What it's like to live in Cañon City
Cañon City is a small city in Colorado with rent below the national average, commutes that run shorter than most cities, air quality that stays clean most of the year, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Cañon City deals with household incomes below the national average, cold winters, snowy winters, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Short commutes
- Clean air
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Cold winters
- Snowy winters — 38" per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Cañon City compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Cañon City
Based on Cañon City's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,994
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $39,880 a year
- 35% of Cañon City renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$63,220
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $31,610
- Homes cost 4.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 29% below US
$997/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $997 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $316,100. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $316,100 · 35% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
5.3% county unemployment
Unemployment in Fremont County is 5.3%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Fremont County (county-wide)
Safety
106 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
Cañon City doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Fremont County Sheriff's Office jurisdiction as a whole, which runs below the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.
Property crime 491/100k · Policed by Fremont County Sheriff's Office (county-wide rate) · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 28% below US
19 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 18.7 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 11% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 87°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 19°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 24% below US
27% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 27%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
7 public schools inside the boundary
There are 7 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument (33 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Cañon City's strongest points are rent below the national average and commutes that run shorter than most cities; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and cold winters. A year of median rent ($997/mo) equals 18% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and people who want short commutes.
Other places near Cañon City
All Colorado guides →Moving to Pueblo West →
27 mi away · pop. 35,681
Rent $1,345/mo · Income $96,810
Compare with Cañon City →Moving to Fort Carson →
31 mi away · pop. 18,019
Rent $2,180/mo · Income $66,237
Compare with Cañon City →Moving to Fountain →
34 mi away · pop. 29,300
Rent $1,745/mo · Income $86,242
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