Median Income
$79,567
household / year
Median Home Value
$538,300
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$1,429
gross / month
Cost of Living
106
national avg = 100

Is Wheat Ridge, CO a Good Place to Live?

Wheat Ridge is a small city of 32,263 in Colorado, with a median household income of $79,567 and a 5.3% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 106 (US average = 100), which is 6% above the national average.

Strengths: Wheat Ridge stands out for solid school ratings (B), a well-educated population, short average commutes.

Trade-offs: Potential downsides include high home prices, a higher-than-average crime index, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Wheat Ridge is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Wheat Ridge city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.

Cost of Living

Index: 105.5

Wheat Ridge's overall cost of living index is 105.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Wheat Ridge costs roughly 6% more than the average American city.

Metric Wheat Ridge, CO National Avg
Median Home Value $538,300 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $1,429 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 52.3% 65.9%
Median Household Income $79,567 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Higher than Average

Wheat Ridge's violent crime rate is 480.8 per 100,000 residents — 27% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
480.8 /100k
Property Crime
4466.2 /100k

Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.

Schools & Education

Wheat Ridge is served primarily by Jefferson County School District No. R-1. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16.7:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).

Metric Wheat Ridge, CO National Avg
School District Jefferson County School District No. R-1 —
Elementary Schools 85 —
Middle Schools 19 —
High Schools 30 —
Student/Teacher Ratio 16.7:1 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 41.9% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 94.5% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Wheat Ridge sees average highs of 47.2°F in January and 88.2°F in July, with 17.5 inches of annual precipitation and 75.5 inches of snow per year.

MetricWheat Ridge, CO
Average High — January47.2°F
Average High — July88.2°F
Annual Precipitation17.5"
Annual Snowfall75.5"

Demographics

MetricWheat Ridge, CONational Avg
Population32,263—
Median Age41.938.9
Unemployment Rate5.3%3.7%
Avg Commute Time25.4 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)84.7%59.3%
Black or African American0.7%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino8.9%18.9%
Asian1.2%6.3%
Under 1815.6%22.2%
65 and over20.1%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Lakeside, CO 3 mi Mountain View, CO 3 mi Edgewater, CO 3 mi Fairmount, CO 4 mi Applewood, CO 4 mi

ZIP Codes in Wheat Ridge

Wheat Ridge, CO is covered by 1 ZIP code:

80033

Wheat Ridge vs Other Cities

Wheat Ridge, CO vs Lakeside, CO Wheat Ridge, CO vs Mountain View, CO Wheat Ridge, CO vs Edgewater, CO Wheat Ridge, CO vs Fairmount, CO Wheat Ridge, CO vs Applewood, CO

Frequently Asked Questions

Wheat Ridge's cost of living index is 106, where 100 is the national average. That puts Wheat Ridge roughly 6% above the national average in cost. The median home price is $538,300 and median rent is $1,429/month.
Wheat Ridge's violent crime rate is 480.8 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 4466.2 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
Public schools in Wheat Ridge are operated by Jefferson County School District No. R-1. The district has 85 elementary, 19 middle, and 30 high schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16.7:1. 41.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Wheat Ridge, CO has a population of 32,263, a median household income of $79,567, and an unemployment rate of 5.3%. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Wheat Ridge averages 47.2°F in January and 88.2°F in July. Annual rainfall is 17.5 inches with about 75.5 inches of snow per year. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
Wheat Ridge, CO is covered by 1 ZIP code: 80033.
The population of Wheat Ridge, Colorado is 32,263 with a median age of 41.9. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Wheat Ridge: cost of living index 106 (100 = US average), median home $538,300, median household income $79,567, crime index 161 (100 = US average, lower is safer), schools rated B. Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Wheat Ridge side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.