Denver receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Longmont
Denver
Opportunity
48 · Bottom 32%
vs52 · Bottom 41%
Growth
62 · Top 29%
vs62 · Top 30%
Climate
42 · Bottom 1%
vs59 · Bottom 11%
Physical resilience
53 · Bottom 45%
vs44 · Bottom 34%
Housing affordability
56 · Bottom 16%
vs57 · Bottom 17%
Access
95 · Top 36%
vs98 · Top 20%
Economic stability
71 · Top 26%
vs67 · Top 36%
Measured values
| Metric | Longmont | Denver | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 99,406 | 718,877 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $90,671 | $94,718 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $49,333 | $64,163 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,397/sq mi | 4,696/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $572,800 | $616,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,816 | $1,831 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 62.5% | 48.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 4.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.1% | -2.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 47.0% | 56.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.6% | 11.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,572 | 6,441 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 15.8 | 9.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 56.6% | 95.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 68°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 12°F | 18°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 33.9" | 15.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 18 mi | 13 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.3 min | 26.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.3 | 35.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 28 | 205 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.68 | 15.47 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 42.5% | 61.5% | 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
Longmont
Elevated or high exposure: hail, wildfire, tornado.
Denver
Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado.
Full profiles: Longmont, CO · Denver, CO · How this is calculated: methodology