Crested Butte vs Paonia
Crested Butte, Colorado versus Paonia, Colorado: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Crested Butte and Paonia score about the same overall (50 vs 50 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Crested Butte | Paonia |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $68k | $55k |
| Cost of Living | $53k | $46k |
| Home Value | $1.0M | $277k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $745 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $407 | $449 |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.30% | 0.32% |
| Income Tax | 4.40% | 4.40% |
| Sales Tax | 7.81% | 7.81% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 11.50% | 8.60% |
| Unemployment | 6.1% | 6.2% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 21°F | 25°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 63°F | 70°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 23.8 in | 14.3 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 203.0 in | 41.4 in |
| Sunny Days | 305 days | 305 days |
| Summer Humidity | 45°F | 45°F |
| Comfortable Days | 37 days | 48 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 96.6 | 70.0 |
| Air Quality | 39 AQI | 52 AQI |
| School Quality | 44.7 | 47.3 |
| Violent Crime | 472/100k | 540/100k |
| Property Crime | 472/100k | 810/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 1,434 | 1,571 |
| Median Age | 41.5 | 38.9 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.05 | 0.24 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.25 | 0.83 |
| Political Leaning | D+31 | R+38 |
| White (%) | 94.9% | 80.8% |
| Black (%) | 0.0% | 4.2% |
| Hispanic (%) | 5.1% | 13.1% |
| Asian (%) | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 0.0% | 1.9% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Walkability | 9.7/20 | 5.4/20 |
| Airport Distance | 141 mi | 170 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 91.7% | 89.0% |
| Amenities Nearby | 411.44 | 101.85 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Crested Butte or Paonia more affordable?
- Paonia has the lower cost of living: its index is $46k, compared with Crested Butte's $53k and Paonia's $46k. Median rent is $1k in Crested Butte versus $745 in Paonia.
- Is Crested Butte or Paonia safer?
- Crested Butte has the lower violent crime rate. Crested Butte reports 472/100k and Paonia reports 540/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Crested Butte or Paonia?
- The median home value is $1.0M in Crested Butte and $277k in Paonia, so homes are more affordable in Paonia.