What it's like to live in Lone Tree
Lone Tree is a small city in Colorado with county unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, a highly educated workforce, and a growing population. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Lone Tree deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, crime rates above the national average, and cold winters.
The good
- Low unemployment in the county
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Highly educated workforce
- Growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Crime above national average
- Cold winters
- Heavy snowfall — 64" per year
How Lone Tree compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Lone Tree
Based on Lone Tree's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$4,278
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $85,560 a year
- 37% of Lone Tree renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$174,820
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $87,410
- Homes cost 7.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 51% above US
$2,139/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,139 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 $874,100. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $874,100 · 37% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.7% county unemployment
Unemployment in Douglas County is 3.7%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Douglas County (county-wide)
Safety▲ 47% above US
485 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 9813/100k · Lone Tree Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
26 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 25.7 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 6 in 10 workers drive to work; 32% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 84°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 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 98% above US
71% 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
4 public schools inside the boundary
There are 4 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. 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 (48 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Lone Tree's strongest points are county 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 ($2,139/mo) equals 21% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (32% 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 Lone Tree
All Colorado guides →Moving to Centennial →
4 mi away · pop. 108,201
Rent $2,148/mo · Income $131,928
Compare with Lone Tree →Moving to Castle Pines →
5 mi away · pop. 13,388
Rent $2,211/mo · Income $191,229
Compare with Lone Tree →Moving to Cherry Creek →
5 mi away · pop. 10,721
Rent $2,093/mo · Income $153,776
Compare with Lone Tree →Not sure Lone Tree is the one?
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