80401 and 80228 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
80401
80228
Opportunity
59 · Top 42%
vs57 · Top 44%
Growth
15 · Bottom 4%
vs13 · Bottom 3%
Climate
59 · Bottom 11%
vs59 · Bottom 11%
Physical resilience
31 · Bottom 24%
vs31 · Bottom 24%
Housing affordability
63 · Bottom 27%
vs69 · Bottom 34%
Access
97 · Top 25%
vs97 · Top 32%
Economic stability
67 · Top 36%
vs86 · Top 3%
Measured values
| Metric | 80401 | 80228 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 43,811 | 34,942 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $118,039 | $113,977 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $65,009 | $71,158 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 893/sq mi | 3,049/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $804,500 | $641,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,939 | $1,916 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 64.8% | 67.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 3.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.9% | -2.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 58.2% | 60.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.0% | 4.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 13 | 23 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.6 | 0.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -58.1% | -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 | 15 mi | 15 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.8 min | 27.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.8 | 39.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 12 | 9 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 18.33 | 16.09 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 22.9% | 28.3% | 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
80401
Elevated or high exposure: hail, wildfire, tornado.
80228
Elevated or high exposure: hail, wildfire, tornado.
Full profiles: 80401 — Golden, CO · 80228 — Lakewood, CO · How this is calculated: methodology