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Denver-Aurora-Centennial vs Colorado Springs

Which is the better fit for you?

Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO Metro Area
64
Area Score
Bottom 49% nationally
Colorado Springs, CO Metro Area
62
Area Score
Bottom 44% nationally

Denver-Aurora-Centennial and Colorado Springs 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

Denver-Aurora-Centennial
Colorado Springs
Opportunity
58 · Top 45%
vs
53 · Bottom 44%
Growth
56 · Top 41%
vs
65 · Top 25%
Climate
62 · Bottom 34%
vs
62 · Bottom 33%
Physical resilience
48 · Bottom 37%
vs
42 · Bottom 31%
Housing affordability
66 · Bottom 13%
vs
66 · Bottom 13%
Access
100 · Top 1%
vs
100 · Top 1%
Economic stability
97 · Top 2%
vs
95 · Top 2%

Measured values

MetricDenver-Aurora-CentennialColorado SpringsSource period
Population3,002,721767,8242024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income$105,762$90,1442024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$57,998$46,2832024 ACS 5-Year
Population density360/sq mi286/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$603,800$461,8002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$1,874$1,6992024 ACS 5-Year
Homeownership rate64.1%66.8%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate3.9%4.1%June 2026
Employment change (year over year)-2.9%-2.7%June 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher49.4%41.7%2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate8.4%8.5%2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)16,7285,48712 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents5.67.112 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)5.8%28.9%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high87°F87°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low19°F19°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation15.0"15.9"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport10 mi4 miNASR current cycle
Average commute29.0 min25.2 min2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age37.335.52024 ACS 5-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

Denver-Aurora-Centennial

Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado.

Colorado Springs

Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, hail.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Denver-Aurora-Centennial
70
Your Score
64
Area Score
Colorado Springs
69
Your Score
62
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Denver-Aurora-Centennial vs Colorado Springs: Location Comparison | AreaProfile