Denver/Compare
Highland vs Speer
Highland and Speer are two official statistical neighborhoods in Denver. Speer is the calmer Part I map (47 vs 42). Speer wins the errand count. Speer has the lower ACS median ($1,903).
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 | Speer |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 42 | 47 |
| Schools | 50 | 43 |
| Walk | 19 | 42 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 30 | 48 |
| Median rent | $2,342 | $1,903 |
| Median home | $852,897 | $644,355 |
| Population | 11,206 | 12,947 |
| Commute to Downtown | 15 min | 11 min |
| Commute to Cherry Creek | 20 min | 14 min |
| Commute to Central Park | 30 min | 24 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Highland | Speer |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 64% | 71% |
| Median age | 33.4 | 33.3 |
| Median income | $131K | $101K |
| Part I per 1k | 56.6 | 49.1 |
| Groceries / 800m | 4 | 4 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 13 | 25 |
| Parks / 800m | 35 | 72 |
| 311 last 14 days | 6 | 1 |
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. Speer is 4% above 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 already want this pocket more than the table. Speer leads the numbered axes on this page.
Pick Speer if you want the errands on foot and you want the cafes and the night. Walk is 42 vs 19. Vibe is 48 vs 30. ACS median rent is $1,903 vs $2,342. 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
Speer
Between downtown and the creek. Condos, the boulevard, and a short walk to Cherry Creek shops.
$1,903 median rent · safety 47 · walk 42
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Highland or Speer?
Speer is the lower ACS median: $2,342 vs $1,903. About 71% rent in Speer vs 64% in Highland. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Highland more walkable than Speer?
Speer wins the errand count (walk 19 vs 42). Groceries inside 800 meters: 4 vs 4. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Highland or Speer?
Speer is the calmer Part I read (47 vs 42). Combined rate 49.1 vs 56.6 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Highland or Speer?
Highland leads the school axis (50 vs 43). Nearby rating is 7.4 / 10 vs 7.2 / 10. Median age 33.4 vs 33.3. Speer has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
15 minutes from Highland to Downtown, 11 from Speer. Speer is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official statistical neighborhood that is not Highland or Speer: 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.