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Living in
Clifton.
Clifton is an unincorporated community in Mesa County, CO. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.
About
Life in Clifton
Life here centers around affordability and proximity to Grand Junction without feeling cramped—you're essentially getting a quieter, smaller version of the region while staying within the metro area's job market and amenities. Housing is genuinely reasonable: median home prices hover around $250,500 with median rent at $1,107 a month, which matters when your median household income is $52,100 and unemployment sits at a healthy 4.3%. The community has real family-oriented bones (about a third of households have kids), with local schools including Clifton Elementary and Rocky Mountain Elementary feeding into Central High, plus Colorado Mesa University Tech right here offering technical certificates if you're looking to reskill or upskill without leaving town.
Clifton at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
36.3 yrs
Poverty Rate
15.0%
Foreign-Born
7.8%
Broadband Internet
93.0%
of households
Population Growth
-4.8%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics7.8% foreign-born, most often from Mexico
Who lives in Clifton: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In Clifton, the largest foreign-born group is from Mexico (75.3%), and 12.9% of residents speak Spanish at home.
Under 18
24.8%
of residents
65 and Older
15.2%
of residents
Households with Kids
31.7%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
30.9%
of households
Married Couples
37.6%
of households
Avg Household Size
2.50
people
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic
Top countries of origin (foreign-born)
Languages Spoken at Home
Cost of Livingrent 37% below CO average
Rent, home values, and income in Clifton
In Clifton, rent runs 37% below the CO average, and home values are 54% below the CO average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
47.6%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
26.6%
spending 50%+
Cost of Living Index
95.5
metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100
Median Property Tax
$975
per year, owner-occupied homes
Homeowners
73.4%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
1987
median year built
Vacant Homes
1.9%
of housing units
Home Value Trend
Latest: $328,964 (September 2026)
Jobs & Economyunemployment about average for CO
Unemployment in Clifton
Unemployment in Mesa County, which includes Clifton, is close to the CO average.
Unemployment rate
Clifton: Mesa County rate (county-wide) · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
Mesa County (county-wide) · Annual averages
What Clifton Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry
City residents, wherever they work
Commute22.1 min avg
How Clifton residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In Clifton, most residents drive alone to work (72%), and 89% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 5 mi
Grand Junction Regional Airport (GJT)
Regional airport · few flights310k passengers boarded in 2025
Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.
Safetyviolent crime 44% below national average
Crime rates for 2025
Violent crime in the area policed by the Mesa County Sheriff's Office, which covers Clifton, runs 44% below the national average.
Violent Crime Rate
185.3
per 100,000 residents
Below average (329 national, 2025)
Property Crime Rate
1,108.7
per 100,000 residents
Below average (1,552 national, 2025)
Policed by Mesa County Sheriff's Office (county-wide rate)
Natural DisastersWinter Weather most common — 68 events in 2025
Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index
Relatively Low
75.1 / 100
Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).
Mesa County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025
In Mesa County, which includes Clifton, the most common type is winter weather, with 68 recorded events in 2025.
Most common events:
Storm events by year
| Year | Events | Top Type | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 68 | Winter Weather | $100,000 |
| 2024 | 65 | Winter Weather | $3,000 |
| 2023 | 79 | Winter Weather | $28,500 |
| 2022 | 67 | Winter Weather | $19,750 |
| 2021 | 67 | Winter Weather | $197,600 |
| 2020 | 63 | Winter Weather | $20 |
| 2019 | 68 | Winter Weather | None reported |
| 2018 | 86 | Winter Weather | $4,700 |
Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.
6 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year
Mesa County, county-wide
Air Quality46 median AQI — Good
Days by air quality category (2025)
Air quality in Mesa County, which includes Clifton, is typically good — 238 good-air days per year.
Median AQI
46
Good Days
238
per year
Moderate Days
127
per year
Unhealthy Days
0
per year
Mesa County, county-wide
Climate90°F summers, 21°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
Clifton has hot summers (avg high 90°F) and cold winters (avg low 21°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
66°/41°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
90°/63°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
67°/42°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
42°/21°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
11.4"
Annual Snowfall
12.6"
Hot Days/Year
67
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
128
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
63
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39°F | 19°F | 0.50" |
| Feb | 47°F | 25°F | 0.46" |
| Mar | 58°F | 34°F | 0.77" |
| Apr | 65°F | 40°F | 0.96" |
| May | 76°F | 50°F | 0.93" |
| Jun | 88°F | 59°F | 0.45" |
| Jul | 93°F | 65°F | 0.72" |
| Aug | 90°F | 63°F | 0.78" |
| Sep | 81°F | 54°F | 1.21" |
| Oct | 67°F | 41°F | 0.92" |
| Nov | 52°F | 30°F | 0.68" |
| Dec | 40°F | 20°F | 0.51" |
Healthcare
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Clifton
Uninsured
14.0%
of residents
No hospitals inside Clifton's limits — nearest hospitals · within 15 miles
Grand Junction VA Medical Center
Acute Care - Veterans Administration · ER available · 5.1 mi away · Grand Junction
Intermountain Health St. Mary's Regional Hospital
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 6 mi away · Grand Junction
Community Hospital
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 8.9 mi away · Grand Junction
Adult Health · vs. the typical US place
Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.
Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.
Education15.7:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in Clifton
Clifton's student/teacher ratio is 15.7:1, close to the national average of 16:1, and 12.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
3
within city limits
Private Schools
1
within city limits
College Degree Rate
12.7%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
15.7:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Parks & Recreationclosest: Colorado National Monument, 13 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Clifton
Clifton has 5 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Colorado National Monument (13 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Colorado National Monument
National Monument
13 mi awayBlack Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park
National Park
53 mi awayArches National Park
National Park
66 mi awayCurecanti National Recreation Area
National Recreation Area
74 mi awayCanyonlands National Park
National Park
97 mi awayPublic Libraries in Clifton
Clifton Branch Library
590 32 Road, #6f, Clifton
Cities Near Clifton
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to Clifton?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
Clifton FAQ
Is Clifton, Colorado affordable?⌄
Clifton's median rent is $1,107/month, which is below the national average, making it relatively affordable. The median household income is $52,100/year. Median home value is $250,500.
Is Clifton, Colorado safe?⌄
Clifton is policed by the Mesa County Sheriff's Office, whose violent crime rate across its service area was 185 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is well below the national average — one of the safer cities in the country of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 1109 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.
What is the job market like in Clifton, Colorado?⌄
Mesa County, which includes Clifton, has an unemployment rate of 4.2%, which is close to the national average of 4.3%.
What is the cost of living in Clifton, Colorado?⌄
The cost of living in Clifton is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $1,107/month and median household income is $52,100/year. The median home value is $250,500. About 48% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in Clifton, Colorado?⌄
The average commute in Clifton is 22 minutes, which is about average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.
Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from