Brighton receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Brighton
Lakewood
Opportunity
47 · Bottom 30%
vs52 · Bottom 42%
Growth
55 · Top 41%
vs14 · Bottom 4%
Climate
60 · Bottom 14%
vs59 · Bottom 11%
Physical resilience
68 · Top 39%
vs31 · Bottom 25%
Housing affordability
77 · Bottom 45%
vs56 · Bottom 15%
Access
100 · Top 1%
vs97 · Top 23%
Economic stability
72 · Top 23%
vs69 · Top 32%
Measured values
| Metric | Brighton | Lakewood | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 42,059 | 156,583 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $107,679 | $89,792 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $41,641 | $53,749 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,936/sq mi | 3,601/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $499,500 | $574,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,779 | $1,806 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 71.5% | 58.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 3.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.8% | -2.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.5% | 45.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.4% | 9.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 284 | 23 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 6.8 | 0.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -49.3% | -82.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 19°F | 18°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 14.5" | 15.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 10 mi | 15 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 33.0 min | 27.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.0 | 38.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 15 | 42 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.57 | 15.76 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 51.3% | 50.6% | 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
Brighton
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Lakewood
Elevated or high exposure: hail, wildfire, tornado.
Full profiles: Brighton, CO · Lakewood, CO · How this is calculated: methodology