Lakewood 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
Lakewood
Golden
Opportunity
52 · Bottom 42%
vs56 · Bottom 49%
Growth
14 · Bottom 4%
vs18 · Bottom 7%
Climate
59 · Bottom 11%
vs59 · Bottom 11%
Physical resilience
31 · Bottom 25%
vs31 · Bottom 24%
Housing affordability
56 · Bottom 15%
vs45 · Bottom 7%
Access
97 · Top 23%
vs98 · Top 15%
Economic stability
69 · Top 32%
vs56 · Bottom 41%
Measured values
| Metric | Lakewood | Golden | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 156,583 | 20,417 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $89,792 | $98,582 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $53,749 | $56,368 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,601/sq mi | 2,118/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $574,400 | $837,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,806 | $1,953 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 58.1% | 56.8% | 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% | 59.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.2% | 12.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 23 | 13 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.1 | 0.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -82.3% | -58.1% | 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 | 13 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.4 min | 26.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.2 | 34.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 42 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.76 | 18.33 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 50.6% | 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
Lakewood
Elevated or high exposure: hail, wildfire, tornado.
Golden
Elevated or high exposure: hail, wildfire, tornado.
Full profiles: Lakewood, CO · Golden, CO · How this is calculated: methodology