Is Lake City, CO a Good Place to Live?
Lake City is a small town of 465 in Colorado, with a median household income of $57,548 and a 1.4% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 97 (US average = 100), which is 3% below the national average.
Strengths: Lake City stands out for an affordable cost of living, solid school ratings (A+), a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Lake City is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Lake City 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: 96.8Lake City's overall cost of living index is 96.8, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Lake City costs roughly 3% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Lake City, CO | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $341,700 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $926 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 77.9% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $57,548 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Crime data for Lake City is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.
Schools & Education
Lake City is served primarily by Hinsdale County School District No. Re-1. The student-to-teacher ratio is 6.9:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Lake City, CO | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Hinsdale County School District No. Re-1 | — |
| Elementary Schools | N/A | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | N/A | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 6.9:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 40.9% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 98.5% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Lake City sees average highs of 33.8°F in January and 76.7°F in July, with 14.3 inches of annual precipitation and 126.4 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Lake City, CO |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 33.8°F |
| Average High — July | 76.7°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 14.3" |
| Annual Snowfall | 126.4" |
Demographics
| Metric | Lake City, CO | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 465 | — |
| Median Age | 54.9 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 1.4% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 7.7 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 90.3% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0.0% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.2% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 12.9% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 29.0% | 16.8% |