What is the median household income in Durango?
$78,602. That is the Census Bureau's estimate for Durango city from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey, which pools five years of responses (U.S. Census Bureau). Half of Durango households earn more, and half earn less. Here is how it stacks up against the neighbors:
| Place | Median household | Median family |
|---|---|---|
| Durango city | $78,602 | $118,820 |
| La Plata County | $86,056 | $108,777 |
| Colorado | $95,470 | $119,139 |
| United States | $80,734 | $99,999 |
Households in town earn about 18 percent less than the state median, a gap of $16,868, according to the Census Bureau's tables. Against the national figure, though, Durango sits only $2,132 below. That difference is smaller than the survey's own margin of error, so you can fairly call the two even.
How accurate is that number?
Less than it looks. Durango is small, and a survey of a small place has wide error bars. The Census Bureau publishes a margin of error of $9,139 with the estimate. Put plainly, the true median could sit anywhere from roughly $69,500 to $87,700. The county figure carries a margin of $3,029, and the statewide one just $578.
So when a website prints "$78,602" as if it were exact, be skeptical. Treat it as the middle of a range. The county number is steadier, because it pools more households.
Why do families earn more than the headline number?
Because the headline mixes two very different groups. The median family household in Durango takes in $118,820, essentially the same as Colorado's $119,139. But households that are not families, mostly people living alone or with roommates, have a median of just $53,702, with a wide margin of $9,615.
That pulls the overall median down. Places with a college, resort jobs and plenty of young renters often have many one- and two-person households. We can't isolate students in these tables, so we won't claim they explain it. The pattern, though, is clear. Families here earn as much as families elsewhere in the state. The overall median looks low because so many households here are not families.
How do renters and homeowners compare?
Sharply. Homeowner households in Durango have a median income of $110,833, against $117,732 statewide. Renters have $49,839, against $63,537 statewide. Owners are close to the state norm, with a margin of error that covers the gap. Renters sit about 22 percent below it.
That matters because of rent. The ACS puts Durango's median gross rent at $1,636 a month. Run the arithmetic: $1,636 times 12 is $19,632 a year, or about 39 percent of a median renter's income. Federal housing policy usually treats housing as affordable when it takes no more than 30 percent of income, per a May 2026 Congressional Research Service brief. Those are different household groups, so treat our 39 percent as a rough sketch, not a precise rate. Our cost of living guide goes further into housing costs.
Does income change with age?
Yes, and Durango has a quirk. Here are median household incomes by the age of the person who owns or rents the home:
| Householder age | Durango | Colorado |
|---|---|---|
| Under 25 | $50,455 | $51,497 |
| 25 to 44 | $90,295 | $105,549 |
| 45 to 64 | $99,586 | $116,769 |
| 65 and older | $69,958 | $67,371 |
The quirk is the last row. Durango householders 65 and older earn about the same as the state's, or slightly more, while middle-aged households earn $15,000 to $17,000 less. The under-25 figure has a margin of error of more than $25,000, so don't lean on it.
What other income measures are there?
Per capita income, meaning total income divided by every resident, is $48,642 in Durango and $52,636 in Colorado. And in the same survey, 2,306 of the 17,786 people for whom poverty status was determined fell below the poverty line, about 13.0 percent, compared with 9.4 percent statewide, per the Census Bureau. These figures describe an area, not any single household. For how many people live here, see our population answer, and for rent specifics, the Durango rent answer.