguel County value

Trends

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

PopulationRising
1,965 (2015-2019) → 2,160 (2020-2024)
+9.9%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
83.7% (2015-2019) → 100.0% (2020-2024)
+16 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Poverty rateImproving
15.0% (2015-2019) → 0.6% (2020-2024)
−14 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Rent as share of incomeImproving
36.6% (2015-2019) → 22.6% (2020-2024)
−14 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
New homes permittedWorsening
13.9 /1k (2021) → 4.2 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−70%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
56.9% (2015-2019) → 43.8% (2020-2024)
−13 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%

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, Telluride, Colorado improved on 2 of 8 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 6 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.

Improved2

Commute−5.4 min11.5 min → 6.1 min
Broadband+16 points83.7% → 100.0%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 8 measures

Change of every measure of Telluride, Colorado between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	11.5 min2015-2019	6.1 min2020-2024	−5.4 min	Improved	91%
Bachelor's degree or higher	75.0%2015-2019	85.7%2020-2024	+11 points	Within the margin of error	91%
Broadband subscriptions	83.7%2015-2019	100.0%2020-2024	+16 points	Improved	83%
Effective property tax rate	0.33%2015-2019	0.34%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	14%
High school diploma or higher	96.0%2015-2019	100.0%2020-2024	+4 points	Within the margin of error	76%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4672015-2019	0.4222020-2024	−0.045	Within the margin of error	82%
Median household income	$67,3562015-2019	$102,4052020-2024	+52%	Within the margin of error	86%
Rent-burdened households	56.9%2015-2019	43.8%2020-2024	−13 points	Within the margin of error	87%

“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 Telluride, Colorado five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Telluride, 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, Telluride, Colorado itself moved +17.6 points in standing on average over the same 8 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

2,160 residents (±310)

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

1,188 households (±162)

Telluride, Colorado
Colorado share

Under $25k4.8%†57
$25k–50k12%†148
$50k–75k

Homes

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

Owners and renters

1,188 households (±162)

Telluride, Colorado
Colorado share

Own85%1,010
Rent15%†178

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+39.9 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

1,369 workers (±261)

Telluride, Colorado
Colorado share

Drive alone16%†223
Carpool1.0%†14
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 San Miguel County, the county holding most of Telluride's residents.

San Miguel County has 690 employer establishments, 876 for every 10,000 residents (3.53× the US rate of 248; 2.84× Colorado's), with 5,725 paid employees at an average annual pay of $46,028. The Census Bureau also counts 1,779 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 690; 1,779 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 876; US 248 · Colorado 309
Paid employees: 5,725
Average annual pay: $46,028; US $68,342

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

Lessors of real estate	93	118	9.59×More than typical	190	$82,553	411
Real estate agents and brokers	62	78.7	16.2×More than typical	72	$127,056	69
Specialty trade contractors	59	74.9	4.84×More than typical	335	$70,716	151
Restaurants and other eating places	48	61	3.32×More than typical	1,006	$36,236	6
Construction of buildings	38	48.3	6.38×More than typical	156	$79,814	75
Services to buildings and dwellings	32	40.6	6.03×More than typical	247	$39,980	54
Full-service restaurants	28	35.6	4.63×More than typical	719	$37,312	4
Building equipment contractors	24	30.5	5.06×More than typical	141	$74,582	12
Architectural, engineering and related services	22	27.9	8.01×More than typical	31	$101,419	37
Traveler accommodation	21	26.7	14.8×More than typical	817	$50,416	10
Ambulatory health care services	20	25.4	1.22×About typical	97	$57,113	56
Management, scientific and technical consulting	20	25.4	3.79×More than typical	18	$89,389	88

Rank places for an industry Open San Miguel County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 7,874 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 Telluride, Colorado: $0 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $0; −100% vs FY2025
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

Spending by fiscal year

669.1FY2017
634.4FY2018
569.7FY2019
222.8FY2020
1.7KFY2021
7.9KFY2022
8.8KFY2023
-2.4KFY2024
6.5KFY2025

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 Telluride, Colorado, so they do not add up across cities.

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

See federal money in San Miguel 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.

Telluride, 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.

San Miguel County93100% of residents

Other cities and towns in San Miguel 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

JSON · /api/v1/places/0876795

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends