Highlands Ranch vs Littleton
Highlands Ranch, Colorado versus Littleton, Colorado: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Highlands Ranch and Littleton score about the same overall (53 vs 54 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Highlands Ranch | Littleton |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $148k | $90k |
| Cost of Living | $72k | $63k |
| Home Value | $637k | $552k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.52% | 0.50% |
| Income Tax | 4.40% | 4.40% |
| Sales Tax | 7.81% | 7.81% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 9.22% | 10.01% |
| Unemployment | 3.4% | 3.9% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 32°F | 32°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 74°F | 74°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 18.2 in | 18.6 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 64.0 in | 34.1 in |
| Sunny Days | 283 days | 283 days |
| Summer Humidity | 48°F | 48°F |
| Comfortable Days | 50 days | 48 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 24.7 | 35.3 |
| Air Quality | 45 AQI | 41 AQI |
| School Quality | 45.5 | 80.3 |
| Violent Crime | 472/100k | 879/100k |
| Property Crime | 1355/100k | 3273/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 101,514 | 45,531 |
| Median Age | 41.0 | 40.0 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.27 | 0.25 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.00 | 0.97 |
| Political Leaning | Even | D+19 |
| White (%) | 80.0% | 80.6% |
| Black (%) | 1.1% | 0.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 9.0% | 12.2% |
| Asian (%) | 6.1% | 2.5% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.8% | 3.7% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 25 min | 27 min |
| Walkability | 10.7/20 | 8.8/20 |
| Airport Distance | 27 mi | 27 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 97.7% | 92.7% |
| Amenities Nearby | 34.87 | 111.35 |
| 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 Highlands Ranch or Littleton more affordable?
- Littleton has the lower cost of living: its index is $63k, compared with Highlands Ranch's $72k and Littleton's $63k. Median rent is $2k in Highlands Ranch versus $2k in Littleton.
- Is Highlands Ranch or Littleton safer?
- Highlands Ranch has the lower violent crime rate. Highlands Ranch reports 472/100k and Littleton reports 879/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Highlands Ranch or Littleton?
- The median home value is $637k in Highlands Ranch and $552k in Littleton, so homes are more affordable in Littleton.