Castle Rock receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Lone Tree
Castle Rock
Opportunity
63 · Top 36%
vs64 · Top 33%
Growth
41 · Bottom 33%
vs44 · Bottom 39%
Climate
62 · Bottom 23%
vs62 · Bottom 23%
Physical resilience
54 · Bottom 46%
vs54 · Bottom 46%
Housing affordability
60 · Bottom 20%
vs83 · Top 46%
Access
100 · Top 1%
vs98 · Top 21%
Economic stability
77 · Top 14%
vs84 · Top 2%
Measured values
| Metric | Lone Tree | Castle Rock | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,147 | 79,123 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $123,741 | $145,197 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $80,752 | $62,170 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,442/sq mi | 2,277/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $874,100 | $652,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,139 | $2,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 54.5% | 78.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.9% | -2.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 71.2% | 55.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.9% | 3.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 184 | 194 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 13.0 | 2.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -73.4% | -40.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 19°F | 19°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 15.0" | 15.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 3 mi | 13 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.7 min | 30.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.5 | 36.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 19 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.62 | 17.46 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 13.9% | 20.5% | 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
Lone Tree
Elevated or high exposure: hail, wildfire, tornado.
Castle Rock
Elevated or high exposure: hail, wildfire, tornado.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Lone Tree
65
Your Score
60
Area Score
Castle Rock
70
Your Score
65
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Lone Tree, CO · Castle Rock, CO · How this is calculated: methodology