Parker receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Parker
Denver
Opportunity
69 · Top 24%
vs52 · Bottom 41%
Growth
62 · Top 29%
vs62 · Top 30%
Climate
62 · Bottom 23%
vs59 · Bottom 11%
Physical resilience
51 · Bottom 44%
vs44 · Bottom 34%
Housing affordability
77 · Bottom 44%
vs57 · Bottom 17%
Access
100 · Top 1%
vs98 · Top 20%
Economic stability
84 · Top 2%
vs67 · Top 36%
Measured values
| Metric | Parker | Denver | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 61,783 | 718,877 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $133,369 | $94,718 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $56,841 | $64,163 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,752/sq mi | 4,696/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $646,300 | $616,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,096 | $1,831 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 71.8% | 48.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 4.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.9% | -2.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 56.0% | 56.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.4% | 11.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 602 | 6,441 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 9.7 | 9.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -40.0% | 95.4% | 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 | 6 mi | 13 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.1 min | 26.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.2 | 35.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 26 | 205 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 18.05 | 15.47 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 17.8% | 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
Parker
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, hail, tornado.
Denver
Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado.
Full profiles: Parker, CO · Denver, CO · How this is calculated: methodology