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Hayden, Colorado

HaydenCO

A town of 2,057, settled in 1894. Public schools that outperform most of Colorado.

Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 3.0
Population
2,057
+7.2% since 2010
Typical home
$522K
+4.5% in a year
Household income
$91K
median
Median age
38.0
years
Jobs based here
491
A commuter town

What makes Hayden stand out

The 3 things Hayden does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data
A commuter town

88% of working residents leave Hayden for work

Where Hayden’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

38% → Steamboat Springs Steamboat Springs 38% 6% → Denver Denver 6% 5% → Craig Craig 5% 2% → Grand Junction Grand Junction 2% 1% → Fort Collins Fort Collins 1% 1% → Breckenridge Breckenridge 1% Hayden · 12% stay
491jobs based in Hayden
12%of working residents work in town
23 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

Hayden’s report card

See the data ↓

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The data

Ordered by what stands out in Hayden. Another town gets a different order.

Schools

Hayden’s public schools outperform 20% of Colorado districts

The public schools Hayden’s kids attend trail 80% of Colorado’s districts on state tests. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.

C−School Grade
SchoolGradesStudentsGrade
Hayden Valley Elementary SchoolPK–5232C−
Hayden Middle School6–893C+
Hayden High School9–12119B−
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CO on state testsAll 3 schools →
Work & commute

About one in eight working residents works right in Hayden

Most working residents leave Hayden for work: only 12% work in town. The top destinations are Steamboat Springs (38%), Denver (6%) and Craig (5%). Half commute less than 23 miles.

12%work in town

Where working residents work

In Hayden12%
Steamboat Springs38%
Denver6%
Craig5%
Grand Junction2%
23 mi
median commute distance
491
jobs based in Hayden
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Health

Healthier than 73% of U.S. towns

Hayden beats the Colorado average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 2.

B+Health Grade
26 measures vs. Colorado
0 better24 too close to call2 worse
What stands outHaydenCO
More smokers14.5%10.9%
Fewer adults seeing a dentist60.6%64.6%
The Memorial Hospital
16.6 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
38th
percentile among CO towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Natural hazards

High risk, with inland flooding at the top

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 75% of U.S. communities.

75risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
75High riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingLightningWildfire
1
paid flood claims since 1984
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Safety

Less crime per resident than 69% of U.S. towns

Hayden reports less crime per resident than 69% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.

B+Safety Grade

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Hayden1.6
Colorado4.4
U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Hayden4.2
Colorado22.3
U.S.15.5
69th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
76th
percentile among CO towns
3
violent crimes reported in 2025
8
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Climate

Snowy winters, pleasant summers

Hayden has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 7°, and about 113 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

113″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter9–33°
Spring29–57°
Summer47–82°
Fall29–60°
Sep 20
typical first frost
Jun 1
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Housing

A typical Hayden home is worth about $522K

The typical Hayden home is worth about $522,000, up 4.5% in a year, close to the Colorado typical home.

$522KZillow home value

Typical home value

Hayden$522K
Colorado$533K
+4.5%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Hayden CO 1942
1942 · Hayden CO 1942 · Wikimedia Commons
Hayden’s story

132 years in pictures

9 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 5 places on the National Register.

Dawson-Carpenter RanchHayden DepotHayden Generating Station
Explore the history →

Landmarks

5 places in Hayden on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →

About Hayden

Town in Colorado, United States

Official town website ↗

The Town of Hayden is a home rule municipality located in Routt County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 1,941 at the 2020 United States census. Hayden is a part of the Steamboat Springs, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area. The town sits along U.S. Highway 40 in the Yampa River Valley between Craig and Steamboat Springs. Hayden is located near the Yampa Valley Regional Airport.

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

Established
1894
Population
1,941
Area
3.0 sq mi
Elevation
6,434 ft
ZIP code
81639
Area code
970

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Photo of Hayden

Hayden, CO · Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 3.0 · Source ↗