Aspen is the home rule city that is the county seat of, and the most populous municipality in, Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 7,004 at the 2020 United States census. Aspen is in a remote area of the Rocky Mountains' Sawatch Range and Elk Mountains, along the Roaring Fork River at an elevation just below 8,000 feet (2,400 m) on the Western Slope, 11 miles (18 km) west of the Continental Divide. Aspen is now a part of the Rifle, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area. Founded as a mining camp during the Colorado Silver Boom and later named Aspen for the abundance of aspen trees in the area, the city boomed during the 1880s, its first decade. The boom ended when the …

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How Aspen ranks

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#1Highest graduation rate in CO #3Most trails in CO #6Most conserved land in CO All CO rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code81611, 81612

Area code970

Living in Aspen

Housing in Aspen

$3.44M▲ 7.6% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Aspen home is worth about $3,438,000, up 7.6% in a year, 545% above the Colorado typical home.

A buyer's market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s

Days on market228

Sale-to-list92.8%

Sold in May12

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Aspen

C⁻

Safety Grade C-

Aspen reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 76% report less.

Violent crime per 1,000

Aspen 0.9

Colorado 4.4

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Aspen 24.3

Colorado 22.3

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Work & commute in Aspen

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51% of Aspen’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are Snowmass Village (9%), Denver (5%) and Basalt (2%). Half commute less than 2 miles.

Snowmass Village

Denver

Basalt

Colorado Springs

51%Work in townlive and work in Aspen 2 miWhere do people commute?the commute map 9,298Jobs based herea job hub

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSWork & commute in Aspen →

Health in Aspen

A⁺

Health Grade A+

Healthier than 98% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates.

Compared with Colorado

11better than CO

of 26 measures CDC estimates. The other 15 are too close to call.

Conditions 4▲ 8 close Habits 2▲ 2 close Care 3▲ 4 close Mind 2▲ 1 close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

4.8%Fewer older adults who have lost all their teethCO 9.2% · better 6.9%Fewer uninsured adultsCO 11.1% · better

Care nearby

Aspen Valley Hospital DistrictAspen · 0.3 mi · ER · rural critical access

Mountain Family Health Centers BasaltBasalt · 15.7 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careNo shortage

DentalNo shortage

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Aspen · CMS · HRSAHealth in Aspen →

Natural hazards in Aspen

High

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 73% of U.S. communities.

🏔️ Avalanches🌊 Inland flooding

2Does Aspen flood?paid flood claims since 1995 NoneDisasters that paid out hereof 4 declared for Pitkin County

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in Aspen →

Climate in Aspen

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Aspen has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 171 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

34° / 10°Winter

53° / 26°Spring

77° / 44°Summer

57° / 28°Fall