Denver vs Ken Caryl

Which is the better fit for you?

Denver, CO
56
Area Score
Bottom 40% nationally
Ken Caryl, CO
54
Area Score
Bottom 32% nationally

Want a third or fourth place beside these? Open them in the shortlist and add more.

Denver receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Denver to Ken Caryl

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Everyday prices
About the same
Regional price level 105.8 against 105.8 (US = 100). Both places sit in the same price region, so the index cannot tell them apart.
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
The same
HUD benchmarks it at $2,089 in Ken Caryl against $2,089 in Denver.
The median home
3% less
$600,300 in Ken Caryl against $616,000 in Denver.
The weather you would swap
Winters 1°F milder
Normal January lows are 19°F in Ken Caryl against 18°F in Denver; July highs are 87°F against 90°F (summers 3°F cooler).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

Signals

Denver
Ken Caryl
Opportunity: Ken Caryl is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
54 · Bottom 45%
vs
58 · Top 46%
Growth: Denver is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
65 · Top 21%
vs
29 · Bottom 14%
Climate: Ken Caryl is the more favorable of the two.
Climate
59 · Bottom 11%
vs
62 · Bottom 23%
Physical resilience: Denver is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
43 · Bottom 34%
vs
33 · Bottom 26%
Housing affordability: Ken Caryl is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
55 · Bottom 29%
vs
58 · Bottom 32%
Schools: Ken Caryl is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
47 · Bottom 46%
vs
60 · Top 37%
Access: Denver is the more favorable of the two.
Access
98 · Top 22%
vs
97 · Top 24%
Economic stability: Ken Caryl is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
62 · Top 41%
vs
82 · Top 2%

Measured values

MetricDenverKen CarylSource period
Population718,87733,2332024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income$94,718$118,269 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$64,163 — more favorable$60,3132024 ACS 5-Year
Population density4,696/sq mi3,380/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$616,000$600,3002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$1,831 — more favorable$2,1272024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$2,089$2,089FY2026
Cost of living index105.8105.82023
Homeownership rate48.8%84.4%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate4.3%3.9% — more favorableJuly 2026
Employment change (year over year)−1.9%−1.9%July 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher56.5% — more favorable50.4%2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate10.6%3.6% — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)6,44198812 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents9.0 — more favorable1.712 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)+95.4% — more favorable−18.3%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high90°F87°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low18°F19°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation15.4"15.0"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport13 mi — more favorable14 miNASR current cycle
Average commute26.9 min — more favorable30.1 min2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age35.341.82024 ACS 5-Year
Students per teacher15.5 — more favorable17.22024-25 school year
Math proficiency34.6%44.4% — more favorable2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency44.8%58.1% — more favorable2018-19 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.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison.

Physical risk tradeoff

Denver

Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado.

Ken Caryl

Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado, wildfire.

Your best match

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

Denver
—
Denver: Your Score
56
Area Score
Ken Caryl
—
Ken Caryl: Your Score
54
Area Score

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

Full profiles: Denver, CO · Ken Caryl, CO · How this is calculated: methodology