Durango and Golden 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
Durango
Golden
Opportunity
56 · Top 50%
vs56 · Bottom 49%
Growth
35 · Bottom 24%
vs18 · Bottom 7%
Climate
52 · Bottom 1%
vs59 · Bottom 11%
Physical resilience
27 · Bottom 22%
vs31 · Bottom 24%
Housing affordability
42 · Bottom 5%
vs45 · Bottom 7%
Access
97 · Top 29%
vs98 · Top 15%
Economic stability
58 · Bottom 46%
vs56 · Bottom 41%
Measured values
| Metric | Durango | Golden | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,411 | 20,417 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $78,602 | $98,582 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $48,642 | $56,368 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,098/sq mi | 2,118/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $668,400 | $837,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,636 | $1,953 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 53.0% | 56.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 3.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.5% | -2.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 60.4% | 59.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.0% | 12.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 51 | 13 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.6 | 0.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -79.8% | -58.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 10°F | 18°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 13.5" | 15.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 10 mi | 13 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 15.9 min | 26.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.3 | 34.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 14 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.14 | 18.33 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 37.1% | 22.9% | 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
Durango
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, avalanche, inland flooding.
Golden
Elevated or high exposure: hail, wildfire, tornado.
Full profiles: Durango, CO · Golden, CO · How this is calculated: methodology