Lake City, Colorado Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 561, Lake City's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Lake City is a small community located in Colorado, within Hinsdale County. The total population is 561. It ranks as the 277th most populous out of 472 Census-designated places in Colorado.

Age Demographics

The median age in Lake City is 47.3 years. This is 25% higher than the state median of 37.7 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Lake City is $61,919. This is 35% lower than the state median of $95,470. It is also 23% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 4.1%. This is 57% lower than the state poverty rate of 9.4%. This exceptionally low poverty rate indicates strong economic prosperity across the community. The survey records no unemployed residents in Lake City, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. The median home value is $428,600. Housing costs are 21% lower than the state median of $539,400. The home-value-to-income ratio of 6.9x suggests that housing affordability is a significant concern for many residents. 63.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 3% lower than the state average of 66.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Lake City is White (non-Hispanic), making up 83.8% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 2.1%. The Hispanic or Latino population (2.1%) is well below the state average of 22.5%.

Education

45.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is about the same as the state rate of 45.7%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. No surveyed resident aged 25 or older reported leaving school before earning a high school diploma, though a rate of exactly 100% reflects the limits of a small sample. Notably, 20.4% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Lake City, Colorado is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Colorado state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 472 Census-designated places in Colorado. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.