80215 and 80226 receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
80215
80226
Opportunity
53 · Bottom 45%
vs50 · Bottom 40%
Growth
13 · Bottom 3%
vs13 · Bottom 3%
Climate
59 · Bottom 11%
vs59 · Bottom 11%
Physical resilience
31 · Bottom 24%
vs31 · Bottom 24%
Housing affordability
46 · Bottom 10%
vs49 · Bottom 12%
Access
99 · Top 9%
vs97 · Top 24%
Economic stability
66 · Top 39%
vs70 · Top 31%
Measured values
| Metric | 80215 | 80226 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,839 | 31,573 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $85,190 | $82,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $53,944 | $45,127 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,635/sq mi | 3,892/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $650,100 | $568,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,785 | $1,775 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 57.2% | 52.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 3.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.9% | -2.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 50.2% | 37.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.9% | 8.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 23 | 23 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.1 | 0.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -82.3% | -82.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 18°F | 18°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 15.4" | 15.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 11 mi | 14 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.7 min | 26.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.1 | 37.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 11 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.95 | 15.28 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 43.6% | 56.4% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
80215
Elevated or high exposure: hail, wildfire, tornado.
80226
Elevated or high exposure: hail, wildfire, tornado.
Full profiles: 80215 — Lakewood, CO · 80226 — Lakewood, CO · How this is calculated: methodology