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Place dossier plate
SheetCO-ARVADA-CO · Arvada, CO 122,835 pop · income 85th pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Arvada
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Arvada on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
College Stati… · lowest
51,776
College Stati… · lowest
51,776 median HH income
40.4% of the leader · rank #1
South Floral… · near
113,362
South Floral… · near
113,362 median HH income
88.4% of the leader · rank #2
Cobb · near
113,375
Cobb · near
113,375 median HH income
88.5% of the leader · rank #3
Toughkenamon · near
113,393
Toughkenamon · near
113,393 median HH income
88.5% of the leader · rank #4
Utopia · near
113,393
Utopia · near
113,393 median HH income
88.5% of the leader · rank #5
Arvada · this city
113,396
Arvada · this city
113,396 median HH income
88.5% of the leader · rank #6
Centennial · highest
128,167
Centennial · highest
128,167 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Arvada on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 122,835.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Arvada - the verdict
Nationally, Arvada sits in the 85th percentile for household income and the 19th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
85th
percentile, household income
89th
percentile, home value
68th
percentile, median rent
19th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Arvada, CO
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 122,835 residents in Arvada, a mid-sized U.S. city within Colorado. Median household income here is $113,396 per year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 3.5%. Home values in Arvada run a median of $600,800, and the median resident age is 40.2 years. 50.0% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 68.6% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 364 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Rapid Growth), up 24% from five years earlier. Arvada's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: FBI UCR figures show 2764.5 crimes per 100,000 residents, above the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score).
Colorado carries a cost-of-living premium: the state registers 103.1 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Above Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,429 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Colorado run around $202, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Workers in Arvada report an average commute of 20.8 minutes, with 69.2% driving alone and 21.9% working from home. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 40.7 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Arvada's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from reported crime to work and mobility to housing and income to comparison shortlist to population change to schools and households; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Arvada, city-specific coverage includes FBI reported-crime rates, matched public-school count, annual population history, commute-mode shares, local building permits.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
1. Reported crime
What can the FBI record say about safety in Arvada?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 2764.5 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 21% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
What does the journey to work look like in Arvada?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. Remote work has a visible role in the local pattern. That can reduce commute exposure for some workers, but it says nothing about job availability or broadband quality; read it alongside income and housing rather than as a stand-alone lifestyle score.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 69.2%. The reported mean trip to work is 20.8 minutes.
How far does income reach against housing in Arvada?
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 5.3 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 3.5%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median. That flags a question for comparison, not a verdict: tenure, household composition, financing costs, and the age of the ACS estimate can all change what a resident actually pays.
Which cities make useful reference points for Arvada?
Within Colorado, the closest population matches are Westminster (115,546 residents, $96,145 income); Pueblo (111,514 residents, $55,305 income); Greeley (109,421 residents, $68,650 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Clovis, CA (122,719 residents); College Station, TX (122,280 residents); Independence, MO (121,944 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Population change
Is Arvada growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Recent estimates point downward. A falling count can reflect migration, household size, annexation boundaries, or estimation noise, so it is a prompt to inspect the full series rather than a claim about local economic health.
Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -1,449 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -1.2% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 364 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
-1.2%
2025 estimate
122,901
2020 estimate
124,350
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
The NCES join finds 36 public schools within the city match. 50.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
Matched public schools
36
Bachelor's degree+
50.0%
Poverty estimate
3.5%
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
Above-average cost · BEA RPP 2024, Colorado average
C+
City profile score · Arvada, CO
61/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Bachelor's+ share A-
50.0%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income A-
$113,396
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate B+
3.5%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime F
286 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Cost of living F
103.1 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Arvada profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Bachelor's+ share: 84/100 (A-) · 50.0%
Household income: 83/100 (A-) · $113,396
Poverty rate: 75/100 (B+) · 3.5%
Violent crime: 35/100 (F) · 286 /100k
Cost of living: 26/100 (F) · 103.1 index
Where Arvada sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Arvada's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Arvada highlighted among 13 peers.Read the chart values
Arvada, CO (this city): home $600,800, crime 2,765/100k
Clovis, CA : home $453,300, crime 1,911/100k
College Station, TX : home $326,500, crime 1,273/100k
Independence, MO : home $166,400, crime 4,095/100k
Rochester, MN : home $287,500, crime 1,523/100k
Lafayette, LA : home $251,300, crime 5,414/100k
Concord, CA : home $755,900, crime 3,371/100k
Westminster, CO : home $497,400, crime 3,844/100k
Pueblo, CO : home $230,900, crime 6,366/100k
Greeley, CO : home $369,600, crime 3,690/100k
Centennial, CO : home $626,700, crime 1,882/100k
Boulder, CO : home $982,600, crime 3,055/100k
Thornton, CO : home $482,200, crime 3,109/100k
How does Arvada compare to other US cities?
Where Arvada sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income85% higher than other cities
Home value89% pricier than other cities
Median rent68% pricier than other cities
Safety19% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Colorado alone, Arvada ranks #80 of 116 Colorado cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Arvada against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Colorado only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Colorado-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Arvada near the bottom of Colorado's cities
Among the 408 Colorado cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Arvada ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Arvada only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#94 of 379
75th percentile in Colorado
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 408
0th percentile in Colorado
Median Home Value
#107 of 388
72nd percentile in Colorado
Poverty Rate
#230 of 408
44th percentile in Colorado
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#123 of 408
70th percentile in Colorado
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Colorado only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
85th percentile nationally for median household income · 19th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Arvada's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Arvada's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Arvada's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$600,80011th percentilemore affordable than 11% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Arvada's home-value-to-income ratio: 5.3×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
pressured
> 5.0×
National rank
#13,318 of 15,516
More affordable than 14% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#489 of 750
Mid-size cities (50,000–199,999)
At 5.3×, Arvada sits in the pressured band:
national rank #13,318 of 15,516 and #489 of 750mid-size cities (50,000–199,999).
Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median, a comparison flag, not a verdict on any household.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$113,396Arvada, CO median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Arvada, CO median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Arvada, CO.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)50.0%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)3.5%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)68.6%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
122,835
Median Income
$113,396
Median Home Value
$600,800
Median Age
40.2
Poverty Rate
3.5%
Labor force participation
68.6%
Bachelor's Degree+
50.0%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
2764.5
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
285.6
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2478.9
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Schools
Total Schools
36
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Arvada's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
124,350 residents
2021
123,538 residents
2022
121,627 residents
2023
121,813 residents
2024
122,310 residents
2025
122,901 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Rapid Growth
Total Permits (2024)
364
housing units authorized
Single-Family
364
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
3
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
294
294
0
$80.5M
2020
295
295
0
$81.9M
2021
373
373
0
$102.6M
2022
361
357
4
$101.3M
2023
410
410
0
$121.3M
2024
364
364
0
$112.4M
Permit volume increased 24% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
20.8 minutes
Drive Alone
69.2%
Carpool
5.1%
Public Transit
1.7%
Walk
0.9%
Work from Home
21.9%
Other
1.2%
Based on 67,991 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Colorado statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $202
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Colorado at $202 (electricity about $90 , water and sewer about $50 ).
These are Colorado statewide averages, not a meter reading for Arvada. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Colorado's BEA cost-of-living index is 103.1 (Above Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Arvada is $1,429/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Colorado statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 40.7 / 100 (Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Colorado statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Arvada sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Arvada compares to similar-size Colorado cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.