Central Business District: Denver’s Best Neighborhoods 2020

2019 rank: not on list

Surprised CBD—a fancy name for what most people call downtown—hasn’t made an appearance on this list before? In prior years, it didn’t have enough home sales to qualify, but that changed in a big way in 2019. CBD saw the second-highest growth in home prices, vaulting an area defined by new high-rises into the $700,000 range. Alternatively, it also has the second-highest crime rate (not surprising for an urban area), and its schools score doesn’t make the grade (we couldn’t help the pun). Of course, what really draws people here is the fact that there’s so much to do. From some of Denver’s biggest cultural venues to an improving dining scene to shopping at Denver Pavilions to easily accessible public transportation and bike lanes, CBD is where you live when you want to be in the center of the action.

Population

4,107

2021 average sale price

$746,867

New listings in 2021

320

Neighborhood Rankings

Real Estate Rank

2

Schools Score

2.9

Crime Rank

73

X Factor Score

8

How we got these numbers: We utilized the city’s official list of 78 neighborhoods (only 73 had enough data to be included), and ranked them using four variables: home prices, crime dataschool rankings, and an X factor score that accounts for things like access to open space, proximity to public transportation, and restaurant and shopping options. For more on our methodology, return to the main page.