4 Great Lakewood, CO, Neighborhoods to Live

When you think of Colorado living-–the music festivals, beautiful open spaces, and rising peaks–few exemplify the experience like Lakewood, Colorado. As the state’s fifth largest city, it has the right mix of almost everything. From its seat at the foot of the lush Front Range mountains, this Denver suburb has a beautiful backdrop in the distance but the full menu of amenities in town. Enjoy perks like platted master-planned suburbs, great schools, a college, abundant arts, and parks everywhere!

Are you moving to Lakewood? As you’re discovering through your research, people of all ages find something appealing about it. We’re here to help your home search with a brief overview of living in Lakewood and some neighborhoods to start your home hunt.

The Perks of Lakewood

Why would someone opt to move to Lakewood? The list could go on for a while, so let’s stick to a few highlights.

Access to Denver

It’s right beside the Colorado capital and the most populated city. Residents can drive or take the light rail into town whenever they want to catch a Broncos game, fly out of the airport, or catch a show at the Denver Center for Performing Arts complex.

Downright stunning

Not only do you have rolling hills inside of the community, but stunning Front Range views are your backdrop every single day. The 6,800 ft summit of Green Mountain inside Lakewood is capped by a 2,400-acre park!

The city makes the most of its natural beauty with 7,200 acres of open space! Bear Creek Lake Park is 2,624 acres alone. Explore nature with 240 miles of trails on foot, hoof, or wheel across Lakewood.

And, for a super cool experience, Lakewood is beside Dinosaur Ridge, where you can firsthand see ancient tracks and fossils exposed at this natural landmark.

Great schools

Good news, families! Lakewood is part of the Jefferson County R1 School District (or Jeffco Public Schools), which has high-performing schools. JeffCo offers school choice, meaning students can apply to a school they are not zoned for. Lakewood has five high schools within its limits: Lakewood, Alameda International Jr/Sr, Jefferson Jr/Sr High, Green Mountain, and Bear Creek.

Festive living

Do you like a good street fair packed with local vendors, food trucks, and activities for the kids? Besides the weekly Farmer’s Market, Lakewood hosts no shortage of street fairs and festivals. The Lakewood Heritage Center holds a rocking block party every year. Summer outdoor concerts bring live music and picnics at Fort Steilacoom Park. Get spooked at the popular fall haunted fest at Bear Creek Lake Park. Or check out the winter solstice celebration, earth day party, or SummerFest. On top of all that, the stunning and all-natural Red Rocks Amphitheatre is just outside the town. This one-of-a-kind venue is tops in the Denver metro for live music performances.

Winter is fun

Winter sports are incredibly easy to access from Lakewood. Not only does the town have an outdoor ice-skating rink, but it sees around 60 inches of snow each year. And people here don’t sit inside. Residents use that snow for snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and downhill skiing. The Echo Mountain Resort and Rocky Mountain National Park, are out the back door.

Extensive entertainment

Denver is cool, but you don’t have to fight the traffic to have fun. The 22-block Belmar District has over 80 retailers, restaurants, and entertainment options in the city center. Around the Central Plaza, Lakewood organizes events like outdoor concerts and an annual wine fest. And West Colfax Avenue, part of the nation’s longest commercial street, is packed with breweries, nightclubs, and shops.

Lakewood Cost of Living

Look, living in Colorado is more expensive than in many other states. Demand for the lifestyle is robust in Denver, and remember, Lakewood is one of its suburbs. Yes, the cost of living here is high.

Housing is the primary driver behind what makes Lakewood more expensive. In fact, finding a place to live will cost you about 86% above the national average. It’s even about 20% above the state average! But it’s not just housing; you will also pay more for transportation and miscellaneous costs. The only category that sees some cost savings are health and utilities.

If the price tag gives you sticker shock, just think of what you get in exchange for the cost of living. Few cities have the same access to arts, world-class music events, thousands of acres of parklands, and robust outdoor recreation amenities. Plus, there’s a strong job market, an international airport, and access to quality higher education.

Lakewood Real Estate

Generally speaking, real estate here tends to be competitive and strong, but things can change. A local real estate professional can give you the latest intelligence on how the housing market is moving.

One thing to know is that Lakewood residents were growing concerned about housing development in the city. Many have felt the building pace was out of control, so it passed an ordinance in 2019 that limited the amount of new residential construction inside the city limits.

The impacts of passing such a radical bill that puts the brakes on new housing, when markets nationwide are pinched with supply, are still playing out. Lakewood is part of Jefferson County, and from what we can see, its median sales price for single-family homes rose dramatically from January 2019 through January 2023. Sales prices here increased by over $200,000 in that time.

Data from April 2023 had the year-to-date median sales price as $650,000, which was actually a 7.1% decline from the prior year. New listings remained down, even though the days on the market were increasing year-over-year. Townhomes and condos had a median sales price of $400,000 as of the year-to-date. Jefferson County had a month’s supply of inventory.

Looking even closer at Lakewood, the May 2023 market had 371 homes for sale at a median list price of $550,000.

Lakewood has so many wonderful communities to explore, with over 20 neighborhoods to check out. The city divides the neighborhoods up as:

• North Lakewood: Applewood, Morse Park, NE Lakewood, Daniel Gardens, Denver West, Eiber, Two Creeks
• Central: Creighton, North Alameda, South Alameda, Belmar Park, Addenbrooke
• West: Foothills, Union Square, Federal Center, Glennon Heights, Rooney Valley, Green Mountain
• South: Kendrick Lake, Carmody, Lasley, Thraemoor, Bear Creek, Academy Park, Grant Ranch

So where can you start your home search? Here are a few popular communities.

Green Acres

Want country club living or as close to as you can get? Check out the Green Acres neighborhood! Located in North Lakewood, the Lakewood Country Club is just around the corner. It’s an award-winning course and one of the city’s oldest clubs.

Plus, Green Acres is near many amazing amenities, like Meadow Creek Tennis Club and Whitlock recreation center. Both of these will have you burning up a sweat either on the tennis courts or through the Pickleball courts. Residents are zoned for Molholm Elementary, Creighton Middle, and Lakewood High School.

Find charming 108 homes ranging from two-story to ranch styles and between 1,000-4,200 sq ft. Built primarily between 1937 and 1971, this neighborhood had a median price of $1.27M in May 2023.

Rooney Valley

This hidden gem is in the beautiful western outskirts of Lakewood. It spans over 2,200 acres of land, covering three different jurisdictions: the Town of Morrison, the City of Lakewood, and unincorporated Jefferson County. But over a century ago, it was all ranch land owned and operated by the Rooney family, who still own the nearby working Rooney Ranch. This history has earned the Rooney home a place on the National Register of Historic Places.

Rooney Valley is a must-see for those seeking an exciting new adventure. Its location in the southwestern region presents an incredible opportunity for outdoor recreation because of its proximity to parks, the foothills, and the Rocky Mountains.

New developments are focused on creating mixed-used areas and highly walkable neighborhoods to connect residents to the local amenities. A joint master plan envisions making the Valley a desirable place to live, work, and play.

Two Creeks

Discover the charm of the oldest neighborhood in Lakewood. Nestled in the city’s northeastern section, residents have easy connectivity to Denver and Lakewood thanks to four major transportation routes.

The community is beside the Lakewood Country Club and has two parks, including Surfside Spray Park, a popular place to cool the kids off in the summer.

Two Creeks break into several smaller neighborhoods: Mountair, Molholm, Green Acres, and St. Bernadette’s. Each has a unique character and personality. Some homes date to the 1920s, while others have clear craftsman designs or colonial revival. An overarching neighborhood organization oversees fun events like a holiday light contest.

Green Mountain Village

Green Mountain Village developed in the 1960s-1990s among the rolling Green Mountain foothills. Tucked between the city’s largest parks, Bear Creek and Green Mountain, and with no fewer than five community parks inside the neighborhood, residents have prime access to outdoor recreation.

To make life even more convenient, Hutchison School, Rooney Ranch, Devinny Elementary, Dunstan Middle, and Green Mountain High School are inside the neighborhood. Two grocers are off Alameda Parkway for easy access to essentials. For those in need of medical care, St. Anthony Hospital is only 2.5 miles away. It has medical care in a full range of specialties and services.

The homes sit on lots ranging from 7,500 sq ft to half an acre, with 2-4 car attached garages and some including walk-out space. Most sizes range from 1,000-3,500 square feet and are set up in all kinds of styles: two-story, bi-level, tri-level, multi-level, raised ranch, and ranch. May 2023 had 31 listings at a median price of $625,000.

Living in Lakewood

Overall, Lakewood, Colorado residents enjoy a high quality of life, combining the advantages of suburban living with the amenities and opportunities being so close to Denver. Its natural beauty, a strong sense of community, and recreational and cultural attractions make it an attractive place to call home. Why not check it out with a local real estate agent?