Lone Tree 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
Lafayette
Opportunity
63 · Top 36%
vs58 · Top 47%
Growth
41 · Bottom 33%
vs32 · Bottom 20%
Climate
62 · Bottom 23%
vs59 · Bottom 11%
Physical resilience
54 · Bottom 46%
vs53 · Bottom 45%
Housing affordability
60 · Bottom 20%
vs65 · Bottom 28%
Access
100 · Top 1%
vs100 · Top 1%
Economic stability
77 · Top 14%
vs81 · Top 6%
Measured values
| Metric | Lone Tree | Lafayette | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,147 | 30,602 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $123,741 | $119,040 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $80,752 | $62,261 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,442/sq mi | 3,307/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $874,100 | $686,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,139 | $2,121 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 54.5% | 65.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 3.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.9% | -3.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 71.2% | 63.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.9% | 5.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 184 | 14 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 13.0 | 0.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -73.4% | 100.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 19°F | 18°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 15.0" | 15.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 3 mi | 6 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.7 min | 25.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.5 | 39.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.62 | 17.61 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 13.9% | 34.0% | 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.
Lafayette
Elevated or high exposure: hail, wildfire, tornado.
Full profiles: Lone Tree, CO · Lafayette, CO · How this is calculated: methodology