When most people think of Colorado, they think of fancy ski towns like Aspen and Vail, but there’s more to The Centennial State than double black diamonds and $175 lift tickets, there’s an entirely different cultural experience in Denver just waiting to be explored. But, to experience the best that the Mile High City has to offer, you need to live in the center of it all. To do this, we suggest you take a look at HomeSnacks’ list of the best neighborhoods in Denver for 2026.
Little did we know that when we first set out to calculate this it would be like an ‘Old Wild West’ shootout for the top neighborhood. Only one out of the top ten scored less than a 9/10 on our SnackAbility scale that measures things like jobs, affordability, safety, and amenities and that’s because Highland has a couple of safety issues that need addressed.
Safety, however, is not all that Denver’s best neighborhoods offer. Neighborhoods like the historic LoDo are filled with eclectic coffee houses and craft beer brewhouses. And, if you like shopping at a local farmers market, Golden Triangle has one of the best.
How do you get your hands on one of these Denver playgrounds for big and little kids alike? A neighborhood where the sun shines 300 days a year? You’re going to have to make at least $83,880/year and you’re going to need to keep reading.
$88,699 median income · $539,467 median home value
$94,202 median income · $1,002,100 median home value
$83,430 median income · $575,033 median home value
$88,369 median income · $555,882 median home value
$165,855 median income · $816,840 median home value
$83,929 median income · $418,600 median home value
$71,476 median income · $441,900 median home value
$133,998 median income · $782,740 median home value
$64,389 median income · $384,269 median home value
$126,734 median income · $538,212 median home value
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Colorado’s statewide median.
Colorado statewide median: $95,470
Colorado statewide median: $541,842
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we determined the best Denver, CO neighborhoods in 2026
To rank the best neighborhoods in Denver, we had to determine what criteria define “best” and then apply Saturday Night Science to it.
Using FBI crime, Census, and extrapolated BLS data, we arrived at the following set of criteria:
- High incomes
- Low unemployment rates
- Low crime
- High home prices
- High population densities (A proxy for things to do)
We then ranked each neighborhood with scores from 1 to 22 in each category, where 1 was the best.
Next, we averaged the rankings for each neighborhood to create a best neighborhood index.
And finally, we crowned the neighborhood with the lowest best neighborhood index, the “Best City Neighborhood In Denver.” We’re lookin’ at you, Jefferson Park.
Read on below to learn more about what it’s like to live in the best places Denver, Colorado has to offer. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the neighborhoods in the city, from best to worst.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best neighborhoods to live in Denver.
The full plate
Table: Best Denver neighborhoods for 2026
Click any column to sort. Search by neighborhood name.
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jefferson Park | 3,379 | $539,467 | $88,699 |
| 2 | Auraria | 858 | $1,002,100 | $94,202 |
| 3 | City Park | 3,355 | $575,033 | $83,430 |
| 4 | Five Points | 19,079 | $555,882 | $88,369 |
| 5 | Washington Park | 7,509 | $816,840 | $165,855 |
| 6 | Golden Triangle | 1,873 | $418,600 | $83,929 |
| 7 | Lodo | 8,519 | $441,900 | $71,476 |
| 8 | Cherry Creek | 6,954 | $782,740 | $133,998 |
| 9 | Capitol Hill | 15,881 | $384,269 | $64,389 |
| 10 | Stapleton | 25,262 | $538,212 | $126,734 |
| 11 | Central East Denver | 64,393 | $416,967 | $88,432 |
| 12 | Highland | 10,549 | $538,020 | $89,050 |
| 13 | Baker | 6,749 | $433,440 | $90,714 |
| 14 | University | 9,938 | $445,780 | $86,261 |
| 15 | Southeastern Denver | 123,683 | $277,859 | $64,624 |
| 16 | Southwestern Denver | 123,093 | $227,605 | $54,762 |
| 17 | Alamo Placita | 11,380 | $325,227 | $54,018 |
| 18 | Gateway-Green Valley Ranch | 35,927 | $222,990 | $68,544 |
| 19 | Park Hill | 28,587 | $366,040 | $82,311 |
| 20 | Northwestern Denver | 30,609 | $293,687 | $62,992 |
| 21 | Northern Denver | 25,549 | $226,148 | $53,074 |
| 22 | Central West Denver | 50,475 | $245,607 | $49,508 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. All 22 Denver neighborhoods.
Summary
Summary: Putting a bow on our analysis of the best neighborhoods in Denver
If you’re measuring the neighborhoods in Denver where crime is low and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.
The best neighborhoods in Denver are Jefferson Park, Auraria, City Park, Five Points, Washington Park, Golden Triangle, Lodo, Cherry Creek, Capitol Hill, and Stapleton.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Denver aren’t all good. Central West Denver takes the title of the worst neighborhood to live in Denver.
We ranked the neighborhoods from best to worst in the chart below. Not sold on Colorado? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Neighborhoods In Denver FAQs
What is the best neighborhood in Denver?
Jefferson Park is the best neighborhood in Denver for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. Auraria and City Park are next.
What are the best neighborhoods in Denver?
The best neighborhoods in Denver are Jefferson Park, Auraria, City Park, Five Points, Washington Park, Golden Triangle, Lodo, Cherry Creek, Capitol Hill, and Stapleton. We ranked all 22 neighborhoods in the city.
How expensive is Jefferson Park?
The median household income in Jefferson Park is $88,699 and the median home costs $539,467. The best blocks in Denver rarely come at a discount.
How do you rank Denver neighborhoods?
Each neighborhood is scored on income, home values, population density, unemployment, and crime, using Census tract data. The neighborhood with the best combined score, Jefferson Park, takes the top spot.
Which Denver neighborhood ranked last?
Central West Denver came in last of the 22 neighborhoods we scored. Every city has a bottom of the table; in Denver the numbers put it there.
