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Moving to
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.
What it's like to live in Clifton
Clifton is an unincorporated community in Colorado with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, commutes that run shorter than most cities, 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. Clifton deals with household incomes below the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, college degree attainment below the national average, and a population that has been shrinking.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Short commutes
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
- Shrinking population
- Cold winters
- Hot summers
How Clifton compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Clifton
Based on Clifton's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,214
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $44,280 a year
- 48% of Clifton renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$50,100
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $25,050
- Homes cost 4.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 22% below US
$1,107/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,107 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $250,500. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $250,500 · 48% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.2% county unemployment
Unemployment in Mesa County is 4.2%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Mesa County (county-wide)
Safety
185 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
Clifton doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Mesa 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 1109/100k · Policed by Mesa County Sheriff's Office (county-wide rate) · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 15% below US
22 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 22.1 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 14% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 90°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 21°F and snow a regular occurrence. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 65% below US
13% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
3 public schools inside the boundary
There are 3 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. 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 Colorado National Monument (13 miles away). There are 5 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Clifton's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($1,107/mo) equals 25% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Clifton
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