Parker receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Brighton
Parker
Opportunity
47 · Bottom 30%
vs69 · Top 24%
Growth
55 · Top 41%
vs62 · Top 29%
Climate
60 · Bottom 14%
vs62 · Bottom 23%
Physical resilience
68 · Top 39%
vs51 · Bottom 44%
Housing affordability
77 · Bottom 45%
vs77 · Bottom 44%
Access
100 · Top 1%
vs100 · Top 1%
Economic stability
72 · Top 23%
vs84 · Top 2%
Measured values
| Metric | Brighton | Parker | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 42,059 | 61,783 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $107,679 | $133,369 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $41,641 | $56,841 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,936/sq mi | 2,752/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $499,500 | $646,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,779 | $2,096 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 71.5% | 71.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.8% | -2.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.5% | 56.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.4% | 4.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 284 | 602 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 6.8 | 9.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -49.3% | -40.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 19°F | 19°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 14.5" | 15.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 10 mi | 6 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 33.0 min | 28.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.0 | 36.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 15 | 26 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.57 | 18.05 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 51.3% | 17.8% | 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.
Parker
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, hail, tornado.
Full profiles: Brighton, CO · Parker, CO · How this is calculated: methodology