The Town Files

Ken Caryl, Colorado

Community in Jefferson County · population 33,811 (2020 Census)

Map: where Ken Caryl is in ColoradoKen Caryl
Median home
$600,300
Household income
$118,269
Jan low / Jul high
19° / 86°
Snow a year
34 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
10
Median age
41.8

Ken Caryl is a community of 33,811 people in Jefferson County, Colorado. The median home is worth $600,300, above the typical Colorado town ($471,100). It ranks more vibrant than 87% of Colorado towns, better transit than 84% of Colorado towns, more walkable than 80% of Colorado towns.

How Ken Caryl ranks

Percentile among Colorado towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Colorado towns.

Ken Caryl lifestyle rankings vs other Colorado townsRetirement28th pctFamilies61st pctQuiet21st pctWalkability80th pctFirst-time buyers71st pctYoung professionals65th pctVibrancy87th pctHip & trendy49th pctCollege town80th pctUpscale77th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling76th pctTransit84th pctDriving38th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Ken Caryl is worth $600,300, above the typical Colorado town ($471,100). Homes cost about 5.1 times the median household income of $118,269, which is more affordable than 50% of Colorado towns. Median rent is $2,127 a month. 84.4% of households own their home.

Ken Caryl vs Jefferson County vs typical Colorado townKen CarylJefferson CountyTypical Colorado townHome value$600,300$637,600$471,100Household income$118,269$110,656$86,246Monthly rent$2,127$1,861$1,582
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Colorado towns with 500+ people.
HousingKen CarylTypical Colorado town
Median home value$600,300$471,100
Median rent$2,127$1,582
Median household income$118,269$86,246
Home value ÷ income5.1×5.1×
Homeownership84.4%72.7%
Median year built19871982
Seasonal / vacation homes0.3%—

Who lives in Ken Caryl

PeopleKen CarylTypical Colorado town
Median age41.840.1
Age 65 and over18.7%16.9%
Under 1820.6%—
Bachelor's degree or higher50.4%37.8%
Below the poverty line3.7%8.8%
Veterans7.0%—
Born outside the U.S.6.4%—
Work from home26.8%15.3%
Average commute27.5 min24.2 min
Homes with broadband97.6%92.9%

Weather in Ken Caryl

July highs average 86.4°F and January lows 19.3°F. About 16.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 34.1 inches of snow (typical Colorado town: 47.4 in). Expect about 33 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 147 nights at or below freezing.

Ken Caryl monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing46°19°Jan47°20°Feb55°28°Mar60°35°Apr69°44°May81°53°Jun86°60°Jul85°58°Aug77°49°Sep64°37°Oct53°28°Nov45°20°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue0.56.30.76.21.25.42.14.12.70.81.92.01.91.31.01.70.73.70.65.9
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Marston Fltr Plt station (4.0 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Ken Caryl since 1950, compared with 11 for the typical Colorado town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on June 22, 2023 about 5.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 22, 2023.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Ken Caryl by decade01950s31960s01970s41980s01990s22000s02010s12020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 239 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on June 19, 2018.

Severe weather in Jefferson County since 1996

Storm events in Jefferson County since 1996 by typeHail391Drought10Blizzard10Wildfire12Avalanche34High Wind334Lightning34Heavy Snow182
NOAA Storm Events Database, Jefferson County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 38 deaths recorded.

Jefferson County has been included in 15 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, snowstorm.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
August 1, 2024FireFM-5526: Quarry Fire
August 25, 2023FloodDR-4731: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes
March 28, 2020BiologicalDR-4498: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3436: Covid-19
September 14, 2013FloodDR-4145: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides

Jobs and pay in Jefferson County

Jefferson County had 248,082 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $78,598 a year. Unemployment was 2.9% in 2023; in Ken Caryl itself the ACS puts it at 3.8%.

Largest industries in Jefferson CountyHealth care & social assistan…31,935 jobs · $70,298Professional & technical serv…29,617 jobs · $121,280Retail28,419 jobs · $44,262Hotels & restaurants24,742 jobs · $31,700Manufacturing19,785 jobs · $118,800Construction17,891 jobs · $84,091
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Jefferson County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Jefferson 2.9%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Ken Caryl

Ken Caryl questions

Is Ken Caryl, Colorado a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Ken Caryl scores better for retirees than 28% of Colorado towns and quieter than 21%. 18.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 41.8).

How much does a house cost in Ken Caryl?

The median owner-occupied home in Ken Caryl is valued at $600,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $118,269, so homes cost about 5.1 times income. Median rent is $2,127 a month.

What is the weather like in Ken Caryl?

July highs average 86.4°F and January lows 19.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 16.6 inches of precipitation a year and 34.1 inches of snow.

Does Ken Caryl get tornadoes?

10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Ken Caryl since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on June 22, 2023. The typical Colorado town has had 11.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Ken Caryl's Census boundary (GEOID 0840377). Comparisons use the median of Colorado towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.