What it's like to live in Arvada
Arvada is a mid-size city in Colorado with household incomes running above the national average, a highly educated workforce, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Arvada deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Highly educated workforce
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Air quality concerns
- High rent burden for renters
- Cold winters
- Snowy winters — 55" per year
How Arvada compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Arvada
Based on Arvada's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,776
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $75,520 a year
- 50% of Arvada renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$126,520
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $63,260
- Homes cost 5.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 34% above US
$1,888/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,888 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices are steep, with a median around $632,600. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $632,600 · 50% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
3.9% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.9%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
SafetyNear US average
307 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 2347/100k · Arvada Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
26 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 26.1 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 25% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 84°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 23°F and snow a regular occurrence. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 43% above US
52% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
29 public schools inside the boundary
There are 29 public schools inside the boundary and 5 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Rocky Mountain National Park (46 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Arvada's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and a highly educated workforce; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,888/mo) equals 19% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (25% of workers here already work from home) and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
Other places near Arvada
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