Best PlacesUniversity Hills, Denver, CO Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood in and around University Hills, Denver, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. This page is for people who live here or already know they want to. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
University Hills, Denver ranks 1,305th of 5,983 U.S. neighborhoods on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on low property taxes by a wide margin, and state finances rank lowest.
The best neighborhoods in University Hills, Denver
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
University Hills, Denver's strengths and weaknesses
Where University Hills, Denver ranks high
- Low property taxBetter than 98% of neighborhoods
- Heat safetyBetter than 96% of neighborhoods
- Local economyBetter than 92% of neighborhoods
- Housing crash safetyBetter than 90% of neighborhoods
- Voter turnoutBetter than 90% of neighborhoods
Where University Hills, Denver ranks low
- State fiscal healthBetter than only 10% of neighborhoods
- QuietBetter than only 10% of neighborhoods
- Cheap childcare$1,821 a month, better than only 11% of neighborhoods
- Air qualityBetter than only 12% of neighborhoods
- Internet speedBetter than only 27% of neighborhoods
What it costs to buy a home in University Hills, Denver
A household needs to earn about $160,000 a year to comfortably buy the median University Hills, Denver home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That runs well above the area's median income of $115,284, so buying stretches a typical household.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses University Hills, Denver's effective rate of 0.37%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices, buying tends to cost more than renting for about the first 10 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in University Hills, Denver
University Hills, Denver's age mix sits close to the national median, and households here run smaller than average.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for University Hills, Denver.
Who works in University Hills, Denver, and how
Work in University Hills, Denver centers on professional & technical and health care & social. Unemployment is low, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 67%
- Work from home 25%
- Transit, walk, or bike 8%
Life in University Hills, Denver
University Hills, Denver has more restaurants and bars per resident than 65% of neighborhoods. That concentrates in some parts of University Hills, Denver and thins out in others, which the map shows.
What the weather is like in University Hills, Denver, month by month
University Hills, Denver sees roughly 147 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 90 degrees. January highs sit near 47, with lows near 18. The comfortable stretch runs May through September.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 31° | 18° |
| April | 64° | 48° | 32° |
| July | 90° | 74° | 59° |
| October | 69° | 52° | 36° |
Flying in and out of University Hills, Denver
Denver International sits about 19 miles away. It is a large hub and boarded 40.1 million passengers in 2025, with 250 nonstop destinations.
The best schools in and around University Hills, Denver
Schools across University Hills, Denver average a C−, better than 29% of neighborhoods.
Top elementary schools
- Bradley International SchoolA− · 60% proficient
- Holly Hills Elementary SchoolD+ · 23% proficient
- Joe Shoemaker SchoolD · 21% proficient
Top middle schools
- West Middle SchoolB · 47% proficient
Top high schools
- Thomas Jefferson High SchoolB · 45% proficient
- Denver Montessori Junior/senior High SchoolD · 20% proficient
- Endeavor AcademyD− · 14% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every University Hills, Denver school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
University Hills, Denver measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare University Hills, Denver against the other 5,982 neighborhoods.
Common questions about living in University Hills, Denver
Is University Hills, Denver a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, University Hills, Denver ranks 1,305th of 5,983 neighborhoods. It scores highest on low property taxes, heat safety, and a strong job market, and lowest on state finances and noise. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is University Hills, Denver expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $651,731. The overall cost of living runs about 3% above the national average. Set against a $115,284 median income, cost of living beats 85% of neighborhoods.
Is University Hills, Denver safe?
University Hills, Denver is safer than 50% of neighborhoods. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $625 per resident a year.
Compare University Hills, Denver with other neighborhoods
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to University Hills, Denver. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in University Hills, Denver represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
University Hills, Denver detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for University Hills, Denver: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in University Hills, Denver: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of University Hills, Denver: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in University Hills, Denver: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
University Hills, Denver detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.