The Town FilesLakewood, Colorado
City in Jefferson County · population 155,984 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $574,400
- Household income
- $89,792
- Jan low / Jul high
- 21° / 86°
- Snow a year
- 58 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 18
- Median age
- 38.2
Lakewood is a city of 155,984 people in Jefferson County, Colorado. The median home is worth $574,400, above the typical Colorado town ($471,100). It ranks more walkable than 95% of Colorado towns, more vibrant than 95% of Colorado towns, better transit than 95% of Colorado towns.
How Lakewood 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 Lakewood is worth $574,400, above the typical Colorado town ($471,100). Homes cost about 6.4 times the median household income of $89,792, which is more affordable than 23% of Colorado towns. Median rent is $1,806 a month. 58.1% of households own their home.
| Housing | Lakewood | Typical Colorado town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $574,400 | $471,100 |
| Median rent | $1,806 | $1,582 |
| Median household income | $89,792 | $86,246 |
| Home value ÷ income | 6.4× | 5.1× |
| Homeownership | 58.1% | 72.7% |
| Median year built | 1977 | 1982 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.3% | — |
Who lives in Lakewood
| People | Lakewood | Typical Colorado town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.2 | 40.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 17.9% | 16.9% |
| Under 18 | 16.3% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 45.3% | 37.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 9.2% | 8.8% |
| Veterans | 6.4% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 8.0% | — |
| Work from home | 23.4% | 15.3% |
| Average commute | 25.5 min | 24.2 min |
| Homes with broadband | 93.2% | 92.9% |
Weather in Lakewood
July highs average 85.9°F and January lows 21.1°F. About 17.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 58.0 inches of snow (typical Colorado town: 47.4 in). Expect about 31 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 154 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
18 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lakewood since 1950, compared with 11 for the typical Colorado town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on June 3, 1981 about 3.9 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 9, 2004.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 411 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on June 19, 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 Lakewood itself the ACS puts it at 4.5%.
Public schools in Lakewood
39 public schools with 18,114 students, about 16.0 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakewood High School | 9-12 | 1,798 | 18.9 |
| Bear Creek High School | 9-12 | 1,405 | 18.7 |
| Green Mountain High School | 9-12 | 1,081 | 19.7 |
| Alameda International Junior/Senior High School | 7-12 | 1,027 | 15.8 |
| Bear Creek K-8 School | K-8 | 925 | 18.5 |
| Dunstan Middle School | 6-8 | 790 | 18.4 |
| Creighton Middle School | 6-8 | 778 | 16.9 |
| Addenbrooke Classical Grammar School (charter) | PK-8 | 760 | 17.7 |
| Manning Options School | 6-8 | 685 | 22.1 |
| Dennison Elementary School | K-6 | 575 | 20.5 |
| Carmody Middle School | 6-8 | 562 | 16.5 |
| Lasley Elementary School | K-6 | 529 | 13.6 |
Towns near Lakewood
- West Pleasant View, CO4.0 mi · 4,327 people · home $489,400
- Applewood, CO4.5 mi · 7,833 people · home $785,900
- Edgewater, CO4.6 mi · 5,005 people · home $636,900
- Wheat Ridge, CO5.1 mi · 32,398 people · home $623,000
- Dakota Ridge, CO5.6 mi · 33,892 people · home $604,600
- Golden, CO5.8 mi · 20,399 people · home $837,700
- Sheridan, CO6.4 mi · 6,105 people · home $380,600
- Fairmount, CO7.1 mi · 9,324 people · home $827,600
Lakewood questions
Is Lakewood, Colorado a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Lakewood scores better for retirees than 23% of Colorado towns and quieter than 14%. 17.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 38.2).
How much does a house cost in Lakewood?
The median owner-occupied home in Lakewood is valued at $574,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $89,792, so homes cost about 6.4 times income. Median rent is $1,806 a month.
What is the weather like in Lakewood?
July highs average 85.9°F and January lows 21.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 17.5 inches of precipitation a year and 58.0 inches of snow.
Does Lakewood get tornadoes?
18 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lakewood since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on June 3, 1981. 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)