Fruita and Brighton 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
Fruita
Brighton
Opportunity
48 · Bottom 32%
vs47 · Bottom 30%
Growth
50 · Top 50%
vs55 · Top 41%
Climate
53 · Bottom 2%
vs60 · Bottom 14%
Physical resilience
79 · Top 26%
vs68 · Top 39%
Housing affordability
77 · Bottom 44%
vs77 · Bottom 45%
Access
96 · Top 32%
vs100 · Top 1%
Economic stability
72 · Top 25%
vs72 · Top 23%
Measured values
| Metric | Fruita | Brighton | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,691 | 42,059 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $87,184 | $107,679 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $40,059 | $41,641 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,709/sq mi | 1,936/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $398,200 | $499,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,472 | $1,779 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 79.9% | 71.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 4.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.8% | -2.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33.6% | 23.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.1% | 9.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 86 | 284 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 6.3 | 6.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -49.7% | -49.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 95°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 17°F | 19°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 9.1" | 14.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 11 mi | 10 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.5 min | 33.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.5 | 34.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 15 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.52 | 19.57 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 34.1% | 51.3% | 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
Fruita
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Brighton
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Full profiles: Fruita, CO · Brighton, CO · How this is calculated: methodology