AdvisorSmith researched the safest cities and towns in the state of Colorado using crime data published by the FBI. Data on crimes committed in 2018 was released by the FBI in September 2019, and we analyzed this data set to calculate a proprietary crime score. This score weights different crimes such as theft, assault, and robbery based upon their severity, with higher weights assigned to more serious crimes such as murder and rape.
In this study, we examined and segmented cities in Colorado by population. Cities with less than 10,000 residents were compared, and we labeled these communities “towns.” Additionally, midsize cities were those that had between 10,000 and 100,000 residents. The largest cities in Colorado, which all had over 100,000 residents each, were also compared. In total, our study ranked 83 Colorado towns, 34 midsize cities, and 11 large cities.
Read on to discover the safest towns, midsize cities, and large cities in the state of Colorado:
Safest Large Cities in Colorado
Below is a ranking of the 11 largest cities in Colorado by their AdvisorSmith crime score. These cities all have populations over 100,000 residents, and the average crime score among them was 75. The crime score in these 11 cities ranged from a low of 34 to a high of 131.
The safest large city in Colorado was Centennial, which is a suburb of the Denver metropolitan area in the southern part of the region. Centennial was formed as an incorporated city only in 2001, and the city is located along I-25. The city has numerous open spaces which include recreational trails and parks.
Pueblo, Colorado, located south of Colorado Springs along I-25, was the large city in Colorado with the most crime, having roughly four times as much crime as Centennial, the safest large city. Pueblo is a center for renewable energy, hosting the world’s largest wind turbine tower manufacturing plant, operated by Vestas. It is also host to the largest solar energy farm east of the Rockies, which is currently under construction.
| Rank | City | Violent Crimes per 1,000 Residents | Property Crimes per 1,000 Residents | Crime Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Centennial | 1.9 | 18.1 | 33.9 |
| 2 | Fort Collins | 2.3 | 22.0 | 42.9 |
| 3 | Arvada | 2.3 | 30.4 | 49.9 |
| 4 | Boulder | 2.6 | 34.0 | 57.0 |
| 5 | Greeley | 4.0 | 25.6 | 61.5 |
| 6 | Thornton | 2.8 | 34.1 | 65.6 |
| 7 | Colorado Springs | 5.7 | 34.2 | 78.7 |
| 8 | Denver | 7.3 | 37.1 | 94.0 |
| 9 | Lakewood | 6.5 | 49.8 | 104.0 |
| 10 | Aurora | 8.4 | 34.3 | 105.0 |
| 11 | Pueblo | 9.8 | 56.0 | 130.6 |
Safest Midsize Cities in Colorado
Midsize cities, with populations between 10,000, and 100,000 are ranked in the table below. A total of 34 midsize cities were analyzed, and we calculated a crime score for each city. The average crime score among midsize cities in Colorado was 57, with a range from as low as 6, to as high as 103.
In Colorado, the city of Frederick was the safest midsize city as well as the safest city statewide. Frederick is a city that straddles I-25 north of the Denver metropolitan area. The city is at the center of the Carbon Valley area, and offers spectacular views of the Rocky Mountains, along with numerous parks and open spaces.
| Rank | City | Violent Crimes per 1,000 Residents | Property Crimes per 1,000 Residents | Crime Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frederick | 0.3 | 1.1 | 6 |
| 2 | Windsor | 0.3 | 8.6 | 13.6 |
| 3 | Louisville | 0.7 | 12.5 | 20.3 |
| 4 | Firestone | 1.2 | 8.7 | 21.4 |
| 5 | Johnstown | 0.6 | 15 | 23.1 |
| 6 | Castle Rock | 0.6 | 15.1 | 23.3 |
| 7 | Parker | 1 | 14.1 | 24.9 |
| 8 | Fruita | 2.1 | 16.2 | 34.8 |
| 9 | Erie | 1.8 | 18.2 | 36.1 |
| 10 | Broomfield | 1.2 | 24.6 | 36.6 |
| 11 | Steamboat Springs | 1.1 | 20.2 | 38.2 |
| 12 | Golden | 2.1 | 25.8 | 45.3 |
| 13 | Littleton | 0.9 | 34.1 | 45.3 |
| 14 | Lafayette | 2.1 | 24.6 | 45.7 |
| 15 | Loveland | 2.6 | 22.4 | 47 |
| 16 | Fountain | 3.9 | 21 | 54 |
| 17 | Evans | 4.4 | 20.6 | 56.1 |
| 18 | Wheat Ridge | 2.5 | 33.4 | 57.4 |
| 19 | Brighton | 3.3 | 30 | 59.5 |
| 20 | Fort Morgan | 3.4 | 26.7 | 63.6 |
| 21 | Longmont | 4.4 | 27.2 | 66.7 |
| 22 | Durango | 2.7 | 35.5 | 67.2 |
| 23 | Northglenn | 4.6 | 35 | 74.4 |
| 24 | Montrose | 3.2 | 46.4 | 79.5 |
| 25 | Commerce City | 6.6 | 31.9 | 82.2 |
| 26 | Grand Junction | 4.3 | 43.8 | 82.9 |
| 27 | Englewood | 2.5 | 61.2 | 87.7 |
| 28 | Greenwood Village | 5.9 | 45.8 | 88.9 |
| 29 | Glenwood Springs | 3.5 | 47.2 | 89.3 |
| 30 | Sterling | 6.6 | 35.5 | 92.7 |
| 31 | Westminster | 4.6 | 52.9 | 92.8 |
| 32 | Lone Tree | 3.1 | 72.5 | 95.5 |
| 33 | Federal Heights | 6.8 | 43.4 | 95.8 |
| 34 | Canon City | 5.5 | 46.3 | 103.3 |
Safest Towns in Colorado
The table below shows the safest towns in Colorado, ranked by AdvisorSmith’s crime score, which represents the number of violent and property crimes committed in the city. This ranking includes cities and towns that have populations of under 10,000 residents. 83 Colorado towns and cities were included in this table.
The average crime score in Colorado towns was 48, while the median score was 34. Crime rates varied widely, with the crime score ranging from 10 to 227. The safest town in Colorado was Wray, Colorado, located in the eastern part of the state near the Nebraska and Kansas border. The town serves as the county seat of Yuma County.
| Rank | City | Violent Crimes per 1,000 Residents | Property Crimes per 1,000 Residents | Crime Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wray | 0.4 | 0.4 | 9.6 |
| 2 | Olathe | 0 | 4.4 | 10.3 |
| 3 | Milliken | 0.4 | 4.8 | 10.4 |
| 4 | Cherry Hills Village | 0.1 | 10.7 | 11.7 |
| 5 | Ault | 0 | 0 | 12.6 |
| 6 | Snowmass Village | 0 | 7.2 | 14.1 |
| 7 | Fort Lupton | 0.5 | 9.4 | 14.9 |
| 8 | Haxtun | 0 | 7.7 | 15.1 |
| 9 | Silt | 0.6 | 9.8 | 16.2 |
| 10 | Rangely | 0.9 | 1.3 | 17.4 |
| 11 | Buena Vista | 0 | 14.1 | 17.9 |
| 12 | Granby | 0 | 12.8 | 18.2 |
| 13 | Basalt | 0.9 | 10.2 | 18.5 |
| 14 | Yuma | 0.9 | 3.7 | 18.8 |
| 15 | Eaton | 0.9 | 7.1 | 19 |
| 16 | Holyoke | 0.9 | 8.2 | 19.1 |
| 17 | Platteville | 0.5 | 12.3 | 19.3 |
| 18 | Mountain Village | 0 | 14.9 | 19.6 |
| 19 | Hayden | 0.5 | 12.3 | 20.1 |
| 20 | Gypsum | 1.5 | 3.7 | 20.3 |
| 21 | Carbondale | 1.2 | 8.3 | 20.9 |
| 22 | Fowler | 0.9 | 6.2 | 21.1 |
| 23 | Bow Mar | 0 | 13.3 | 22.8 |
| 24 | Manitou Springs | 1.9 | 10.6 | 26.4 |
| 25 | Florence | 1.3 | 15.1 | 26.5 |
| 26 | Limon | 2.1 | 2.1 | 26.6 |
| 27 | Bayfield | 1.5 | 11.3 | 26.7 |
| 28 | La Salle | 1.3 | 15.9 | 26.8 |
| 29 | Estes Park | 2.2 | 8.6 | 27.5 |
| 30 | Dacono | 1.2 | 11.4 | 29.4 |
| 31 | Meeker | 1.3 | 11.4 | 29.5 |
| 32 | Salida | 0.8 | 20.3 | 29.6 |
| 33 | Leadville | 1.4 | 10.8 | 30.2 |
| 34 | Brush | 1.1 | 15.7 | 30.3 |
| 35 | Timnath | 0.2 | 25.9 | 30.7 |
| 36 | Springfield | 2.2 | 5.9 | 30.9 |
| 37 | Hugo | 0 | 10.7 | 32.2 |
| 38 | Ouray | 0 | 13.8 | 32.5 |
| 39 | New Castle | 2.3 | 8 | 32.5 |
| 40 | Crested Butte | 1.2 | 6.6 | 33.1 |
| 41 | Log Lane Village | 0 | 11.5 | 33.6 |
| 42 | Telluride | 1.2 | 21.6 | 34.6 |
| 43 | Del Norte | 0.6 | 23 | 34.9 |
| 44 | Mount Crested Butte | 0 | 14.1 | 36.1 |
| 45 | Eagle | 3.6 | 12.1 | 38.3 |
| 46 | Severance | 3.6 | 8.1 | 38.5 |
| 47 | Nederland | 0.6 | 14.2 | 39.3 |
| 48 | Woodland Park | 1.9 | 18.5 | 39.4 |
| 49 | Silverthorne | 1 | 26.6 | 41.3 |
| 50 | Calhan | 2.4 | 8.4 | 43.1 |
| 51 | Burlington | 2.6 | 20.3 | 43.8 |
| 52 | Palisade | 3.7 | 11.9 | 48.3 |
| 53 | Mountain View | 0 | 38.8 | 48.4 |
| 54 | Elizabeth | 3.5 | 14.1 | 48.7 |
| 55 | Gunnison | 3 | 20.1 | 56 |
| 56 | Center | 4.8 | 22.1 | 56.1 |
| 57 | Fraser/Winter Park | 0.9 | 38.8 | 57.8 |
| 58 | Cortez | 3 | 27.4 | 58.9 |
| 59 | Oak Creek | 3.2 | 21.4 | 59.6 |
| 60 | Aspen | 1.6 | 38.8 | 60.8 |
| 61 | Craig | 2.5 | 35.6 | 61.7 |
| 62 | Fairplay | 2.7 | 24.3 | 63.2 |
| 63 | Frisco | 3.4 | 28.8 | 63.8 |
| 64 | Rifle | 4 | 24 | 67.4 |
| 65 | Avon | 6.4 | 18.3 | 67.6 |
| 66 | Pagosa Springs | 2 | 35.5 | 68.4 |
| 67 | Vail | 3.4 | 38.3 | 69.1 |
| 68 | Delta | 1.9 | 47.2 | 70.4 |
| 69 | Ignacio | 4.1 | 19.1 | 73.7 |
| 70 | Dillon | 2.1 | 35 | 76.6 |
| 71 | Monte Vista | 3.1 | 46.2 | 77.9 |
| 72 | Breckenridge | 6 | 29.9 | 81.1 |
| 73 | Trinidad | 5.4 | 43.2 | 89.3 |
| 74 | Edgewater | 3 | 61.6 | 89.5 |
| 75 | La Junta | 5 | 47.9 | 91.6 |
| 76 | Hotchkiss | 4.3 | 20.6 | 92.2 |
| 77 | Parachute | 7.1 | 28.6 | 106.3 |
| 78 | Alamosa | 5.4 | 55.5 | 108.2 |
| 79 | Idaho Springs | 7.8 | 38.5 | 141.7 |
| 80 | Sheridan | 6.7 | 89 | 148.6 |
| 81 | Cripple Creek | 14.9 | 61.4 | 181.6 |
| 82 | Glendale | 8.7 | 158.3 | 226.7 |
Methodology
This study examined the safest cities in the state of Colorado, based upon data sets collected by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Crime data from the FBI is reported using Return A in the Uniform Crime Reporting Data Set. Our study used data from cities in this data set. This data reports the number of crimes committed in a city each month in several categories, including violent crimes such as rape, murder, assault, and robbery. It also includes property crime statistics, which include burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle theft.
Our analysis was segmented by city size. We considered towns to be those with under 10,000 residents. Midsize cities had populations between 10,000 and 100,000 residents, while large cities had populations over 100,000.
Cities that reported less than six months of crime data were excluded from this analysis in order to prevent distortions in the results due to inadequate reporting of data. If cities reported less than 12 months of crime data, the crime rate was scaled to a 12-month reporting period so that all cities could be considered on a proportional basis.
To find the safest cities in Colorado, we calculated a proprietary crime score, which was based upon the levels of crime in each city. For more serious types of crimes such as murder, rape, robber, and assault, we added a multiplier to the base crime rate in order to represent the severity of these crimes. We added the adjusted value of violent crimes to the number of property crimes in each city to calculate the crime score for each Colorado city. The lower a city’s crime score, the safer that city is, statistically. We ranked the towns and cities within their population categories. We also calculated the number of violent crimes and property crimes per 1,000 residents in each city.
Sources
1. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A, 2018