Denver/Compare
Highland vs Sloan Lake
Highland and Sloan Lake are two official statistical neighborhoods in Denver. Sloan Lake is the calmer Part I map (68 vs 42). Highland wins the errand count. Sloan Lake has the lower ACS median ($1,243).
Data vintage. ACS 2024 5-year · DPD Sep 2025 – Aug 2026 · OSM Aug 2026 · updated Sep 2026
Scores
Fit axes among official Denver statistical neighborhoods.
| Axis | Highland | Sloan Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 42 | 68 |
| Schools | 50 | 64 |
| Walk | 19 | 0 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 30 | 5 |
| Median rent | $2,342 | $1,243 |
| Median home | $852,897 | $855,483 |
| Population | 11,206 | 7,917 |
| Commute to Downtown | 15 min | 21 min |
| Commute to Cherry Creek | 20 min | 27 min |
| Commute to Central Park | 30 min | 37 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Highland | Sloan Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 64% | 43% |
| Median age | 33.4 | 36.9 |
| Median income | $131K | $135K |
| Part I per 1k | 56.6 | 35.9 |
| Groceries / 800m | 4 | 5 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 13 | 6 |
| Parks / 800m | 35 | 23 |
| 311 last 14 days | 6 | 3 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Denver city. Up 101% since 2014. LoHi is 28% above the 2024 city median. Sloan is 32% below the 2024 city median.
Overlapping 5-year ACS windows (B25064), not asking rent. Census does not publish a rent series for each official neighborhood, so the line is the city place. Dashed marks are each area’s ACS 2024 median.
Which to pick
The same numbers as the table, in sentences. Nobody wins the city.
Pick Highland if you want the cafes and the night and you want the errands on foot. Vibe is 30 vs 5. Walk is 19 vs 0. 15 vs 21 minutes to Downtown. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Sloan Lake if the rent gap is the point and the quieter map matters more than the scene. ACS median rent is $1,243 vs $2,342. Safety is 68 vs 42. Schools score 64 vs 50. Read both pages before you decide.
Highland
Tennyson-adjacent porches west of the Platte. Brunch density with a view back at downtown.
$2,342 median rent · safety 42 · walk 19
Sloan Lake
The lake is the amenity. Loop it at dusk, then walk home — bars are a neighborhood over.
$1,243 median rent · safety 68 · walk 0
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Highland or Sloan Lake?
Sloan Lake is the lower ACS median: $2,342 vs $1,243. About 43% rent in Sloan Lake vs 64% in Highland. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Highland more walkable than Sloan Lake?
Highland wins the errand count (walk 19 vs 0). Groceries inside 800 meters: 4 vs 5. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Highland or Sloan Lake?
Sloan Lake is the calmer Part I read (68 vs 42). Combined rate 35.9 vs 56.6 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Highland or Sloan Lake?
Sloan Lake leads the school axis (64 vs 50). Nearby rating is 7.8 / 10 vs 7.4 / 10. Median age 36.9 vs 33.4. Highland has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
15 minutes from Highland to Downtown, 21 from Sloan Lake. Highland is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official statistical neighborhood that is not Highland or Sloan Lake: Jefferson Park. New stacks on the edge of the Platte with downtown in the windshield. Smaller, newer, still central.
Scores are relative among official Denver statistical neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.