Dolores County, Colorado Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Dolores County, CO Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
B
Health Around average
-
C
Income Below average
-
C
Education Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Dolores County | Colorado Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,432 | 5,842,429 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2.3 | 56.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 4.11% | 1.09% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 56.2 | 35.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 1,254 | 2,364,171 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Dolores County grew by 37.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 2,432 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Dolores County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 26.8% of residents. That is 11.6 points above Colorado as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 293 12.1% -10.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 454 18.7% -5.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 561 23.1% +3.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 651 26.8% +11.6 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Colorado, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 45.8% of the people living in Dolores County and men 54.2%.
- Women 45.8% Colorado 49.4%
- Men 54.2% Colorado 50.6%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Dolores County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Dolores County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Dolores County | Colorado Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,131 | $95,803 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 9.49% | 5.41% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.5% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Dolores County is about 32% lower than in Colorado.
Housing
| Metric | Dolores County | Colorado Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $86,249 | $484,034 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $985 | $1,761 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 81.3% | 66.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Dolores County is about 7.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $985 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Dolores County spend about 22 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 93 hours, about 3.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Dolores County | Colorado Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 11.1 | 22.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 22.2 | 44.1 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 93 | 184 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $2,869 | $5,694 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 16.7% | 21.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,399 | 8,183 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 291 | 1,277 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Colorado:
Hinsdale County (6.6 min), Prowers County (7.6 min), Cheyenne County (7.7 min).
Slowest:
Park County (42.5 min), Elbert County (41.5 min), Teller County (31.3 min).
The average commute time in Dolores County is 11 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in Colorado.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Dolores County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Dolores County | Colorado Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.6% | 40.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 1.94 | 2.42 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Colorado:
Boulder County (0.5), Douglas County (0.4), Broomfield County (0.4).
Lowest:
Crowley County (0.2), Bent County (0.2), Lincoln County (0.2).
Health
Dolores County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Dolores County | Colorado Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.8 | 80.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.8% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.0% | 16.1% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Colorado:
Douglas County (0.9), Boulder County (0.8), Broomfield County (0.8).
Lowest:
Costilla County (0.8), Otero County (0.8), Bent County (0.8).
Dolores County, CO Compared With Nearby Counties
Dolores County, CO is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 2,432 residents against a local median of 43,807. Dolores County, CO's median home price, at $86,249, runs 69% below the $275,000 typical of the counties around it.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 11.1 min against a local median of 15.6 min, 29% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 29% below the local median it puts Dolores County, CO at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $523,562 on median home price, so Dolores County, CO sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Dolores County, CO has the 4th highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dolores County, CO | 2,432 | $65,131 #3/4 | $86,249 #4/4 | 11.1 min #1/4 |
| Montezuma County, CO | 26,412 | $65,016 | $275,000 | 15.6 min |
| Montrose County, CO | 43,807 | $70,739 | $113,235 | 15.1 min |
| La Plata County, CO | 56,331 | $85,775 | $636,797 | 18.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Dolores County, Colorado.
How many people live in Dolores County, Colorado?
About 2,432 people live in Dolores County, Colorado, in 1,254 households of 1.9 people on average. The median age is 56.2, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 19 years.
Is Dolores County, Colorado urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Dolores County, Colorado has 2 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 3% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Dolores County, Colorado an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 1.3 times the median household income ($86,249 against $65,131), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $985 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Dolores County, Colorado?
Unemployment in Dolores County, Colorado is only 2.5%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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