Castle Rock is a top Town

The numbers, facts, research and databases help tell the story residents live every day - Castle Rock is a great place to be. In fact, our Town ranks among the best both locally and nationally, according to a variety of national publications and studies.

Money Magazine: Top Place to Live

Money magazine recognized Castle Rock in its top places to live in 2011, 2012 and 2014. Most recently, Castle Rock ranked in the Top 10, coming in at No. 4.

Narrowing the list is difficult, of course, and Money Magazine set out to reduce the list to 10 from more than 780 cities with a population between 50,000 and 300,000 people. The magazine studied more than 50 factors, including the local economy, housing market, schools and healthcare.
 

American City and County: Best Small Cities

In early 2017, American City and County ranked the top 50 best small cities and towns in America. Castle Rock came in at No. 20.

The report analyzed 1,268 small U.S. cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000 and ranked them based on 30 indicators, such as economic health, quality of life, education and health, safety and affordability. 

Elite Personal Finance: Best Place to Raise a Family in Colorado

In fall 2017, Elite Personal Finance released a report ranking Castle Rock No. 27 on a list of best places to raise a family. The report highlighted Castle Rock's schools and two libraries and museum. 

​HomeSnacks: 10 Best Places To Live In Colorado For 2018

This study of 71 places in Colorado, released in July 2018, lists Castle Rock the No. 5 place to live in the State. Home values, income, population, unemployment, commute time, crime, education levels, health insurance coverage and poverty rates, as determined via U.S. Census and FBI crime data, were the criteria used in making the determination.

​HomeSnacks: 10 Best Places To Live In Colorado For 2019

For the second year in a row, this study has placed Castle Rock as the fifth best place to live in Colorado. Home values, income, population, unemployment, commute time, crime, education levels, health insurance coverage and poverty rates, via U.S. Census and FBI crime data, remain the criteria for ranking 71 Colorado cities.

National Council for Home Safety and Security: Safest City in Colorado

In early 2018, Castle Rock was named the eighth safest city in Colorado by this report, which uses the FBI Uniform Crime Report statistics, as well as population data and other research. 

NerdWallet: Top Place for Jobs, Families

Castle Rock was the top place in Colorado for job seekers in 2013, according to the website, which has been featured in the New York Times, TIME magazine and other national publications since its launch in 2010.

The site highlighted Castle Rock's 10.7 percent increase in the working-age population between 2009 and 2011. Also in 2013, NerdWallet named Castle Rock the fifth best place in Colorado for young families. The study looked at cost of living, education system and economic growth.

SafeHome.org: Safe City Ranking

In late 2017, SafeHome.org listed the safest cities in each state. Castle Rock ranked No. 5 in Colorado. 

The study used the FBI's latest report on type and frequency of crimes, crime trends, and other data points such as law enforcement ratio, demographics, population density, unemployment rate, income, education level and more. 

Wallet Hub: Best Place to raise a Family in Colorado

Castle Rock is a top place in Colorado to raise a family, according to this ranking, published in summer 2017. The Town came in at No. 8.

To determine this ranking, Wallet Hub analysts compared more than 60 Colorado cities across 21 key metrics such as school quality, high school graduation rates, violent crime rates, housing affordability, the unemployment rate, family income and divorce rate. View the full study.

Wallet Hub: Small City Ranking

Even though Castle Rock is growing, it is still considered small by some analysts, including those at Wallet Hub, who again in 2018 named Castle Rock one of the Best Small Cities in America. 

SafeWise: 20 Safest Cities in Colorado Report

Castle Rock is a safety community. According to SafeWise, Castle Rock ranked No. 12 in its 20 Safest Cities in Colorado Report.

The report reviewed the 2016 FBI crime report statistics and population data to develop the list. The evaluation was based on the number of reported violet crimes per 1,000 people in each city.