What it's like to live in Wheat Ridge
Wheat Ridge is a small 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. Wheat Ridge deals with home prices well above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, and cold, harsh winters.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Highly educated workforce
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- High home prices
- Air quality concerns
- High rent burden for renters
- Cold, harsh winters
- Heavy snowfall — 76" per year
How Wheat Ridge compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Wheat Ridge
Based on Wheat Ridge's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,158
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $63,160 a year
- 50% of Wheat Ridge renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$124,600
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $62,300
- Homes cost 6.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 12% above US
$1,579/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,579 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices are steep, with a median around $623,000. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $623,000 · 50% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.3% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.3%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 19% below US
266 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 3915/100k · Wheat Ridge Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 10% below US
23 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.4 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 22% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 86°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 17°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 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 33% above US
48% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 48% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
9 public schools inside the boundary
There are 9 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Rocky Mountain National Park (51 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Wheat Ridge's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and a highly educated workforce; the main tradeoffs are home prices well above the national average and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($1,579/mo) equals 21% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (22% of workers here already work from home) and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Wheat Ridge
All Colorado guides →Moving to Fairmount →
4 mi away · pop. 9,902
Rent $2,679/mo · Income $163,600
Compare with Wheat Ridge →Moving to Arvada →
5 mi away · pop. 122,634
Rent $1,888/mo · Income $117,348
Compare with Wheat Ridge →Not sure Wheat Ridge is the one?
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