Blue River, Colorado

Population

Down 1.5% since 2020.

859

people, the 161st-largest of Colorado's cities and towns.

Census Population Estimates, 2025. Rank among Colorado's cities and towns computed by the Almanac. Sources: Census Population Estimates

The workday

Every job here goes to someone who lives somewhere else.

100.0%

of 76 jobs located in Blue River are filled by in-commuters.

Census LEHD LODES, 2023. Sources: Census LEHD LODES

Rent

Median rent is up 103% since the 2005–2009 survey, before inflation.

$2,853

a month. Colorado's median is $1,761.

Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024 (latest), with earlier 5-year windows. Survey estimates for a place this size carry wide margins of error. Sources: Census ACS 5-year

The seam

Cross one tract line and median rent doubles.

A $1,747 gap between neighbors, the sharpest rent edge between adjacent tracts in Summit County.

• $876 Tract 2.01
• $2,623 Tract 2.03

Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024, adjacent tracts compared by the Almanac. Tract estimates carry wide margins of error. Sources: Census ACS 5-year

Room to build

The median rent is above what local wages can carry.

$1,136–$1,705

is the monthly rent range local workforce wages support.

• $2,853 median

Supportable rent computed by the Almanac from 2023 source wage data. Median rent: Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024. Sources: Computed by the Almanac, Census ACS 5-year

Building

Most of the housing here is older than 2000.

• 29 homes permitted, 2022–2025
• 0% of those were in multifamily buildings
• 82% of all homes were built before 2000

Census Building Permits Survey, 2022–2025; Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024. Survey estimates for a place this size carry wide margins of error. Sources: Census Building Permits Survey, Census ACS 5-year

Units needed

Closing the gap would add 0.1% to the 840 homes here.

1

is the estimated number of missing housing units; all three estimates agree.

Range computed by the Almanac from 2023 jobs and household data, using three demand models: 1% of jobs located here, 1% of renter households, and a rate by town size applied to renters. The low end is the lowest of the three and the high end the highest. It is an estimate, not a count. Sources: Computed by the Almanac

Home value

A median home costs 135% more than Colorado's.

$1,267,300

median home value in Blue River.

• $1,267,300 Blue River
• $539,400 Colorado
• $332,700 U.S.

Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024. Survey estimates for a place this size carry wide margins of error. Sources: Census ACS 5-year