Denver/Compare
Sunnyside vs West Highland
Sunnyside and West Highland are two official statistical neighborhoods in Denver. West Highland is the calmer Part I map (74 vs 63). Walk is a wash (22 vs 23). Sunnyside has the lower ACS median ($1,761).
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 | Sunnyside | West Highland |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 63 | 74 |
| Schools | 43 | 71 |
| Walk | 22 | 23 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 24 | 27 |
| Median rent | $1,761 | $1,905 |
| Median home | $705,544 | $779,109 |
| Population | 10,044 | 10,346 |
| Commute to Downtown | 18 min | 12 min |
| Commute to Cherry Creek | 31 min | 23 min |
| Commute to Central Park | 28 min | 27 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Sunnyside | West Highland |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 40% | 44% |
| Median age | 35.7 | 34.5 |
| Median income | $106K | $126K |
| Part I per 1k | 37.1 | 35.3 |
| Groceries / 800m | 5 | 6 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 20 | 17 |
| Parks / 800m | 47 | 47 |
| 311 last 14 days | 10 | 5 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Denver city. Up 101% since 2014. Sunny is 4% below the 2024 city median. W High 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 Sunnyside if the rent gap is the point. ACS median rent is $1,761 vs $1,905. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick West Highland if the school rating nearby is the point and the quieter map matters more than the scene. Schools score 71 vs 43. Safety is 74 vs 63. 12 vs 18 minutes to Downtown. Read both pages before you decide.
Sunnyside
North of Highland, still west of I-25. Yards, a slower street, and downtown as a skyline not a neighbor.
$1,761 median rent · safety 63 · walk 22
West Highland
32nd Avenue shops, brick bungalows, and a calmer read of Highland. Family streets without leaving the northwest.
$1,905 median rent · safety 74 · walk 23
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Sunnyside or West Highland?
Sunnyside is the lower ACS median: $1,761 vs $1,905. About 40% rent in Sunnyside vs 44% in West Highland. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Sunnyside more walkable than West Highland?
Walk is basically a tie (22 vs 23). Count groceries if you care: 5 in Sunnyside vs 6 in West Highland, inside 800 meters.
Which is safer on this map, Sunnyside or West Highland?
West Highland is the calmer Part I read (74 vs 63). Combined rate 35.3 vs 37.1 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Sunnyside or West Highland?
West Highland leads the school axis (71 vs 43). Nearby rating is 8.0 / 10 vs 7.2 / 10. Median age 34.5 vs 35.7. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
18 minutes from Sunnyside to Downtown, 12 from West Highland. West Highland is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official statistical neighborhood that is not Sunnyside or West Highland: Berkeley. Tennyson Street cafes and a lake two blocks over. Northwest Denver at a residential pace.
Scores are relative among official Denver statistical neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.