Aurora vs Castle Rock
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $469,100 in Aurora and $652,900 in Castle Rock.
- Households earn more in Castle Rock ($145,197 vs $88,368 median).
- Castle Rock gets far more snow: 58 inches a year vs 49.
- Castle Rock is growing faster: +14.6% since 2020 vs +6.2%.
Side by side
| Aurora, CO | Castle Rock, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 410,053 | 83,815 |
| Growth since 2020 | +6.2% | +14.6% |
| People per square mile | 2,499 | 2,412 |
| Median age | 35.3 | 36.5 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34% | 56% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $88,368 | $145,197 |
| Median home value | $469,100 | $652,900 |
| Home value to income | 5.3× | 4.5× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,835 | $2,000 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 105.8 | 105.8 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 146.9 | 146.9 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $79,300 | $79,300 |
| Homeowners | 62% | 79% |
| Top state income tax | 4.4% | 4.4% |
| Combined sales tax | 7.89% | 7.89% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 28.6 | 28.6 |
| Work from home | 17% | 29% |
| Take public transit | 3% | 0% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.9% | 4.4% |
| Poverty rate | 11.9% | 3.8% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 47° / 18° | 46° / 18° |
| July high / low | 90° / 59° | 86° / 56° |
| Precipitation per year | 15 in | 18 in |
| Snowfall per year | 49 in | 58 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 42 | 23 |
| Nights below freezing | 156 | 167 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 4 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 93.8 | 88.7 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 29% | 29% |
| Home prices, past year | -0.5% | -0.5% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +21.4% | +21.4% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Aurora: May to June and September. Castle Rock: June to September.
Full monthly tables: Aurora weather by month and Castle Rock weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $79,300 in Aurora and $79,300 in Castle Rock. Moving from Aurora to Castle Rock, you would need about $75,000 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Aurora and Castle Rock
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Aurora and Castle Rock.
Which would you pick?
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