The Town FilesArvada, Colorado
City in Jefferson County · population 124,402 (2020 Census) · spans 2 counties
- Median home
- $632,600
- Household income
- $117,348
- Jan low / Jul high
- 17° / 88°
- Snow a year
- 55 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 17
- Median age
- 40.0
Arvada is a city of 124,402 people in Jefferson County, Colorado. The median home is worth $632,600, above the typical Colorado town ($471,100). It ranks more walkable than 90% of Colorado towns, more vibrant than 88% of Colorado towns, better transit than 85% of Colorado towns.
How Arvada ranks
Percentile among Colorado towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Colorado towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Arvada is worth $632,600, above the typical Colorado town ($471,100). Homes cost about 5.4 times the median household income of $117,348, which is more affordable than 44% of Colorado towns. Median rent is $1,888 a month. 75.3% of households own their home.
| Housing | Arvada | Typical Colorado town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $632,600 | $471,100 |
| Median rent | $1,888 | $1,582 |
| Median household income | $117,348 | $86,246 |
| Home value ÷ income | 5.4× | 5.1× |
| Homeownership | 75.3% | 72.7% |
| Median year built | 1979 | 1982 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.3% | — |
Who lives in Arvada
| People | Arvada | Typical Colorado town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 40.0 | 40.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 17.4% | 16.9% |
| Under 18 | 19.6% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 51.6% | 37.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.8% | 8.8% |
| Veterans | 6.4% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 5.6% | — |
| Work from home | 24.5% | 15.3% |
| Average commute | 26.1 min | 24.2 min |
| Homes with broadband | 96.0% | 92.9% |
Weather in Arvada
July highs average 88.2°F and January lows 17.1°F. About 17.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 54.8 inches of snow (typical Colorado town: 47.4 in). Expect about 40 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 168 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
17 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Arvada since 1950, compared with 11 for the typical Colorado town. 4 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on June 5, 1988 about 9.1 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 28, 1996.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 299 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on June 18, 2018.
Severe weather in Jefferson County since 1996
Jefferson County has been included in 15 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, snowstorm.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| August 1, 2024 | Fire | FM-5526: Quarry Fire |
| August 25, 2023 | Flood | DR-4731: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes |
| March 28, 2020 | Biological | DR-4498: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3436: Covid-19 |
| September 14, 2013 | Flood | DR-4145: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
Jobs and pay in Jefferson County
Jefferson County had 248,082 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $78,598 a year. Unemployment was 2.9% in 2023; in Arvada itself the ACS puts it at 3.8%.
Public schools in Arvada
33 public schools with 17,792 students, about 17.3 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arvada West High School | 9-12 | 1,878 | 21.1 |
| Ralston Valley Senior High School | 9-12 | 1,875 | 20.8 |
| Three Creeks K-8 | K-8 | 1,051 | 18.1 |
| Pomona High School | 9-12 | 1,022 | 17.3 |
| Drake Junior High School | 6-8 | 982 | 20.0 |
| Lincoln Charter Academy (charter) | PK-8 | 817 | 17.8 |
| Arvada High School | 9-12 | 722 | 18.1 |
| Oberon Middle School | 6-8 | 682 | 19.5 |
| Arvada K-8 | K-8 | 541 | 14.6 |
| West Woods Elementary School | K-5 | 523 | 18.0 |
| Meiklejohn Elementary | PK-5 | 518 | 18.5 |
| Sierra Elementary School | PK-5 | 486 | 18.0 |
Towns near Arvada
- Fairmount, CO3.1 mi · 9,324 people · home $827,600
- Wheat Ridge, CO4.9 mi · 32,398 people · home $623,000
- Westminster, CO5.7 mi · 116,317 people · home $532,400
- Applewood, CO6.1 mi · 7,833 people · home $785,900
- Shaw Heights, CO6.1 mi · 5,185 people · home $482,800
- Berkley, CO6.7 mi · 12,536 people · home $468,100
- Superior, CO6.8 mi · 13,094 people · home $903,900
- Golden, CO7.1 mi · 20,399 people · home $837,700
Arvada questions
Is Arvada, Colorado a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Arvada scores better for retirees than 30% of Colorado towns and quieter than 21%. 17.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 40.0).
How much does a house cost in Arvada?
The median owner-occupied home in Arvada is valued at $632,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $117,348, so homes cost about 5.4 times income. Median rent is $1,888 a month.
What is the weather like in Arvada?
July highs average 88.2°F and January lows 17.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 17.1 inches of precipitation a year and 54.8 inches of snow.
Does Arvada get tornadoes?
17 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Arvada since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on June 5, 1988. The typical Colorado town has had 11.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)