What it's like to live in Castle Rock
Castle Rock is a smaller city in Colorado with unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Castle Rock deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin.
The good
- Low unemployment
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Fast-growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Above-average commute times
- High rent burden for renters
- Cold winters
- Snowy winters — 58" per year
How Castle Rock compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Castle Rock
Based on Castle Rock's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$4,000
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $80,000 a year
- 59% of Castle Rock renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$130,580
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $65,290
- Homes cost 4.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 42% above US
$2,000/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,000 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $652,900. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $652,900 · 59% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 16% below US
3.6% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.6%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 91% below US
30 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 943/100k · Castle Rock Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 10% above US
29 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 28.6 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; 29% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 83°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 19°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 5.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 55% above US
56% 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
18 public schools inside the boundary
There are 18 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument (39 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Castle Rock's strongest points are unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($2,000/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (29% 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 Castle Rock
All Colorado guides →Moving to Castle Pines →
6 mi away · pop. 13,388
Rent $2,211/mo · Income $191,229
Compare with Castle Rock →Moving to The Pinery →
8 mi away · pop. 11,871
Rent $2,910/mo · Income $194,446
Compare with Castle Rock →Moving to Parker →
10 mi away · pop. 61,783
Rent $2,096/mo · Income $133,369
Compare with Castle Rock →Moving to Lone Tree →
11 mi away · pop. 14,147
Rent $2,139/mo · Income $123,741
Compare with Castle Rock →Not sure Castle Rock is the one?
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