10 Reasons You Will Love Lakewood Homes

Whether you relocate across the country, or move across town, moving can cause stress. It’s important to have a trusted resource that can answer your questions honestly and tell you the scoop on the neighborhoods you want to consider for your new home. When it comes to Lakewood homes, you may know something about the area and you may even like it. Well, we’ve got ten reasons to love it, and we hope you’ll share our passion.

Historically, the town of Lakewood began in 1889 with a 13-block track just West of Denver. From 1889 until 1969, Lakewood had no municipal government and residents relied for services on the water district, fire districts, and the Jefferson County government. In 1969, the area of 90,000 residents incorporated as Jefferson City but later changed its name to Lakewood.

Today, Lakewood is one of Colorado’s home rule municipalities which self-govern under Article 20 of the Colorado state constitution, state statutes, and home rule charters.

Lakewood is the most populated municipality and the fifth most populated city in Colorado.

If you seek a neighborhood close to Denver, you will find Lakewood fits the bill since it lies immediately West of Denver in the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood statistical area.

Let’s talk geography for a minute. Lakewood lies in the Colorado Piedmont region and in the watershed of the Platt River along the western boundary of The Great Plains.

Several small tributaries run through the city and small lakes and reservoirs dot the city environs. Lakewood rises 5,518 feet above sea level and is about 73 miles from Colorado Springs.

According to the 2010 Census from the United States Census Bureau, Lakewood has total area just over 44 square miles, of which 1.18 square miles is water.

The median sales price. The median sales price for this area was $350,250 for the period September 29 – December 30, 2016. The median sales price reflects 428 homes sold in Lakewood during that same period. 

The market trends in Lakewood show a year-over-year change of around 9% in the median sales price. Meanwhile, the price per square foot came in at $242 which represents an increase of 11% over the previous year for the same period.

Type of available housing: Currently, these are the types of available housing on the Lakewood market: 251 apartments for rent;  392 single family homes; and 16 townhouses/condos. The apartments have from 1-4 bedrooms and cost ranges from $500 a month to more than $5,000 a month. Median rent is $1,800. Townhouses and condos for rent come in duplex and fourplex styles with 1-3 bedrooms. Some allow pets. Prices range from just under $1,000 to more than $3,000 per month.

Demographics.  As of 2015, there were about 66,000 housing units in Lakewood. Ranch style homes are very popular here but there are other styles available as well.

The city’s residents are predominately homeowners (68%) with a median age of 40.

A little less than half (45%) of Lakewood residents are college educated and the median income for your prospective new neighbors is $56,823. Gender of residents is almost evenly split between males (49.2%) and females (50.8%).

Married residents living with their spouses make up about 40% of the total population. Children under age 18 living with their families make up about 14.7% of the population. All households with children under age 18 make up 26.1% of the residential units. The percentage of single residents in Lakewood is 37%. Residents 65 and over make up 25.2%.

Non-family groups comprise 42.8% of households while single individuals living alone constitute 34% of households.

Educational level of residents. There are 104, 114 residents over age 25. Of those, 91.5% have a high school or higher education. Of that 91.5%, 23.4% are high school graduates, 23.6% have some college education, and 8% have an Associate Degree. The percentage of residents with a Bachelor’s Degree is 23.7%. Another 12.8% have a graduate degree.

Transportation: Most residents commute to work by car but Lakewood has a public transportation system. A system of bike paths and sidewalks make “green” travel routes to and from work.

The city also has a light rail system. Less than ten minutes from downtown Denver, residents can easily move in and out of Lakewood and connect with mass transit to traipse the world. To travel longer distances, residents can easily commute 30 minutes from Lakewood to Denver International Airport.

Speaking of commuting to work: Lakewood has approximately 149,650 residents and hosts more than 75,000 jobs in all employment sectors. The Federal Government is the largest employer with about 8,000 employees. Jefferson County R-1 School District employs 3,340 education employees; St. Anthony Medical Campus employs 2800 doctors, nurses, technicians and others in the medical field and Terumo BCT employs around 2300 employees in the medical device manufacturing field. Other large employers include the mining, manufacturing, renewable energy, IT/software and financial services sectors.

Top things to do in Lakewood. If you love outdoor activity, Lakewood has you covered.  Here’s a sample of outdoor activities in the area:

• Bear Creek Lake Park: $10 for a carload gives you a daily pass to hiking, kayaking, and biking on well-designed trails.
• William F. Hayden Green Mountain Park: If views of mountains are what you like, you can hike a fairly level trail around the base or adventure up the steep mountain trails.
• Kendrick Lake Park: With a great playground for kids and pretty waterways along a mile walk, your family will enjoy this day trip.
• Crown Hill Park: This is a great place for a power walk or a slow walk with the kids/grandkids. It has a lake, water birds, a 1.2 mile trail and beautiful views of the mountains all within walking distance of urban/suburban neighborhoods.
• Addenbrook Park: This is a great place to walk your dog because it is well-lit with lots of flat ground for you to easily walk and for puppy to sniff.
• Fox Hollow Golf Course: With three different 9-hole courses and good food and beer at the bar/restaurant, you’ll find your golf fix here while others in your group can go shopping.
• Scuba and Snorkeling: Rocky Mountain Diving Center will be your favorite haunt if scuba and snorkeling are your passion.
• Bear Creek Greenbelt: Great caretakers keep this green area clear of snow in the winter. Use it to get to work or to reach Bear Creek. The bike trails are well maintained and not prone to flooding. You can see lots of wildlife although your pup may not like the coyotes at sundown.

Indoor fun. No worries if indoor entertainment is more your thing. Here’s a sample of what you can find to tempt your inner child:

• Golden Puzzle Room, a room escape game
• Lakewood Cultural Center and the Edge Theatre Company if you like plays
• Spas to relax and spruce you up
• Shooting Ranges to keep yourself in practice
• Brewery visits at Great Frontier Brewing Company or the Caution: Brewing Company
• Game and entertainment centers: You can find your fill at Jumpstreet Indoor Trampoline Park, Hyperspace Arcade, or the Mall Jump.
• Carmody Recreation Center: A great year-round recreational facility with indoor and outdoor pools. The 1/16th mile track has carpet and there are lots of machines to work out those kinks.

Lakewood also has great shopping for those who are so inclined. Colorado Mills and four gift and specialty stores round out the shopping opportunities. Colorado Mills is a huge center with so many stores that you may need two days to see it all.

To talk more about this, or anything else, please contact me. Think of me as your resource for all things Lakewood, CO.