Denver and Aurora 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
Opportunity
53 · Bottom 43%
vs49 · Bottom 32%
Growth
62 · Top 28%
vs57 · Top 37%
Climate
59 · Bottom 11%
vs59 · Bottom 11%
Physical resilience
44 · Bottom 36%
vs55 · Bottom 47%
Housing affordability
57 · Bottom 23%
vs60 · Bottom 27%
Access
98 · Top 26%
vs99 · Top 11%
Economic stability
67 · Top 34%
vs67 · Top 34%
Measured values
| Metric | Denver | Aurora | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 718,877 | 394,432 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $94,718 | $88,368 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $64,163 | $42,105 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,696/sq mi | 2,404/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $616,000 | $469,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,831 | $1,835 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 48.8% | 62.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.9% | -2.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 56.5% | 33.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.2% | 11.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 6,441 | 1,833 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 9.0 | 4.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 95.4% | 45.2% | 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 | 13 mi | 11 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.9 min | 30.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.3 | 35.3 | 2024 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
Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado.
Aurora
Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado.
Full profiles: Denver, CO · Aurora, CO · How this is calculated: methodology