Arvada receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Lakewood
Arvada
Opportunity
52 · Bottom 42%
vs57 · Top 49%
Growth
14 · Bottom 4%
vs37 · Bottom 28%
Climate
59 · Bottom 11%
vs59 · Bottom 11%
Physical resilience
31 · Bottom 25%
vs32 · Bottom 25%
Housing affordability
56 · Bottom 15%
vs72 · Bottom 37%
Access
97 · Top 23%
vs100 · Top 1%
Economic stability
69 · Top 32%
vs77 · Top 12%
Measured values
| Metric | Lakewood | Arvada | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 156,583 | 122,634 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $89,792 | $117,348 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $53,749 | $59,662 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,601/sq mi | 3,145/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $574,400 | $632,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,806 | $1,888 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 58.1% | 75.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 3.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.9% | -2.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 45.3% | 51.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.2% | 5.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 23 | 293 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.1 | 2.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -82.3% | 11.0% | 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 | 15 mi | 5 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.4 min | 27.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.2 | 40.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 42 | 29 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.76 | 17.67 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 50.6% | 32.1% | 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
Lakewood
Elevated or high exposure: hail, wildfire, tornado.
Arvada
Elevated or high exposure: hail, wildfire, tornado.
Full profiles: Lakewood, CO · Arvada, CO · How this is calculated: methodology