Castle Rock vs Highlands Ranch
Castle Rock, Colorado versus Highlands Ranch, Colorado: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Castle Rock and Highlands Ranch score about the same overall (50 vs 53 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Castle Rock | Highlands Ranch |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $136k | $148k |
| Cost of Living | $72k | $72k |
| Home Value | $578k | $637k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $3k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.56% | 0.52% |
| Income Tax | 4.40% | 4.40% |
| Sales Tax | 7.81% | 7.81% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 9.37% | 9.22% |
| Unemployment | 4.2% | 3.4% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 32°F | 32°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 74°F | 74°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 19.1 in | 18.2 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 57.5 in | 64.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 283 days | 283 days |
| Summer Humidity | 48°F | 48°F |
| Comfortable Days | 49 days | 50 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 39.5 | 24.7 |
| Air Quality | 44 AQI | 45 AQI |
| School Quality | 45.5 | 45.5 |
| Violent Crime | 321/100k | 472/100k |
| Property Crime | 1169/100k | 1355/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 74,065 | 101,514 |
| Median Age | 35.8 | 41.0 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.23 | 0.27 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.99 | 1.00 |
| Political Leaning | Even | Even |
| White (%) | 81.3% | 80.0% |
| Black (%) | 0.7% | 1.1% |
| Hispanic (%) | 10.7% | 9.0% |
| Asian (%) | 2.2% | 6.1% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.1% | 3.8% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 29 min | 25 min |
| Walkability | 7.3/20 | 10.7/20 |
| Airport Distance | 35 mi | 27 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 96.4% | 97.7% |
| Amenities Nearby | 21.87 | 34.87 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Good |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Castle Rock or Highlands Ranch more affordable?
- Highlands Ranch has the lower cost of living: its index is $72k, compared with Castle Rock's $72k and Highlands Ranch's $72k. Median rent is $2k in Castle Rock versus $2k in Highlands Ranch.
- Is Castle Rock or Highlands Ranch safer?
- Castle Rock has the lower violent crime rate. Castle Rock reports 321/100k and Highlands Ranch reports 472/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Castle Rock or Highlands Ranch?
- The median home value is $578k in Castle Rock and $637k in Highlands Ranch, so homes are more affordable in Castle Rock.