City · Huerfano County, Colorado

Walsenburg, Colorado

Walsenburg is a city in Huerfano County, Colorado. It has 3,072 residents. Walsenburg, Colorado has a quality-of-life score of 24 out of 100 (low), ranking #11,888 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Colorado it ranks #210 of 220 cities and towns. It ranks best on public libraries (high), fine particulate matter (PM2.5) (low) and grocery stores (high). It ranks worst on traffic deaths (high), job growth (low) and drug overdose deaths (high).

24Low

Quality-of-life score: #11,888 of 15,651 cities and towns
Colorado: #210 of 220 in CO
Population: 3,072 (2020-2024)
Land area: 3 mi²
Density: 1,027.5 /mi²
FIPS code: 0882350

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.

Safety3#15,148/15,637
Economy16#13,112/15,631
Housing28#10,775/14,977
Health12#13,703/15,609
Healthcare36#9,972/15,650
Environment83#2,633/15,453
Education32#10,640/15,649
Infrastructure33#10,538/15,650
Community33#10,492/15,651
Leisure & amenities85#2,271/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Public libraries · high5.7 /10k
99/100Colorado 0.5 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesHuerfano County value
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · low4.2 µg/m³
99/100Colorado 5.8 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyHuerfano County value
Grocery stores · high4.3 /10k
99/100Colorado 1.0 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsHuerfano County value
Restaurants and bars · high20.0 /10k
98/100Colorado 9.4 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsHuerfano County value
New business applications · high29.1 /1k
97/100Colorado 23.9 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauHuerfano County value
Public EV charging ports · high21.4 /10k
97/100Colorado 13.0 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyHuerfano County value

Weaknesses

Traffic deaths · high63.0 /100k
1/100Colorado 11.9 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationProvisional dataHuerfano County value
Job growth · low-6.3%
1/100Colorado -0.7%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataHuerfano County value
Drug overdose deaths · high48.1 /100k
2/100Colorado 28.0 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimateProvisional dataHuerfano County value
Premature death · high16,613 /100k
2/100Colorado 7,305 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHuerfano County value
Mammography screening · low30.0%
2/100Colorado 45.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHuerfano County value
Flu vaccinations · low25.0%
3/100Colorado 46.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHuerfano County value

Trends

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

Child poverty rateWorsening
28.4% (2015-2019) → 44.6% (2020-2024)
+16 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Median household incomeImproving
$29,514 (2015-2019) → $51,474 (2020-2024)
+74%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
62.1% (2015-2019) → 73.8% (2020-2024)
+12 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Unemployment rateWorsening
4.0% (2015-2019) → 11.5% (2020-2024)
+7.6 pts5 yearsCensus table B23025US 3.7% → 4.0%
Poverty rateWorsening
17.7% (2015-2019) → 25.2% (2020-2024)
+7.5 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Uninsured residents (under 65)Improving
9.5% (2015-2019) → 3.7% (2020-2024)
−5.8 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, Walsenburg, Colorado improved on 1 of 11 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 10 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+74%$29,514 → $51,474

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 11 measures

Change of every measure of Walsenburg, Colorado between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	15.0 min2015-2019	15.8 min2020-2024	+0.8 min	Within the margin of error	38%
Bachelor's degree or higher	19.0%2015-2019	17.4%2020-2024	−1.6 points	Within the margin of error	18%
Broadband subscriptions	62.1%2015-2019	73.8%2020-2024	+12 points	Within the margin of error	68%
Child poverty rate	28.4%2015-2019	44.6%2020-2024	+16 points	Within the margin of error	6%
High school diploma or higher	87.3%2015-2019	84.2%2020-2024	−3.1 points	Within the margin of error	10%
Home price to income ratio	3.1×2015-2019	2.9×2020-2024	−0.2×	Within the margin of error	86%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4602015-2019	0.4272020-2024	−0.033	Within the margin of error	76%
Median household income	$29,5142015-2019	$51,4742020-2024	+74%	Improved	95%
Poverty rate	17.7%2015-2019	25.2%2020-2024	+7.5 points	Within the margin of error	7%
Rent as share of income	34.2%2015-2019	35.6%2020-2024	+1.4 points	Within the margin of error	44%
Rent-burdened households	59.4%2015-2019	55.0%2020-2024	−4.4 points	Within the margin of error	70%

“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 Walsenburg, Colorado five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Walsenburg, 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, Walsenburg, Colorado itself moved +4.3 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

3,072 residents (±16)

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: 50–59 women (−5.3 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 B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

3,072 residents (±16)

Walsenburg, Colorado
Colorado share

White49%1,504
Black0.0%0
Hispanic or Latino43%1,329

Education

2,069 residents (±211)

Walsenburg, Colorado
Colorado share

No high school diploma16%†327
High school or GED27%564
Some college21%†426

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

1,170 households (±151)

Walsenburg, Colorado
Colorado share

Under $25k28%†323
$25k–50k20%†239
$50k–75k19%†221
$75k–100k11%†125
$100k–150k14%†168
$150k–200k4.3%†50
$200k or more3.8%†44

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $25k–50k (−15.3 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 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

1,170 households (±151)

Walsenburg, Colorado
Colorado share

Own60%699
Rent40%†471

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† 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

400 households (±111)

Walsenburg, Colorado
Colorado share

Under $75052%†206
$750–1,00010%†41
$1,000–1,50038%†152

Home values

699 homes (±165)

Walsenburg, Colorado
Colorado share

Under $150k51%†358
$150k–250k41%†288
$250k–400k2.4%†17

Age of homes

1,442 homes (±136)

Walsenburg, Colorado
Colorado share

2010 or later0.0%0
2000–20091.5%†21
1980–199921%†310

Size of homes

1,442 homes (±136)

Walsenburg, Colorado
Colorado share

Studio4.9%†70
1 bedroom8.9%†129
2 bedrooms33%482

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

1,127 workers (±246)

Walsenburg, Colorado
Colorado share

Drive alone72%814
Carpool6.7%†76
Public transit0.0%0
Walk1.0%†11
Bike0.0%0
Work from home18%†208
Other1.6%†18

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† 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

919 workers (±236)

Walsenburg, Colorado
Colorado share

Under 15 min79%726
15–29 min3.7%†34
30–44 min5.0%†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 Huerfano County, the county holding most of Walsenburg's residents.

Huerfano County has 164 employer establishments, 233 for every 10,000 residents (0.94× the US rate of 248; 0.75× Colorado's), with 1,235 paid employees at an average annual pay of $45,806. The Census Bureau also counts 661 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 164; 661 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 233; US 248 · Colorado 309
Paid employees: 1,235
Average annual pay: $45,806; US $68,342

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

Restaurants and other eating places	19	27	1.47×More than typical	138	$26,261	—
Lessors of real estate	14	19.9	1.61×More than typical	32	$42,719	73
Specialty trade contractors	13	18.4	1.19×About typical	57	$94,228	56
Full-service restaurants	11	15.6	2.03×More than typical	53	$31,491	—
Ambulatory health care services	8	11.3	0.54×Too few to compare	37	$60,784	29
Other specialty trade contractors	8	11.3	4.52×Too few to compare	53	$99,245	25
Real estate agents and brokers	8	11.3	2.33×Too few to compare	20	$48,050	25
Gasoline stations	6	8.5	2.63×Too few to compare	108	$31,120	—
Limited-service restaurants	6	8.5	1.06×Too few to compare	81	$22,741	—
Religious organizations	6	8.5	1.53×Too few to compare	21	$19,333	—
Grocery and convenience stores	5	7.1	2.39×Too few to compare	107	$29,710	—
Amusement, gambling and recreation industries	4	5.7	2.13×Too few to compare	7	$85,714	4

Rank places for an industry Open Huerfano County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 7,049 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: Walsenburg is mostly in Huerfano County.

See federal money in Huerfano 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.

Walsenburg, 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.

Huerfano County34100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Huerfano 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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