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Living in
Rifle.
About
Life in Rifle
Rifle is a community of 10,466 people in Colorado. The median household income is $80,629, median rent runs about $1,308 per month, and median home values are around $413,500. Unemployment is low at 3.2%, suggesting a relatively healthy local job market.
Rifle at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
32.4 yrs
Poverty Rate
6.0%
Foreign-Born
18.3%
Broadband Internet
93.8%
of households
Population Growth
+3.9%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics18.3% foreign-born, most often from Mexico
Who lives in Rifle: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In Rifle, the largest foreign-born group is from Mexico (74.2%), and 35.8% of residents speak Spanish at home.
Under 18
27.5%
of residents
65 and Older
9.6%
of residents
Households with Kids
39.1%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
27.8%
of households
Married Couples
50.8%
of households
Avg Household Size
2.75
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 26% below CO average
Rent, home values, and income in Rifle
In Rifle, rent runs 26% below the CO average, and home values are 23% below the CO average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
37.4%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
16.9%
spending 50%+
Median Property Tax
$1,448
per year, owner-occupied homes
Homeowners
66.4%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
1991
median year built
Home Value Trend
Latest: $497,529 (September 2026)
Jobs & Economyunemployment 0.8 pts below CO average
Unemployment in Rifle
Unemployment in Garfield County, which includes Rifle, is 0.8 percentage points lower than the CO average.
Unemployment rate
Rifle: Garfield County rate (county-wide) · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
Garfield County (county-wide) · Annual averages
What Rifle Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry
City residents, wherever they work
Commute30.1 min avg
How Rifle residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In Rifle, most residents drive alone to work (77%), and 50% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 47 mi
Eagle County Regional Airport (EGE)
Regional airport · few flights322k 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 24% below national average
Crime rates for 2025
Violent crime in Rifle runs 24% below the national average.
Violent Crime Rate
251.9
per 100,000 residents
Below average (329 national, 2025)
Property Crime Rate
1,352.7
per 100,000 residents
Below average (1,552 national, 2025)
Rifle Police Department
Natural DisastersWinter Weather most common — 80 events in 2025
Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index
Relatively Low
64.5 / 100
Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).
Garfield County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025
In Garfield County, which includes Rifle, the most common type is winter weather, with 80 recorded events in 2025.
Most common events:
Storm events by year
| Year | Events | Top Type | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 80 | Winter Weather | None reported |
| 2024 | 82 | Winter Weather | None reported |
| 2023 | 92 | Winter Weather | $90,000 |
| 2022 | 76 | Winter Weather | $5,500 |
| 2021 | 97 | Winter Weather | $153.3M |
| 2020 | 98 | Winter Weather | None reported |
| 2019 | 97 | Winter Weather | $8,000 |
| 2018 | 92 | Winter Weather | $5,000 |
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.
5 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year
Garfield County, county-wide
Air Quality47 median AQI — Good
Days by air quality category (2025)
Air quality in Garfield County, which includes Rifle, is typically good — 252 good-air days per year.
Median AQI
47
Good Days
252
per year
Moderate Days
112
per year
Unhealthy Days
0
per year
Garfield County, county-wide
Climate86°F summers, 12°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
Rifle has warm summers (avg high 86°F) and very cold winters (avg low 12°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
63°/29°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
86°/49°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
64°/30°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
39°/12°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
12.6"
Annual Snowfall
26.8"
Hot Days/Year
37
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
202
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
88
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37°F | 10°F | 0.93" |
| Feb | 42°F | 15°F | 0.80" |
| Mar | 55°F | 22°F | 0.93" |
| Apr | 62°F | 28°F | 1.23" |
| May | 72°F | 37°F | 1.32" |
| Jun | 83°F | 45°F | 0.80" |
| Jul | 88°F | 52°F | 1.16" |
| Aug | 85°F | 49°F | 1.27" |
| Sep | 79°F | 41°F | 1.42" |
| Oct | 64°F | 30°F | 1.45" |
| Nov | 50°F | 20°F | 0.74" |
| Dec | 37°F | 11°F | 0.71" |
Healthcare1 hospital
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Rifle
Rifle has 1 hospital.
Hospitals
1
within city limits
Uninsured
16.1%
of residents
Grand River Hospital District
Critical Access Hospitals · ER available
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.
Education16.8:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in Rifle
Rifle's student/teacher ratio is 16.8:1 (higher than the national average of 16:1), and 19.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
5
within city limits
Private Schools
0
within city limits
College Degree Rate
19.4%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
16.8:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Parks & Recreationclosest: Colorado National Monument, 59 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Rifle
Rifle has 4 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Colorado National Monument (59 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Colorado National Monument
National Monument
59 mi awayBlack Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park
National Park
66 mi awayCurecanti National Recreation Area
National Recreation Area
78 mi awayDinosaur National Monument
National Monument
91 mi awayPublic Libraries in Rifle
Rifle Branch Library
207 East Avenue, Rifle
Cities Near Rifle
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to Rifle?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
Rifle FAQ
Is Rifle, Colorado affordable?⌄
Rifle's median rent is $1,308/month, which is close to the national average. The median household income is $80,000/year. Median home value is $413,500.
Is Rifle, Colorado safe?⌄
Rifle's violent crime rate was 252 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is below the national average of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 1353 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.
What is the job market like in Rifle, Colorado?⌄
Garfield County, which includes Rifle, has an unemployment rate of 3.2%, which is solid, slightly below the national average of 4.3%.
What is the cost of living in Rifle, Colorado?⌄
The cost of living in Rifle is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $1,308/month and median household income is $80,000/year. The median home value is $413,500. About 37% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in Rifle, Colorado?⌄
The average commute in Rifle is 30 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