Thinking about moving to Lakewood? Denver’s foothills-adjacent western neighbor, Lakewood offers strong value, big parks, quick mountain access, and the walkable Belmar district. This local guide covers the honest basics — cost of living, the best areas, getting around, and what locals wish they’d known — so you can plan your move with confidence.

Cost of living in Lakewood

Lakewood generally offers more space for your money than central Denver while keeping easy city and mountain access; central and Green Mountain areas vary in price.

Best areas in Lakewood

Belmar and central Lakewood for walkable, transit-close living; Green Mountain for homes with trail access; Applewood and the north near Golden; and Bear Valley and the south for family value. See our full guide to the best areas to live in Lakewood for more detail.

Getting around Lakewood

The W-Line light rail reaches Denver, and I-70 heads to the mountains; most residents keep a car for the spread-out layout and the foothills.

What to know before moving to Lakewood

It’s a value-and-outdoors focused suburb; weigh the commute and sprawl against foothills access, big parks, Red Rocks nearby, and the Belmar district.

Things to do once you arrive

Get a head start with our guide to the best things to do in Lakewood.

What Lakewood locals wish they’d known

The honest, current advice — which areas are worth it, the real commute, where to find community — comes from people who already made the move. On Neighborhood Nurturers’ Lakewood community, real Lakewood neighbors answer newcomers’ questions candidly. Join your Lakewood neighbors free before you move →

The Lakewood angle

Newcomers get up to speed fastest by learning the neighborhoods and where locals actually go. Half the fun of settling in in Lakewood is stringing it together with the places nearby. Bear Creek Lake Park is the landmark most people orient around, but neighbors will tell you the Belmar plaza and Crown Hill Park are where the town really shows its character, with Green Mountain (William F. Hayden Park) worth a look if you have the time. Use those as your reference points and this guide slots neatly into a day that feels like Lakewood, not a checklist.

Keep exploring Lakewood

If this was useful, these companion guides cover Lakewood from angles that pair naturally with it: Best neighborhoods in Lakewood, Cost of living in Lakewood, Things to do in Lakewood. Together they add up to a full weekend without leaving town.

Ask a Lakewood neighbor

The best tips never make the guidebooks — they come from neighbors who know which spot is worth it this week. That is what the Lakewood community on Neighborhood Nurturers is for. Ask Lakewood locals what they would do, or join free and get honest answers from people who actually know Lakewood.

The honest case for and against

For: foothills access from your doorstep, with Green Mountain and Bear Creek Lake Park inside the city and Golden, Red Rocks and the Jefferson County Open Space network fifteen to twenty-five minutes west. Denver is the same distance east. Schools are genuinely strong – Jeffco runs above the Colorado average in both maths and reading. Housing undercuts Denver proper, and the market has been softening rather than climbing.

Against: the cost of living runs about 35% above the national average; the crime rate is genuinely elevated at roughly 164% above national, overwhelmingly property crime; you will need two cars for two working adults; and outside Belmar there is essentially no walkability. Anyone selling you Lakewood without mentioning the crime figure or the car dependency is not being straight.

What it costs

⚠️ Home prices are quoted inconsistently, so use the range: median value $604,686, against a median price of $530,000 at roughly $279 per square foot, an average sale of $548,000 last month, down 5.6% year on year, and a three-month median of $570,000. Rent: median $1,705, average $1,904 for around 874 square feet.

★ Bear Creek is the value entry point, with an April 2026 median sale of $360,116 in condos and townhomes near the park. Our cost of living guide has the full picture.

Where to land

Belmar if walkability matters – it is the only part of Lakewood where you can live without driving for every errand, and you pay for it. Green Mountain for trail access from the door and lower reported crime. Bear Creek for value plus outdoor access, also with lower reported crime. The West Colfax corridor for the cheapest housing and the shortest run into Denver. Our neighbourhoods guide compares them.

The Colorado adjustment

★ Altitude is real. Lakewood sits above 5,000 feet. Expect a fortnight of feeling short of breath, drink far more water than you are used to, and be aware that sunburn happens through thin air even in winter. Alcohol also hits harder until you adjust – a genuine and frequently underestimated effect.

The seasons are not what you expect. Colorado gets some of its heaviest snow in March and April, well after newcomers assume winter has finished. Summer brings fast afternoon thunderstorms over the foothills that are dangerous on exposed trails. Autumn is the best season here and nobody warns you about that either.

The air is dry. Humidifiers, lip balm and moisturiser become normal purchases rather than optional ones.

Getting around

Lakewood is a driving city and you should plan on it – budget for two vehicles if there are two working adults. The W Line light rail runs through Lakewood into Denver and is genuinely useful for a downtown commute, which is worth checking against any address you are considering. ★ Drive your actual commute at rush hour before committing: the east-west corridors carry real traffic and the difference between the eastern and western sides of the city is substantial.

Your first month

Get a Colorado licence and register the vehicles. Set up utilities and expect seasonal swings at both ends of the year. Register with a doctor. Find your assigned school by exact address and check the Jeffco choice and option-school deadlines, which are early. Learn the trailhead parking rule – arrive early and leave nothing visible in the car, per our safety guide.

Then the enjoyable part: hike Green Mountain at sunset, eat green chile somewhere along Colfax, spend an evening at Belmar, and introduce yourself to the Lakewood neighbors.

Who Lakewood actually suits

Being direct, because this city sorts people fairly cleanly. It suits anyone whose life points west – hikers, cyclists, skiers, people who want a trailhead ten minutes from the door and the mountains within the hour – while still needing a realistic Denver commute. It suits families, given genuinely strong Jeffco schools and more space per dollar than the city. It suits anyone who wants Colorado without paying Boulder or central Denver prices.

It suits you less if you want walkability as a default rather than something you buy into at Belmar, if you would rather not run two cars, or if your ideal evening is a dense restaurant and bar scene on foot – Denver does that and Lakewood does not pretend to. The people who are happiest here chose it for the foothills and treat Denver as somewhere they drive to, and that framing is worth testing honestly against your own week before committing to an address.

The first winter

One practical warning for anyone arriving from a milder climate. Colorado winters are sunnier and drier than newcomers expect – genuine cold arrives in bursts rather than settling in – but the snow is heavier and later than most people plan for, with March and April frequently delivering the biggest storms of the season. Get proper tyres before December rather than after the first storm, keep a shovel and a scraper in the car, and understand that Lakewood clears main roads quickly while residential streets can stay packed for days.

Frequently asked questions

Is Lakewood cheaper than Denver?

Often, yes — Lakewood generally offers more space for your money than central Denver while keeping easy access to the city and the mountains.

What are the best areas to live in Lakewood?

Belmar and central Lakewood for walkable living; Green Mountain for trail access; Applewood and the north near Golden; and Bear Valley and the south for family value. See our best-areas guide.

Do you need a car in Lakewood?

Most residents keep one for the spread-out layout and the foothills, though the W-Line light rail reaches Denver.

Is Lakewood a good place to move near Denver?

Yes — for value, big parks, quick foothills and Red Rocks access, the walkable Belmar district, and light rail to Denver.