CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

39.09° N · 108.48° W · GEOID 0828800

Fruitvale

Mesa County, Colorado · part of the Grand Junction, CO metro

ColoradoFruitvale, COFruitvaleFruitvale

The short answer

Fruitvale is home to 8,019 people. Median household income is $77,887 a year and median rent is $1,686 a month, 26.0% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is moderate. The median home is valued at $333,100, about 4.3x annual median household income.

The story in Fruitvale is how fast things are changing. Housing became less affordable between 2019 and 2024: rent went from 22.3% to 26% of income. Also notable: Owning with a mortgage costs about $259 a month less than the median rent, a rarer pattern than in 98% of places its size.

39OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Below average

Fruitvale scores better than 39% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 71st of 111 in Colorado.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%26
Economy 20%59
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%42
Education 10%41
Commute 10%69
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$1,686
24% above the median place
Median household income
$77,887
3% below the median place
Median home value
$333,100
4% above the median place
Unemployment
4.0%
19% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Fruitvale

  • HousingHomeowners pay a median of about 0.4% of home value a year in property tax, less than in 95% of the 2,266 places under 10,000 people we track.
  • Value for moneyRent is about 25% higher than we would expect for a place with these incomes, education levels, housing age and household types in the same metro area. The premium usually reflects location, amenities or schools that these figures do not capture. Experimental
01

Moving to Fruitvale

Mesa County gains about 11.1 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in6,863
Moved out5,441
Net+1,422

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within Colorado, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within ColoradoOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$70K
Leavers$59K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Mesa County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
6.3% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 3.0% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Mesa County report $70,100 a year in income on average; those leaving, $58,700, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$67,400 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,686 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,427 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $333,100.
Getting to work
22 minutes each way on average; 14.0% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Oakbrook, KY matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Net movers per 1,000 people7
11.1
above the median place (median -0.6)
Moved from another state1
3.0%
54% above the median place
Income of households moving out7
$58,720
16% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureFruitvaleAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure6.3%11% above
Moved from another state1County figure3.0%54% above
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure11.1above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$70,1191% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$58,72016% below
02

What it costs to live here

29% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 94% of the 2,214 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 3rd-lowest of 104 Colorado places we track.

Fruitvale26.0%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$67,440
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
26.0%
27% above the median place
Home price to income
4.3x
13% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
26%
just under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$59,300
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Fruitvale, $1,686 a month, and local prices for everything else (97.3 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Fruitvale, but easier on the budget

Places that match Fruitvale on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Oakbrook, KY9621.1% vs 26.0%$17,800Compare
Salem Lakes, WI9515.0% vs 26.0%$19,600Compare
Blandon, PA9414.6% vs 26.0%$34,700Compare
Bright, IN939.6% vs 26.0%$42,400Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Fruitvale.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Fruitvale? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
28.5%
44% below the median place
Property tax rate1
0.4%
57% below the median place
Homeownership1
92.6%
39% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureFruitvaleAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,68624% above
Rent to income126.0%27% above
Property tax rate10.4%57% below
Home price to income14.3x13% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure95.55% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,28221% below
HUD area median income4County figure$100,6006% below
Property tax paid (median)1$1,30360% below
Median home value1$333,1004% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure3.2%1% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure54.0%5% above
Homeownership192.6%39% above
Renters paying 30%+128.5%44% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,42724% below
Vacant homes1County figure5.9%16% below
Median year built119840% above
03

Work and pay

OpenStreetMap shows 8.5 bus and rail stops per square mile, more than in 92% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track.

Unemployment1
4.0%
19% below the median place
Mean commute1
22 min
12% below the median place
Works from home1
14.0%
12% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Income per person$37,583 −6%
Poverty rate9.9% −8%
Median household income$77,887 −3%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureFruitvaleAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$77,8873% below
Income per person1$37,5836% below
Unemployment14.0%19% below
Average annual pay6County figure$59,48010% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure3.8%3% above
Jobs6County figure66,90256% below
Poverty rate19.9%8% below
Mean commute122 min12% below
Works from home114.0%12% above
Commutes by transit1County figure0.7%13% below
04

Who lives here

Median age is 43.1, 11% above the median place.

Median age1
43.1
11% above the median place
Born abroad1
4.6%
48% below the median place
Household size1
2.4
5% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

No health insurance7.9% +23%
Homes with broadband91.2% −1%
Bachelor's or higher27.8% −13%
High school or higher92.5% +0%
All 8 people measures
MeasureFruitvaleAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population18,0194927th largest
Median age143.111% above
Bachelor's or higher127.8%13% below
High school or higher192.5%0% above
Household size12.45% below
Born abroad14.6%48% below
No health insurance17.9%23% above
Homes with broadband191.2%1% below
05

Life in Fruitvale

The nearest National Park Service site is Colorado National Monument, about 12 miles away.

35 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents12.5 +23%
Playgrounds per 10k10.0 +6%
Grocery stores per 10k2.5 +17%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k11.2 +1%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi8.5 40.5×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Colorado National Monument 12 miles
  • Black Canyon of the Gunnison Wilderness 53 miles
  • Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park 54 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars20.2 −3%
Shops37.0 +22%
Arts, recreation and fitness5.0 +22%
Doctors' offices and clinics23.5 +16%
Child care centers3.2 +39%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site10
11.7
62% below the median place
Shops per 10k8
37.0
22% above the median place
Public schools12
54
above the median place (median 9)
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureFruitvaleAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure54above (median 9)
Public school students12County figure21,641342% above
Students per teacher12County figure16.68% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure20.23% below
Shops per 10k8County figure37.022% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure5.022% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure23.516% above
Child care centers per 10k8County figure3.239% above
Parks per 10k912.523% above
Playgrounds per 10k910.06% above
Grocery stores per 10k92.517% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k911.21% above
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails90.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi98.5above (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1011.762% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles10350% above
National Register listings11County figure35169% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Tornado risk is 17.7, 78% below the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Fruitvale. Larger places are fetched first.

Tornado risk14
17.7
78% below the median place
Annual precipitation13
16.7 in
62% below the median place
Average temperature13
48°F
13% below the median place
All 10 weather and risk measures
MeasureFruitvaleAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure86°F1% below
January average low13County figure17°F34% below
Average temperature13County figure48°F13% below
Annual precipitation13County figure16.7 in62% below
Natural hazard risk14County figure75.119% below
Tornado risk14County figure17.778% below
Wildfire risk14County figure90.047% above
Heat wave risk14County figure59.334% below
Median air quality index15County figure467% above
Good air days15County figure65.2%5% below
08

Fruitvale in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 27% of the median income in 2030, up from 26% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Fruitvale does better than 24% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 76%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,686/mo (2024)$2,200/mo$1,800 to $2,680/mo+4.5%
Median household income$77,887 (2024)$98,500$83,500 to $116,500+4.0%
Median home value$333,100 (2024)$487,000$354,000 to $671,000+6.5%

The median home would be worth 4.9 years of the median income in 2030, against 4.3 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Fruitvale

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
DeSoto, TX$1,666$82,782Compare
Hillcrest Heights, MD$1,545$82,785Compare
Walker Mill, MD$1,661$88,333Compare
Wood Dale, IL$1,675$91,382Compare
Wood Dale, ILWalker Mill, MDHillcrest Heights, MDDeSoto, TXFruitvale, COFruitvaleDeSotoHillcrest HeightsWalker MillWood DaleFruitvaleDeSotoHillcrest HeightsWalker MillWood Dale

Places built like Fruitvale

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Fruitvale performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Fruitvale, CO26.0%4.2%/yrn/a
Orchard Mesa, CO22.9%9.9%/yrn/aCompare
Helena Valley Southeast, MT17.9%6.3%/yrn/aCompare
Gardnerville Ranchos, NV21.0%8.1%/yrn/aCompare
Helena Valley West Central, MT17.7%4.3%/yrn/aCompare
Verde Village, AZ20.3%5.8%/yrn/aCompare
Oroville East, CA15.4%11.4%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is Fruitvale a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 39 out of 100, better than 39% of the places we rate and 71st of 111 in Colorado. Homeowners pay a median of about 0.4% of home value a year in property tax, less than in 95% of the 2,266 places under 10,000 people we track. Rent is about 25% higher than we would expect for a place with these incomes, education levels, housing age and household types in the same metro area. The premium usually reflects location, amenities or schools that these figures do not capture. On cost, space and class size it scores 46 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Fruitvale expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 26.0% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $333,100.

What salary do you need to live in Fruitvale?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $67,440 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Fruitvale?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are DeSoto, TX, Hillcrest Heights, MD, Walker Mill, MD and Wood Dale, IL.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Fruitvale with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Fruitvale itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/fruitvale-colorado

Citytistics. “Fruitvale, Colorado.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/fruitvale-colorado/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.