Cortez is a home-rule municipality that is the county seat of and the most populous municipality in Montezuma County, Colorado, United States. The city's population was 8,766 at the 2020 United States census.

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How Cortez ranks

All →

#8Closest to a top hospital in CO #8Lowest property tax in CO #11Cheapest rent in CO All CO rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code81321

Area code970

Living in Cortez

Housing in Cortez

$343K▲ 1.5% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Cortez home is worth about $343,000, up 1.5% in a year, 36% below the Colorado typical home.

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Cortez

Safety Grade D

Cortez reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 91% report less.

Violent crime per 1,000

Cortez 5.7

Colorado 4.4

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Cortez 20.9

Colorado 22.3

U.S. 15.5

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

Work & commute in Cortez

Full picture →

48% of Cortez’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are Durango (6%), Towaoc (3%) and Grand Junction (2%). Half commute less than 3 miles.

Durango

Towaoc

Grand Junction

Dolores

48%Work in townlive and work in Cortez 3 miWhere do people commute?the commute map 5,005Jobs based herebalanced

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSWork & commute in Cortez →

Health in Cortez

Health Grade B

Healthier than 60% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates, and 90% of towns with similar incomes.

Compared with Colorado

2better than CO·13worse

of 26 measures CDC estimates. The other 11 are too close to call.

Conditions 8▼ 4 close Habits 1▲ 2▼ 1 close Care 1▲ 1▼ 5 close Mind 2▼ 1 close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

15.6%Fewer binge drinkersCO 19% · better 73.6%More adults treating high blood pressureCO 69.5% · better 7.7%More adults with COPDCO 5.3% · worse

Care nearby

Southwest Memorial HospitalCortez · 0.9 mi · ER · rural critical access

Cortez Integrated HealthcareCortez · 0.4 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careShortage · county-wide

DentalShortage · county-wide

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

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

Natural hazards in Cortez

Very low

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 2% of U.S. communities.

🌊 Inland flooding⚡ Lightning🏚️ Earthquakes

1Does Cortez flood?paid flood claims since 2006 NoneDisasters that paid out hereof 6 declared for Montezuma County

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

Climate in Cortez

Full climate →

Cortez has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 33 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

44° / 17°Winter

65° / 32°Spring

88° / 52°Summer

67° / 34°Fall

How much snow does Cortez get?About 33 inches a winter.Rain & snow →When is the first frost?Around Oct 7, with the last in spring around May 12.Frost dates →Is it warmer than it used to be?+1.8° vs. the 20th century.Then & now →

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Climate in Cortez →

Schools in Cortez

All Cortez schools →

School Grade C

The public schools Cortez’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 67% of Colorado’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.

See how Cortez’s schools compare in CO →

DistrictMontezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1Schools8

Mesa Elementary School CElementary · Grades K–5 · 359 students Kemper Elementary School B+Elementary · Grades K–5 · 339 students Children's Kiva Montessori School CElementary · Grades K–8 · 130 students Cortez Adventist Christian SchoolElementary · Grades K–8 · 22 students Montezuma-Cortez Middle School C-Middle · Grades 6–8 · 505 students Montezuma-Cortez High School B-High · Grades 9–12 · 598 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within CO. Ratings are from neighbors.