86fit
#1Central Park
$2K ACS median rent
The former airport, rebuilt as a planned town. Parks everywhere, a drive to nightlife, schools in the weights.
- Walk index
- 100
- Safety index
- 32
- Published fit
- 86
Family streetsPlanned
Denver neighborhoods with median rent under $2,500
Every official Denver statistical neighborhoods whose ACS median rent still sits at or under $2,500. Then we rank what’s left. A median is not this week’s one-bedroom.
First we drop every official statistical neighborhood whose ACS median rent is over $2,500. Then we rank what is left like the walkable list. The cut is five years of survey mixed across unit sizes — not the one-bedroom in the window.
10 of 20
Data period. ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024) · DPD Sep 2025 – Aug 2026 · OSM Aug 2026. ACS and DPD retrieved 2026-08-31; OSM retrieved 2026-08-31. Editorial copy last revised Sep 2026.
The ranking
Top 10 of 20 official statistical neighborhoods. Same order for every reader. Fit is a number inside Denver only.
| # | Neighborhood | Fit | Rent | Schools | Safety | Walk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Central Park | 86 | $2,144 | 71 | 32 | 100 |
| 2 | Union Station | 75 | $2,468 | 0 | 21 | 93 |
| 3 | Five Points | 60 | $1,994 | 7 | 0 | 64 |
| 4 | South Park Hill | 59 | $1,625 | 89 | 95 | 32 |
| 5 | Speer | 55 | $1,903 | 43 | 47 | 42 |
| 6 | West Highland | 51 | $1,905 | 71 | 74 | 23 |
| 7 | North Capitol Hill | 49 | $1,742 | 7 | 16 | 55 |
| 8 | Washington Park | 48 | $2,311 | 100 | 100 | 7 |
| 9 | Baker | 47 | $1,841 | 36 | 11 | 49 |
| 10 | Sunnyside | 46 | $1,761 | 43 | 63 | 22 |
Stuck between these two? Central Park vs Union Station
75fit
#2Union Station
$2K ACS median rent
Warehouses turned lofts around the train hall. Walk to everything, pay for it, and hear it at 2 a.m.
- Walk index
- 93
- Safety index
- 21
- Published fit
- 75
NightlifePlanned
Stuck between these two? Union Station vs Five Points
60fit
#3Five Points
$2K ACS median rent
RiNo murals and breweries sit on the official Five Points map. Nightlife first, groceries second.
- Walk index
- 64
- Safety index
- 0
- Published fit
- 60
NightlifePlanned
Stuck between these two? Five Points vs South Park Hill
59fit
#4South Park Hill
$2K ACS median rent
Tree canopy, brick, and a slower east side. People search Park Hill; this is the official south slice.
- Walk index
- 32
- Safety index
- 95
- Published fit
- 59
Family streets
Stuck between these two? South Park Hill vs Speer
55fit
#5Speer
$2K ACS median rent
Between downtown and the creek. Condos, the boulevard, and a short walk to Cherry Creek shops.
- Walk index
- 42
- Safety index
- 47
- Published fit
- 55
Nightlife
Stuck between these two? Speer vs West Highland
51fit
#6West Highland
$2K ACS median rent
32nd Avenue shops, brick bungalows, and a calmer read of Highland. Family streets without leaving the northwest.
- Walk index
- 23
- Safety index
- 74
- Published fit
- 51
Family streets
Stuck between these two? West Highland vs North Capitol Hill
49fit
#7North Capitol Hill
$2K ACS median rent
Uptown restaurants between downtown and Cheesman. Walkable, rental-heavy, still in the grid.
- Walk index
- 55
- Safety index
- 16
- Published fit
- 49
Nightlife
Stuck between these two? North Capitol Hill vs Washington Park
48fit
#8Washington Park
$2K ACS median rent
The meadow is the brand. Run the loop, then a bungalow on a quiet grid. Safety and lawns lead the scores.
- Walk index
- 7
- Safety index
- 100
- Published fit
- 48
Family streetsWaterfront
Stuck between these two? Washington Park vs Baker
47fit
#9Baker
$2K ACS median rent
South Broadway antiques and bars, brick cottages behind them. Walkable south of Speer without Wash Park prices.
- Walk index
- 49
- Safety index
- 11
- Published fit
- 47
Nightlife
Stuck between these two? Baker vs Sunnyside
46fit
#10Sunnyside
$2K ACS median rent
North of Highland, still west of I-25. Yards, a slower street, and downtown as a skyline not a neighbor.
- Walk index
- 22
- Safety index
- 63
- Published fit
- 46
Family streets
Common questions
Same list, said in questions. The numbers are in the table.
What does this Denver ranking actually measure?
Who still has an ACS median rent at or under $2,500, then who walks better among those. It is not a list of apartments you can rent tonight.
Why is Central Park #1?
Central Park survives the $2,500 ACS cut at $2,144 and then ranks on walk (100 vs 93 in Union Station). Union Station is $2,468 — still under the line.
How is this different from the walkable list?
Same errand weights as the walkable list, then a hard cut at $2,500 ACS median rent. If the median is over the line, the area never shows up — even if it walks well.
Why isn't Platt Park on this list?
Platt Park never enters. ACS median rent is $2,663, over the $2,500 line, so the ranking never sees it. That line is a survey median, not this week’s asking rent.
Can I compare a Denver score to another city?
No. Hyde Park in Austin is not Hyde Park in Chicago. A 72 here is a rank inside this city’s official statistical neighborhoods, not a grade you can carry across a state line.
What does rent mean on this list?
ACS median gross rent among these 10 areas runs $1,625 to $2,468. Five-year survey, studios through large apartments mixed together — not a listing you can message tonight.
Everyone sees this order so the list is arguable. Set your own weights · Method.