Denver/Compare
Union Station vs West Highland
Union Station and West Highland are two official statistical neighborhoods in Denver. West Highland is the calmer Part I map (74 vs 21). Union Station wins the errand count. West Highland has the lower ACS median ($1,905).
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 | Union Station | West Highland |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 21 | 74 |
| Schools | 0 | 71 |
| Walk | 93 | 23 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 100 | 27 |
| Median rent | $2,468 | $1,905 |
| Median home | $879,553 | $779,109 |
| Population | 9,950 | 10,346 |
| Commute to Downtown | 6 min | 12 min |
| Commute to Cherry Creek | 19 min | 23 min |
| Commute to Central Park | 20 min | 27 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Union Station | West Highland |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 75% | 44% |
| Median age | 39.2 | 34.5 |
| Median income | $119K | $126K |
| Part I per 1k | 75.9 | 35.3 |
| Groceries / 800m | 11 | 6 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 110 | 17 |
| Parks / 800m | 28 | 47 |
| 311 last 14 days | 4 | 5 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Denver city. Up 101% since 2014. LoDo is 35% above 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 Union Station if you want the cafes and the night and you want the errands on foot. Vibe is 100 vs 27. Walk is 93 vs 23. 6 vs 12 minutes to Downtown. 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 0. Safety is 74 vs 21. ACS median rent is $1,905 vs $2,468. Read both pages before you decide.
Union Station
Warehouses turned lofts around the train hall. Walk to everything, pay for it, and hear it at 2 a.m.
$2,468 median rent · safety 21 · walk 93
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, Union Station or West Highland?
West Highland is the lower ACS median: $2,468 vs $1,905. About 44% rent in West Highland vs 75% in Union Station. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Union Station more walkable than West Highland?
Union Station wins the errand count (walk 93 vs 23). Groceries inside 800 meters: 11 vs 6. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Union Station or West Highland?
West Highland is the calmer Part I read (74 vs 21). Combined rate 35.3 vs 75.9 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Union Station or West Highland?
West Highland leads the school axis (71 vs 0). Nearby rating is 8.0 / 10 vs 6.0 / 10. Median age 34.5 vs 39.2. Union Station has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
6 minutes from Union Station to Downtown, 12 from West Highland. Union Station is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official statistical neighborhood that is not Union Station or West Highland: Speer. Between downtown and the creek. Condos, the boulevard, and a short walk to Cherry Creek shops.
Scores are relative among official Denver statistical neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.