City profile · Colorado · Census ACS 2023

Lakewood, CO

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Lakewood - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

156,309
Residents
$85,789
Median income
$548,200
Median home
$2,089
Median rent (state)

Lakewood - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Lakewood places in the 67th percentile for household income and the 2nd percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

67th
percentile, household income
87th
percentile, home value
85th
percentile, median rent
2nd
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: Lakewood, CO

Lakewood is a mid-sized U.S. city in Colorado, home to 156,309 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Lakewood households earn a median of $85,789 annually, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 5.3%. Home values in Lakewood run a median of $548,200, and the median resident age is 38.0 years. About 45.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 65.6% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 185 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 80% from five years earlier. Lakewood's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 5880.6 incidents per 100,000 residents, above the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA puts Lakewood's yearly average temperature at 50.4°F with 17.5 inches of precipitation per year and 58.0 inches of snowfall.

Colorado carries a cost-of-living premium: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Colorado scores 103.1 (Above Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $2,089 monthly. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Colorado run around $202, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Workers in Lakewood report an average commute of 21.4 minutes, with 67.8% driving alone and 19.9% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 94.9 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

156,309 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Colorado

Median Household Income

$85,789 /yr

Poverty 5.3%

Cost of Living Index (state)

103.1 (US=100)

Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, Colorado average

How does Lakewood compare to other US cities?

Here's how Lakewood stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 67% higher than other cities
Home value 87% pricier than other cities
Median rent 85% pricier than other cities
Safety 2% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Colorado, Lakewood ranks #109 of 116 Colorado cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Lakewood's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Colorado, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

67thIncome percentile
2ndSafety percentile

67th percentile nationally for median household income · 2nd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Lakewood's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Lakewood'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. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 28 Avg. percentile National median
Lakewood'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 Lakewood's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$548,200 13th percentile more affordable than 13% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). This entry sits in this band. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Lakewood $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

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

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Lakewood, CO Lakewood, CO's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Lakewood, CO-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Lakewood, CO median $85,789/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Lakewood, CO's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Lakewood, CO. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 45.3%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 5.3%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 65.6%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
156,309
Median Income
$85,789
Median Home Value
$548,200
Median Age
38.0
Poverty Rate
5.3%
Labor force participation
65.6%
Bachelor's Degree+
45.3%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
5880.6
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
787.2
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
5093.4
per 100,000 residents

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.

Climate

Avg Temperature
50.4°F
Annual Precipitation
17.5"
Annual Snowfall
58.0"

Schools

Total Schools
54
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
156,000 residents156,500 residents157,000 residents157,500 residents158,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 156,263 residents 156,927 residents ▲ +0.4%
Lakewood's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
185
housing units authorized
Single-Family
30
detached homes
Multifamily
155
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
1.2
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 915
2020 1,237
2021 364
2022 543
2023 153
2024 185

Permit volume decreased 80% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
21.4 minutes
Drive Alone
67.8%
Carpool
6.2%
Public Transit
2.6%
Walk
1.5%
Work from Home
19.9%
Other
2.0%

Based on 86,312 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Colorado - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$90
avg/month
Natural Gas
$62
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$50
avg/month
Total Utilities
$202
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Colorado state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Colorado state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Lakewood sits in

Cost of Living Index
103.1
Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$2,089/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
94.9 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Colorado

Fort Collins
169,705 people
Thornton
142,878 people
Arvada
122,835 people
Westminster
115,546 people
Pueblo
111,514 people
Greeley
109,421 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Lakewood's 156,309 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Killeen, TX
156,144 people
Macon-Bibb County, GA
156,543 people
Alexandria, VA
156,788 people
Murfreesboro, TN
157,547 people
Paterson, NJ
157,660 people
Kansas City, KS
154,776 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Lakewood's $85,789 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Maxwell, IA
$85,789 median income
Pilot Rock, OR
$85,795 median income
Eureka, TX
$85,795 median income
Gun Club Estates, FL
$85,782 median income
Pocono Ranch Lands, PA
$85,781 median income
Nooksack, WA
$85,781 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Lakewood, CO Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Lakewood, CO - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 76.0% 13.5% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 22.4% White 76.0% Black or African American 1.4% Asian 4.1% American Indian 1.0% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 3.8% Two or more races 13.5% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Lakewood compares to nearby Colorado cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Lakewood (this city) 156,309 $85,789
Fort Collins 169,705 $83,598
Thornton 142,878 $100,985
Arvada 122,835 $113,396
Census ACS 5-year FIPS CO FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Lakewood, CO?

What is the population of Lakewood, CO? +

The population of Lakewood, CO stands at 156,309 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Lakewood, CO? +

Lakewood households earn a median of $85,789 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Lakewood? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Lakewood; the closest available measure is the Colorado state average, a cost of living index of 103.1 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Colorado vary by metro area.

Is Lakewood, CO safe? +

Lakewood has a total crime rate of 5880.6 per 100,000 residents, which is above the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Lakewood, CO? +

A typical home in Lakewood is worth $548,200, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Lakewood? +

The average annual temperature in Lakewood runs 50.4°F, 17.5 inches of precipitation, and 58.0 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, 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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.