With 19,518 people, Clifton is a city in Colorado. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 13% of adults. Households here earn about 45% less than in Colorado as a whole. There are 3,261 people per square mile. Owners hold 73% of the housing stock. Median household income is $52,100, under the $82,259 national median.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $52,100, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 36.3
US median: 38.9
Less educated
13% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 64%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Clifton
What changed most since 1990
Homes owned by their occupants58.9% → 73.4%(+14.5 pts)US over the same years: +0.9 pts
Adults with a bachelor's degree8.9% → 12.7%(+3.8 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
Median home value (2024 dollars)$117,123 → $250,500(+114%)US over the same years: +67%
Clifton's population equals 12% of Mesa County's. Its number of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher equals 4.7% of the county's. Its number of foreign-born residents equals 24% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)26.3%(342)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)16.1%(209)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era35.6%(463)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War0%(0)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 1,299 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Clifton, decade by decade
Clifton population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
12,671
$52,288
$117,123
8.9%
22.3
2000
17,345
$57,717
$153,019
10.4%
37.8
2010
19,889
$62,051
$222,115
10.1%
49.3
2020
20,413
$56,231
$191,502
11.7%
58.3
2024
19,518
$52,100
$250,500
12.7%
59.1
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
