Population 3,306 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Bel Aire
Household size in Bel Aire
| Period | Bel Aire | Wheat Ridge | Denver area | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.24 | 2.09 | 2.58 | 2.57 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.29 | 2.20 | 2.66 | 2.63 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.07 | 2.17 | 2.68 | 2.64 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.09 | 2.15 | 2.57 | 2.54 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.14 | +0.06 | −0.01 | −0.04 | −0.03 |
Bel Aire is a place of small households, averaging 2.09 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. The picture is much the same across Wheat Ridge. Household size has dropped from 2.24 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Bel Aire
| Period | Bel Aire | Wheat Ridge | Denver area | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 49.0 | 43.8 | 36.7 | 36.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.3 | 42.1 | 37.3 | 37.7 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 49.6 | 42.8 | 38.0 | 38.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.5 | 41.9 | 38.5 | 39.1 | 40.1 |
| Change | −3.4 | −1.9 | +1.8 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
Bel Aire skews older: half of its residents are older than 45.5, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Bel Aire
| Period | Bel Aire | Wheat Ridge | Denver area | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.8% | 11.5% | 10.8% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.7% | 11.0% | 11.0% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.2% | 8.7% | 9.8% | 9.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.3% | 7.8% | 9.6% | 9.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −3.6 pts | −3.8 pts | −1.2 pts | −1.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 7.3% of households in Bel Aire, well below the national share of 11.6%. The picture is much the same across Wheat Ridge.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Bel Aire
Renters in Bel Aire
| Period | Bel Aire | Wheat Ridge | Denver area | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.2% | 40.1% | 33.5% | 32.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 33.1% | 45.2% | 36.4% | 35.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 34.0% | 46.4% | 36.1% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 41.4% | 45.3% | 35.9% | 33.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +12.2 pts | +5.3 pts | +2.4 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over four in ten households in Bel Aire rent their homes (41.4%), above the national share of 34.8%. Still, renters make up a smaller share here than in Wheat Ridge as a whole (45.3%). Among owners, 40.0% have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Bel Aire
| Period | Bel Aire | Wheat Ridge | Denver area | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.0% | 5.3% | 8.5% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.0% | 7.5% | 6.6% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.3% | 5.3% | 5.5% | 8.0% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.4% | 6.0% | 6.0% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | +0.7 pts | −2.5 pts | −3.0 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Bel Aire than nationally: 7.4%, against 9.6% for the U.S. Wheat Ridge as a whole looks much the same.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Bel Aire
| Period | Bel Aire | Wheat Ridge | Denver area | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1962 | 1966 | 1980 | 1981 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1960 | 1965 | 1981 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1962 | 1967 | 1982 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1965 | 1972 | 1987 | 1988 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +6 | +8 | +7 | +6 |
The housing in Bel Aire is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1965, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Bel Aire
| Period | Bel Aire | Wheat Ridge | Denver area | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $901 | $871 | $1,128 | $1,051 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $950 | $911 | $1,245 | $1,165 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,284 | $1,267 | $1,606 | $1,450 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,887 | $1,692 | $2,181 | $1,963 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$987 | +$821 | +$1,053 | +$912 | +$606 |
Rent in Bel Aire runs $1,887 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 29.8% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Bel Aire
Bachelor's degrees in Bel Aire
| Period | Bel Aire | Wheat Ridge | Denver area | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.1% | 28.3% | 38.1% | 36.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 38.6% | 34.2% | 40.0% | 37.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 39.8% | 36.3% | 43.5% | 40.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 44.5% | 49.2% | 49.1% | 45.9% | 35.6% |
| Change | +9.4 pts | +20.9 pts | +11.0 pts | +9.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are more common in Bel Aire than nationally: 44.5% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. Even so, the share is lower than in Wheat Ridge as a whole (49.2%).
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Bel Aire
| Period | Bel Aire | Wheat Ridge | Denver area | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.9% | 88.0% | 88.8% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 93.0% | 89.3% | 89.8% | 90.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.5% | 92.2% | 91.1% | 91.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 98.0% | 95.2% | 92.1% | 92.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +10.1 pts | +7.2 pts | +3.3 pts | +3.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Bel Aire: 98.0% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Bel Aire
| Period | Bel Aire | Wheat Ridge | Denver area | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.9% | 7.0% | 6.8% | 6.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.4% | 8.7% | 7.5% | 7.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.8% | 4.1% | 3.7% | 4.4% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.3% | 5.0% | 4.4% | 4.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | −2.0 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Bel Aire has been strong: just 3.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Bel Aire compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bel Aire | 2.09 | 45.5 | 7.3% | 41.4% | 7.4% | 1965 | $1,887 | 44.5% | 98.0% | 3.3% |
| Barths | 2.02 | 41.5 | 5.5% | 43.2% | 5.2% | 1958 | $1,559 | 52.1% | 91.3% | 5.0% |
| Arvada Plaza Area | 2.11 | 35.7 | 12.0% | 62.4% | 8.6% | 1976 | $1,908 | 43.8% | 92.5% | 7.1% |
| Fruitdale | 2.16 | 37.6 | 8.9% | 57.0% | 4.2% | 1980 | $1,727 | 43.5% | 94.0% | 3.6% |
| Spivak | 2.00 | 35.7 | 7.1% | 67.1% | 8.0% | 1975 | $1,624 | 34.1% | 87.6% | 7.7% |
| Eiber | 2.13 | 36.0 | 10.4% | 55.3% | 6.2% | 1973 | $1,526 | 37.5% | 92.9% | 8.8% |
| Molholm Two Creeks | 2.16 | 34.2 | 8.7% | 55.2% | 11.6% | 1978 | $1,483 | 44.1% | 86.4% | 3.2% |
| Applewood | 2.33 | 47.0 | 6.9% | 29.1% | 7.2% | 1973 | $2,106 | 63.0% | 97.4% | 4.4% |
| Allendale Area | 2.42 | 37.4 | 7.1% | 37.7% | 6.9% | 1991 | $1,925 | 50.6% | 95.9% | 0.4% |
| Berkeley | 2.05 | 39.3 | 7.3% | 32.0% | 6.0% | 1964 | $2,052 | 74.7% | 95.7% | 3.9% |
| West Highland | 1.89 | 36.1 | 3.4% | 44.0% | 5.7% | 1958 | $2,078 | 68.3% | 98.6% | 3.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: South Side, Sandusky, OH · Downtown Nashua, Nashua, NH · Duval, Jacksonville, FL · Wellshire, Denver, CO · Nearnorthwest, South Bend, IN · Wildes Corner, Warwick, RI · Troutman Park, Fort Collins, CO · Twin Rivers Beach, Providence, RI · Stablewood-Valley Hi North-Houston, Cypress, TX · College View, Starkville, MS
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Bel Aire. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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