Median Income
$60,877
household / year
Median Home Value
$291,700
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$1,618
gross / month
Cost of Living
106
national avg = 100

Is Empire, CO a Good Place to Live?

Empire is a small town of 447 in Colorado, with a median household income of $60,877 and a 2.4% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 106 (US average = 100), which is 6% above the national average.

Strengths: Empire stands out for short average commutes.

Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Empire is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Empire city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.

Cost of Living

Index: 105.5

Empire's overall cost of living index is 105.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Empire costs roughly 6% more than the average American city.

Metric Empire, CO National Avg
Median Home Value $291,700 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $1,618 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 56.9% 65.9%
Median Household Income $60,877 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Very Safe

Empire's violent crime rate is 92.8 per 100,000 residents — 76% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
92.8 /100k
Property Crime
948.5 /100k

Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.

Schools & Education

Metric Empire, CO National Avg
School District N/A —
Elementary Schools N/A —
Middle Schools N/A —
High Schools N/A —
Student/Teacher Ratio N/A 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 20.2% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 81.6% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Empire sees average highs of 36.4°F in January and 77.1°F in July, with 18.3 inches of annual precipitation and 105.9 inches of snow per year.

MetricEmpire, CO
Average High — January36.4°F
Average High — July77.1°F
Annual Precipitation18.3"
Annual Snowfall105.9"

Demographics

MetricEmpire, CONational Avg
Population447—
Median Age44.838.9
Unemployment Rate2.4%3.7%
Avg Commute Time19.9 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)89.0%59.3%
Black or African American2.2%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino5.4%18.9%
Asian0.4%6.3%
Under 189.6%22.2%
65 and over21.9%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Georgetown, CO 3 mi Downieville-Lawson-Dumont, CO 4 mi St. Mary's, CO 4 mi Silver Plume, CO 5 mi Idaho Springs, CO 9 mi

ZIP Codes in Empire

Empire, CO is covered by 1 ZIP code:

80438

Empire vs Other Cities

Empire, CO vs Georgetown, CO Empire, CO vs Downieville-Lawson-Dumont, CO Empire, CO vs St. Mary's, CO Empire, CO vs Silver Plume, CO Empire, CO vs Idaho Springs, CO

Frequently Asked Questions

Empire's cost of living index is 106, where 100 is the national average. That puts Empire roughly 6% above the national average in cost. The median home price is $291,700 and median rent is $1,618/month.
Empire's violent crime rate is 92.8 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 948.5 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
School district information is sourced from NCES Common Core of Data.
Empire, CO has a population of 447, a median household income of $60,877, and an unemployment rate of 2.4%. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Empire averages 36.4°F in January and 77.1°F in July. Annual rainfall is 18.3 inches with about 105.9 inches of snow per year. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
Empire, CO is covered by 1 ZIP code: 80438.
The population of Empire, Colorado is 447 with a median age of 44.8. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Empire: cost of living index 106 (100 = US average), median home $291,700, median household income $60,877, crime index 33 (100 = US average, lower is safer). Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Empire side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.