The Denver metro area: Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Clear Creek, Denver, Douglas, Elbert, Gilpin, Jefferson and Park counties · Population 3,002,721 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in the Denver area
Household size in the Denver area
| Period | Denver area | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.58 | 2.57 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.66 | 2.63 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.68 | 2.64 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.57 | 2.54 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.01 | −0.04 | −0.03 |
The average household in the Denver area has 2.57 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. The figure for Colorado is much the same. Households are largest in the northeast and smallest in the center.
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 the Denver area
| Period | Denver area | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.7 | 36.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.3 | 37.7 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.0 | 38.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.5 | 39.1 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.8 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
The median resident of the Denver area is 38.5 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 36.7 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. The youngest areas are in the northeast, the oldest in the southwest.
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 the Denver area
| Period | Denver area | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.8% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.0% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.8% | 9.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.6% | 9.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.2 pts | −1.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in the Denver area (9.6%), below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has edged down 1.2 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. The Denver area has a lower share of single-parent households than the great majority of large metro areas.
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 the Denver area
Renters in the Denver area
| Period | Denver area | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.5% | 32.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 36.4% | 35.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 36.1% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 35.9% | 33.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.4 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than a third of households in the Denver area rent their homes (35.9%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 27.2% have no mortgage at all, well below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the southwest. The renter share is up 2.4 points from 2006–10, as it has 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 the Denver area
| Period | Denver area | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.5% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.6% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.5% | 8.0% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.0% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.5 pts | −3.0 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in the Denver area: 6.0% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 2.5 points, in line with the national trend. Of the 100 large U.S. metro areas, only nine have a lower vacancy rate.
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 the Denver area
| Period | Denver area | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1980 | 1981 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1981 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1982 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1987 | 1988 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +7 | +6 |
Homes in the Denver area are newer than the national norm: the median home was built in 1987, versus 1980 across the U.S. The median year built has moved up from 1980 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northeast, while the center has the oldest housing.
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 the Denver area
| Period | Denver area | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,128 | $1,051 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,245 | $1,165 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,606 | $1,450 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,181 | $1,963 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,053 | +$912 | +$606 |
Rent in the Denver area runs $2,181 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $1,053 a month from 2006–10, a 93% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 32.4% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the south; the most affordable are in the center.
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 the Denver area
Bachelor's degrees in the Denver area
| Period | Denver area | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.1% | 36.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 40.0% | 37.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 43.5% | 40.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 49.1% | 45.9% | 35.6% |
| Change | +11.0 pts | +9.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
The Denver area is highly educated: about half of adults 25 and older (49.1%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 11.0 points, in line with the national trend. Only nine of the 100 large U.S. metro areas have a higher share of college graduates.
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 the Denver area
| Period | Denver area | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 88.8% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.8% | 90.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.1% | 91.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.1% | 92.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.3 pts | +3.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in the Denver area have finished high school (92.1%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. The figure for Colorado is much the same. The share with a diploma is up 3.3 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 the Denver area
| Period | Denver area | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.8% | 6.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.5% | 7.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.7% | 4.4% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.4% | 4.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.4 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in the Denver area runs below the national rate: 4.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 2.4 points, as it has nationally. 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).
Largest cities in the Denver area
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver area (all) | 2.57 | 38.5 | 9.6% | 35.9% | 6.0% | 1987 | $2,181 | 49.1% | 92.1% | 4.4% |
| Aurora | 2.83 | 36.5 | 13.0% | 36.9% | 5.7% | 1990 | $2,164 | 35.7% | 86.7% | 5.6% |
| Lakewood | 2.32 | 40.2 | 9.5% | 37.3% | 5.5% | 1978 | $2,061 | 46.3% | 94.6% | 4.1% |
| Arvada | 2.55 | 41.3 | 7.3% | 24.0% | 5.2% | 1983 | $2,215 | 51.6% | 95.3% | 3.6% |
| Broomfield | 2.52 | 39.7 | 7.1% | 35.7% | 4.9% | 1995 | $2,358 | 57.8% | 96.6% | 3.8% |
| Highlands Ranch | 2.74 | 42.5 | 7.9% | 22.0% | 3.6% | 1998 | $2,939 | 68.4% | 98.9% | 4.0% |
| Thornton | 2.99 | 34.7 | 14.7% | 28.8% | 4.6% | 1990 | $2,050 | 28.7% | 83.5% | 4.7% |
| Parker | 2.88 | 37.1 | 9.9% | 23.6% | 5.1% | 2004 | $2,438 | 55.8% | 96.0% | 2.7% |
| Englewood | 2.23 | 38.5 | 8.2% | 48.3% | 5.2% | 1983 | $2,090 | 57.5% | 95.0% | 4.5% |
| Littleton | 2.41 | 41.8 | 7.5% | 34.5% | 4.9% | 1989 | $2,289 | 59.6% | 96.4% | 4.1% |
| Centennial | 2.68 | 42.8 | 7.0% | 16.6% | 4.5% | 1985 | $2,406 | 59.2% | 96.5% | 4.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Metro areas of similar size: San Antonio area · Charlotte area · Orlando area · St. Louis area · Baltimore area · Portland area · Tampa area · San Diego area · Minneapolis area · Seattle area
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 the Denver area. 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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