Where Do I Move?

West · Colorado · pop 156.3K

Lakewood, CO

Fit score

Fair match

at the reference profile: one person earning $6,700/mo gross, default weights.

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After estimated taxes in CO, your $6,700/mo income nets about $5,172 — covering estimated essentials here (about $1,542 rent plus everyday costs incl. local sales tax) with roughly $878 left over.

Reported crime rates sit below most similar-sized cities in this dataset.

Tradeoff: this is a quieter market with fewer restaurants and entertainment options per resident.

AFFORDABILITY79HOUSING41JOBS56SAFETY60CLIMATE44AMENITIES37

The Lakewood fit print

Est. monthly cost

$4,294/mo

Typical rent

$1,814/mo

Home value ÷ income

6.4×

Score breakdown

Affordability
79
Housing
41
Jobs
56
Safety
60
Climate
44
Amenities
37

The data behind the score

Money (Census ACS · HUD)

Median gross rent
$1,814/mo
Median home value
$548,200
Median household income
$85,789
Population
156,309

Work (BLS)

Unemployment rate
0.0%
Job growth (1yr)
0.0%

Safety (FBI CDE, per 100k)

Violent crime rate
0
Property crime rate
0

Climate (NOAA normals)

Avg. summer high
89°F
Avg. winter low
19°F
Sunny days / year
0
Days ≥100°F by 2050 (air temp)
≈8/yr
Dangerous humid days by 2050 (feels-like)
≈0/yr
Unhealthy air days
≈10/yr
Annual rain
17"
Annual snow
56"

Community & access (approx.)

2024 county margin
D+20
Bachelor's degree or higher
≈45%
Major airport
≈15 mi
Time zone
MT
Walkability
40/100
Transit
30/100
Disaster risk
52/100
Top natural hazard
Hail
Local pay covers local costs. A typical Lakewood household earns about $86k — enough to cover the local cost of living (about $84k to break even here). Taking a local job here is realistic.
A citywide number is an average. Rent, safety, and everything else vary block by block — treat these figures as a starting point and research specific neighborhoods before committing.

Data vintage: acs2023-5yr+zori-2026-06-30. Sources & methodology

Natural-hazard risk

Wildfire

high risk

Hurricanes

low risk

Tornadoes

high risk

Flooding

moderate risk

Earthquakes

low risk

Severe winter

moderate risk

Per-hazard risk-index scores from FEMA's National Risk Index for this city's county, with any hazard FEMA doesn't score filled in by our model. Screen by hazard from search.

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Go deeper

Buy vs. rent the median home

Owning the median Lakewood home would run about $3,829/mo (mortgage, tax, insurance, upkeep) versus $1,814/mo to rent — about $2,015/mo more to buy at today's 6.60% rate.

To own$3,829/mo
Mortgage (P&I)
$2,801
Property tax
$206
Insurance (state avg)
$365
Maintenance
$457
To rent$1,814/mo

Buying costs about $2,015/mo more.

Median home $548,200 · $109,640 down

Estimate only: 30-year fixed, state-average property tax and homeowners insurance, ~1%/yr maintenance. Part of the mortgage payment builds equity, which a pure outlay comparison ignores; and the median home is typically larger than the median rental, which biases the gap toward renting. Ignores closing costs, HOA dues, PMI on low down payments, and the opportunity cost of the down payment. Not a lending quote.

What will the move cost?

Moving to Lakewood

About 1,634 mi from New York, NY.

DIY — rental truck

$2,050$3,000

One-way truck, mileage, and fuel. Your labor.

Full-service movers

$5,800$8,350

Pros load, drive, and unload. Packing usually extra.

Rough estimates from distance and household size — real quotes vary with season, access, exact inventory, and fuel. Get a few binding quotes before you book.

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