COVID-19 Cases by Denver Neighborhood Spike

Mayor Michael Hancock acknowledged troubling spikes in Denver's COVID-19 cases during a September 24 press conference, with many of the increases tied to college students and others under the age of 25. But this rise isn't happening only in a few places; increases are being registered in neighborhoods across Denver, the majority of which have seen marked upswings since last month.

One of the most extreme examples can be found in the neighborhood around the University of Denver. During the week of August 2-8, there were no new COVID-19 diagnoses among residents of that area — but from September 13-19, Denver Public Health counted 41.

Early on, DPH's Denver COVID-19 Data Summary page tracked neighborhoods historically, mapping information about total cases for each area since the start of the pandemic. That continues to be the approach for most other city data sets, including overall cases, which stand at 12,825, and deaths, 440, through September 19, the most recent date available; those numbers reflect 2,303 more cases and 14 more deaths since the August 2-8 data in our previous neighborhood breakdown. But over the summer, DPH switched to a snapshot format that showed positives cases for a single week.

The contrast between August 2-8 and September 13-19 is striking. During that week in August, eighteen neighborhoods registered no positive cases; during September 13-19, that figure dropped to ten. In those August stats, just one neighborhood scored a case rate for resident infections above 1 percent: DIA, at 1.2. In the most recent September stats, eight neighborhoods boasted case rates over 1 percent, topped by University Park's whopping 4.3. In August, nine neighborhoods reported at least five new COVID-19 cases or more; in September, 23 neighborhoods did.

Not every neighborhood saw a case bump; a few dipped slightly. But many more climbed in terms of either raw numbers or case rates — sometimes by a lot. For instance, Union Station shifted from fewer than five new cases reported that week in August to thirteen in September, and Regis jumped from zero in August to fifteen in September.

Here are the stats for Denver neighborhoods from September 13 to September 19, along with comparisons with August figures, listed in ascending order of case rates.

Auraria
Total Cases 0 (same on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0 (same on August 2-8)

Overland
Total Cases 0 (same on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0 (same on August 2-8)

CBD (Central Business District)
Total Cases 0 (same on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0 (same on August 2-8)

Cherry Creek
Total Cases 0 (< 5 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0 (0.1 on August 2-8)

Cory-Merrill
Total Cases 0 (< 5 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0 (0.2 on August 2-8)

Sloan's Lake
Total Cases 0 (< 5 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0 (0.1 on August 2-8)

Skyland
Total Cases 0 (< 5 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0 (0.3 on August 2-8)

Belcaro
Total Cases 0 (< 5 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0 (0.2 on August 2-8)

DIA
Total Cases 0 (< 5 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0 (1.2 on August 2-8)

Chaffee Park
Total Cases 0 (< 5 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0 (0.2 on August 2-8)

North Capitol Hill
Total Cases < 5 (0 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.1 (0 on August 2-8)

Hale
Total Cases < 5 (0 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.1 (0 on August 2-8)

Elyria-Swansea
Total Cases < 5 (same on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.1 (0.6 on August 2-8)

Central Park (formerly Stapleton)
Total Cases < 5 (6 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.1 (0.2 on August 2-8)

Berkeley
Total Cases < 5 (same on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.1 (0.2 on August 2-8)

Washington Park West
Total Cases < 5 (same on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.1 (0.4 on August 2-8)

Hampden South
Total Cases < 5 (same on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.2 (0.1 on August 2-8)

Hilltop
Total Cases < 5 (same on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.2 (0.1 on August 2-8)

Goldsmith
Total Cases < 5 (0 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.2 (0 on August 2-8)

University Hills
Total Cases < 5 (0 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.2 (0 on August 2-8)

Fort Logan
Total Cases < 5 (same on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.2 (0.1 on August 2-8)

West Highland
Total Cases < 5 (same on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.2 (same on August 2-8)

Marston
Total Cases < 5 (same on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.2 (0.3 on August 2-8)

Clayton
Total Cases < 5 (0 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.2 (0 on August 2-8)

Washington Virginia Vale
Total Cases 5 (6 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.3 (0.4 on August 2-8)

Athmar Park
Total Cases < 5 (same on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.3 (0.4 on August 2-8)

Jefferson Park
Total Cases < 5 (same on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.3 (same on August 2-8)

Virginia Village
Total Cases < 5 (same on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.3 (same on August 2-8)

South Park Hill
Total Cases < 5 (same on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.3 (0.2 on August 2-8)

Windsor
Total Cases < 5 (same on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.3 (0.1 on August 2-8)

Hampden
Total Cases 6 (< 5 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.3 (0.2 on August 2-8)

Wellshire
Total Cases < 5 (0 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.3 (0.0 on August 2-8)

Cheesman Park
Total Cases < 5 (same on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.3 (same on August 2-8)

Harvey Park South
Total Cases < 5 (same on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.3 (same on August 2-8)

Bear Valley
Total Cases < 5 (same on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.4 (0.3 on August 2-8)

Northeast Park Hill
Total Cases < 5 (same on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.4 (0.2 on August 2-8)

West Colfax
Total Cases 6 (< 5 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.4 (0.1 on August 2-8)

Cole
Total Cases , 5 (0 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.4 (0.0 on August 2-8)

Lowry Field
Total Cases < 5 (same on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.4 (0.3 on August 2-8)

Washington Park
Total Cases < 5 (0 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.4 (0 on August 2-8)

Sunnyside
Total Cases 5 (6 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.4 (0.5 on August 2-8)

Whittier
Total Cases < 5 (0 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.4 (0 on August 2-8)

Congress Park
Total Cases 5 (< 5 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.4 (0.1 on August 2-8)

Platt Park
Total Cases < 5 (same on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.4 (0.1 on August 2-8)

Kennedy
Total Cases < 5 (same on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.4 (0.2 on August 2-8)

Southmoor Park
Total Cases < 5 (0 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.5 (0 on August 2-8)

Gateway/Green Valley Ranch
Total Cases 23 (19 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.5 (0.4 on August 2-8)

Montbello
Total Cases 21 (16 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.6 (0.5 on August 2-8)

Mar Lee
Total Cases 8 (5 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.6 (0.4 on August 2-8)

Capitol Hill
Total Cases 10 (< 5 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.6 (0.1 on August 2-8)

Ruby Hill
Total Cases 7 (6 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.6 (0.5 on August 2-8)

Westwood
Total Cases 10 (11 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.6 (same on August 2-8)

City Park
Total Cases < 5 (same on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.6 (same on August 2-8)

Country Club
Total Cases < 5 (0 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.6 (0.0 on August 2-8)

Indian Creek
Total Cases < 5 (0 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.6 (0 on August 2-8)

Montclair
Total Cases < 5 (same on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.6 (0.2 on August 2-8)

Speer
Total Cases 8 (< 5 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.6 (0.2 on August 2-8)

Barnum
Total Cases < 5 (same on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.6 (0.3 on August 2-8)

Five Points
Total Cases 14 (11 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.6 (0.5 on August 2-8)

Barnum West
Total Cases < 5 (same on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.7 (0.5 on August 2-8)

City Park West
Total Cases < 5 (same on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.7 (0.3 on August 2-8)

Villa Park
Total Cases 7 (< 5 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.7 (0.3 on August 2-8)

College View/South Platte
Total Cases < 5 (same on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.7 (0.3 (0.9 on August 2-8)

Highland
Total Cases 9 (< 5 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.7 (0.2 on August 2-8)

North Park Hill
Total Cases 7 (< 5 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.7 (0.1 on August 2-8)

Rosedale
Total Cases < 5 (0 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.7 (0 on August 2-8)

Harvey Park
Total Cases 10 (7 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.8 (0.6 on August 2-8)

East Colfax
Total Cases 9 (< 5 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.8 (0.4 on August 2-8)

Baker
Total Cases 5 (< 5 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.8 (0.3 on August 2-8)

Valverde
Total Cases < 5 (same on August 2-8)
Case Rate 0.9 (0.7 on August 2-8)

Civic Center
Total Cases < 5 (same on August 2-8)
Case Rate 1.1 (0.4 on August 2-8)

Union Station
Total Cases 13 (< 5 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 1.3 (0.3 on August 2-8)

Lincoln Park
Total Cases 5 (< 5 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 1.4 (0.8 on August 2-8)

Globeville
Total Cases 8 (< 5 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 1.9 (0.5 on August 2-8)

Sun Valley
Total Cases < 5 (same on August 2-8)
Case Rate 2.7 (0.7 on August 2-8)

Regis
Total Cases 15 (0 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 3.4 (0 on August 2-8)

University
Total Cases 41 (0 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 4.1 (0 on August 2-8)

University Park
Total Cases 42 (< 5 on August 2-8)
Case Rate 4.3 (0.3 on August 2-8)