Places › Colorado › Grand Junction

Living in Grand Junction, CO

Small city in Colorado

Grand Junction is a small city in Colorado, home to about 67,000 people, with 128,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, there is some transit, though many people drive. Life moves at a slow, calm pace, and homes are a mix of apartments and houses.

Is Grand Junction a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Low taxes: about $1,517 state income tax per resident, 0.39% property tax
  • Low natural disaster risk: 1 federally declared disaster since 2000
  • Strong healthcare: 3 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
  • Sunny: more sunshine and clearer skies than most places

👎 Cons

  • Smaller job market: about 128,000 people live within 31 mi
  • Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
  • Fewer graduates: 36% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
  • Fewer family amenities than most places

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Grand Junction ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
67,000
128,000 within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
42°F / 92°F
Average daily highs · 18″ snow a year
3-bedroom home
$409k
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$1,740/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
95
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$1,517
State income tax per resident · 0.39% property tax
Safety
1.0× US
Violent crime vs US (FBI 2019)
Natural disasters
1 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly flooding, earthquakes
Top-rated hospitals
3
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Adults with a degree
36%
No research university within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
COS
209 mi away

Living in Grand Junction: common questions

What is the cost of living in Grand Junction?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $409k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,740 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 95, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Grand Junction?

Colorado collects about $1,517 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.39% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Grand Junction safe?

Violent crime is close to the national rate (1.0× in FBI 2019 data).

What is the weather like in Grand Junction?

Grand Junction has cold winters: winter days average around 42°F and summer days around 92°F, with roughly 18″ of snow a year.

Does Grand Junction get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding and earthquakes: 1 federally declared disaster has hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.24 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Grand Junction?

The nearest major airport is COS, about 209 mi away.

How Grand Junction scores

Each bar compares Grand Junction with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).

🏙️City size Small town Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quiet Suburban Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting around Some transit Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or nature Nature on the doorstep Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️Climate Cold winters Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of living Affordable Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️Pace Slow & calm Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝Community Private AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡Housing Apartments & houses ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housing Good
💸Low taxes Excellent
💼Job market Poor
🏥Healthcare Excellent
🎓Education Below average
🧸Kids & family Below average
🐕Dog-friendly Good
⛰️Outdoors Good
🎭Culture Poor
🛡️Safety Safe
🌪️Few natural disasters Excellent
☀️Sunny Excellent
🌤️Mild summers Below average
✈️Airport Below average

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Is Grand Junction right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

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Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.