Westword analyzed U.S. Census data, comparing each Denver zip code's 2023 median household income to determine which parts of the city are the richest (spoiler alert, it's surprisingly not Cherry Creek).
The city's wealthiest residents are spread throughout Denver, from large groupings downtown to the southern border below the University of Denver, to the northeast edge of Central Park and as far west as Lakeside. While they're in vastly different parts of the city, they have one thing in common: household incomes higher than the median $94,157 for Denver and $92,911 for Colorado.
Here are the top ten wealthiest zip codes in Denver, from tenth to first place:
10. 80290
Median household income: $101,110Kicking off the list is a weird one: This zip code covers just one city block of Denver's North Capitol Hill neighborhood, between Broadway and Lincoln Street, and 18th and 17th avenues. The block houses several offices, including the Secretary of State's Office and the Colorado Chamber of Commerce, but its notable wealth comes pretty much entirely from the Skyhouse Apartments. There are only 452 people registered as living in the zip code with an average of 1.3 people per household, aligning with the complex's 354 units.
9. 80220
Median household income: $101,961Primarily covering the Hale, Montclair and Hilltop neighborhoods, this zip code has the oldest population of wealthy areas on this list, with a median age of 38.1 years old. Its residents are mostly couples and small families, with 53 percent of households including married couples and the average household comprised of 2.1 people.
8. 80206
Median household income: $102,248Though Cherry Creek is colloquially considered one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Denver, its zip code only reached eighth place on this list. The zip code also covers Congress Park and part of Cheesman Park. While it didn't crack Denver's top five richest zip codes, it does boast the second most expensive home prices: The median value of owner-occupied housing units here is $892,200.
7. 80202
Median household income: $110,372This zip code is a black sheep on the list. The area covering the Central Business District and Union Station neighborhoods has a median household income about 20 percent higher than the state at large; however, 10.8 percent of its population lives below the poverty line — a poverty rate around 20 percent higher than the state. The zip code also has fewer families than the rest of this list, with 64 percent of households identifying as non-family, compared to just 21 percent of households statewide.
6. 80207
Median household income: $112,325Covering North Park Hill and part of the Park Hill and Central Park neighborhoods, this zip code is the most affordable on this list for home ownership: the median value of owner-occupied housing units is $661,900 (which is still a pretty penny compared to $502,200 statewide). The zip code is also noteworthy for having the least college-educated population: 60.7 percent of the adult residents have a bachelor's degree or higher, the smallest share on this list — but still higher than the state average of 44.7 percent.
5. 80211
Median household income: $117,685The youngest zip code on this list, the area has a median age of 33.8 years old and includes Sunnyside, Highland and other northwest neighborhoods. It holds the list's record for the smallest share of high school graduates, with only 92.4 percent of its residents having completed high school — slightly below the state's rate of 92.8 percent.
4. 80212
Median household income: $118,692This zip code encompasses the Sloan Lake and Berkeley neighborhoods, reaching slightly beyond Denver County and into Lakeside. It ranks second on the list for oldest population, with a median age of 37.8, and has the second-lowest college education rate, at 63.7 percent among adult residents.
3. 80209
Median household income: $118,759Covering the Washington Park and Belcaro neighborhoods, this zip code falls two spots short of the richest title, but it does secure first place for housing prices. The median value of owner-occupied housing units in the zip code is $971,500, the highest on the list. It also has the largest share of college-educated residents on this list, with 80.1 percent of adults in the zip code holding a bachelor's degree or higher.
2. 80210
Median household income: $120,156Despite landing so high on this list, the zip code has the second-highest poverty rate, beaten out only by 80202. Around 10.3 percent of the area's population lives below the poverty line, higher than 9.4 percent statewide. That could be attributed to the zip code's location; it stretches six square miles with the University of Denver at its center. But more than two-thirds of its adult residents already have college degrees and more than half of its households are married couples.
1. 80238
Median household income: $166,191The richest zip code award goes to the area housing the Central Park neighborhood, formerly known as Stapleton. The median income is just shy of 1.8 times higher than that of Denver County and the state. That is likely due to the area's abundance of duel-income households: 72 percent of households in the zip code consist of married couples and the area has 2.6 people per household on average — both record highs for this list. The zip code also boasts the lowest poverty rate on the list (4 percent) and the highest share of high school graduates (99.6 percent).
