Lakewood is a city located in Arapahoe County, Denver County, and Jefferson County Colorado. Lakewood has a 2024 population of 155,865. Lakewood is currently declining at a rate of -0.06% annually and its population has decreased by -0.24% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 156,247 in 2020.
The average household income in Lakewood is $108,333 with a poverty rate of 8.8%. The median age in Lakewood is 38.1 years: 36.6 years for males, and 39.8 years for females.
Lakewood is the most populous municipality of Jefferson County, Colorado about 7 miles southwest of Denver. This Home Rule or self-governing municipality is neither a town or city and it's the 5th largest city in Colorado in terms of population. Lakewood is part of the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood metropolitan area which has an estimated population of 2.88 million.
Lakewood has a foreign-born population of about 10%. The community's median income for a household is $52,900, lower than the median household income for Colorado of $69,100.
In 2018, Colorado was the 7th fastest growing state, adding 80,000 new residents with a population growth rate of 1.4% over the last year. The state's population has grown by 13.2% or 700,000 people since 2010. Greater Denver's population growth has matched Colorado's but it's beginning to slow. Much of this growth has been concentrated in Douglas and Broomfield counties, not Jefferson County and the Lakewood area. Lakewood is expected to continue its modest growth after its population declined about 0.8% between 2000 and 2010.
Lakewood was first developed as a suburb in 1889. Prior to 1969, the Lakewood area had no municipal government and instead relied on the government and safety services of Jefferson County. In its early history, Lakewood was a farming community with orchards and ranches. It was incorporated as Jefferson City in 1969 but an election was held soon after and it was renamed Lakewood due to existing communities called Jefferson City in Missouri and Colorado. By this point, the population of Lakewood exceeded 90,000.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Lakewood was:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
|---|---|---|
| White | 122,796 | 78.64% |
| Two or more races | 16,707 | 10.7% |
| Asian | 6,336 | 4.06% |
| Other race | 6,303 | 4.04% |
| Black or African American | 2,502 | 1.6% |
| Native American | 1,264 | 0.81% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 241 | 0.15% |
White
Two or more races
Asian
Other race
Black or African American
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 68,111 | 2.26 | 58 | 42 |
| Non Family | 30,383 | 1.34 | 45.9 | 54.1 |
| Married | 27,679 | 2.92 | 76.4 | 23.6 |
| Female | 6,544 | 3.27 | 42.9 | 57.1 |
| Male | 3,505 | 3.12 | 47 | 53 |
2.92
Average Family Size
2.26
Average Household Size
58.0%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 9th to 12th Grade | 5,131 | 4.42% |
| Associates Degree | 9,033 | 7.79% |
| Bachelors Degree | 33,177 | 28.61% |
| Graduate Degree | 18,294 | 15.77% |
| High School Graduate | 24,954 | 21.52% |
| Less Than 9th Grade | 2,908 | 2.51% |
| Some College | 22,473 | 19.38% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 84,522 | 81,481 | 42,141 |
| Hispanic | 21,545 | 17,541 | 4,975 |
| 2+ Races | 9,832 | 8,460 | 3,216 |
| Asian | 4,720 | 3,913 | 2,189 |
| Other Race | 3,963 | 3,367 | 927 |
| Black | 1,665 | 1,581 | 576 |
| Native American | 931 | 842 | 278 |
| Islander | 181 | 175 | 69 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among islander people with a rate of 96.69%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among white people with a rate of 49.86%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelors Degree | $69,230 | $78,661 | $59,863 |
| Graduate Degree | $82,367 | $100,625 | $76,382 |
| High School Graduate | $42,197 | $48,531 | $34,945 |
| Less Than 9th Grade | $30,719 | $33,480 | $25,182 |
| Overall | $55,118 | $60,813 | $47,908 |
| Some College | $44,659 | $51,008 | $40,084 |
$55,118
Average Earnings
$60,813
Average Male
$47,908
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
86.48% of Lakewood residents speak only English, while 13.52% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 8.75% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 104,755 | 6,765 | 6.46% |
| Hispanic | 34,502 | 5,264 | 15.26% |
| Multiple | 16,515 | 2,068 | 12.52% |
| Other | 6,101 | 594 | 9.74% |
| Asian | 6,291 | 531 | 8.44% |
| Black | 2,411 | 480 | 19.91% |
| Native | 1,180 | 73 | 6.19% |
| Islander | 241 | 18 | 7.47% |
8.8%
Overall Poverty Rate
8.27%
Male Poverty Rate
9.34%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Lakewood is Black, with 19.91% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Lakewood is Native, with 6.19% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 1.68%. Among those working part-time, it was 13.28%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 17.21%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Less Than 9th Grade | 23.75% |
| High School | 10.64% |
| Some College | 8.27% |
| Bachelors or Greater | 3.3% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Female Unemployed | 31.17% |
| Male Unemployed | 20.57% |
| Female Employed | 4.27% |
| Male Employed | 4.24% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| Families | $105,748 | $132,536 |
| Households | $82,786 | $108,333 |
| Married Families | $125,137 | $152,623 |
| Non Families | $59,340 | $74,685 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
44.1%
Overall Marriage Rate
45.0%
Male Marriage Rate
43.3%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
9,059
Number of Veterans
8,172
Male Veterans
887
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
|---|---|
| Vietnam | 3,329 |
| Second Gulf War | 2,169 |
| First Gulf War | 1,841 |
| Korea | 683 |
| World War II | 131 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
|---|---|
| 75+ | 2,607 |
| 65 to 74 | 2,242 |
| 35 to 54 | 2,025 |
| 55 to 64 | 1,475 |
| 18 to 34 | 710 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| White | 7,927 | 7.58% |
| Hispanic | 1,145 | 4.45% |
| 2+ Races | 650 | 5.45% |
| Other Race | 170 | 3.49% |
| Asian | 107 | 2.04% |
| Black | 100 | 4.92% |
| Islander | 69 | 32.86% |
| Native American | 36 | 3.41% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
7.99%
Veteran Poverty Rate
28.88%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
68.5%
Labor Force Participation
65.5%
Employment Rate
4.4%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
46.43%
Born in Lakewood
91.48%
Native Born
8.52%
Foreign Born
4.24%
Non Citizen
4.28%
Naturalized
91.48% of Lakewood residents were born in the United States, with 46.43% having been born in Colorado. 4.24% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2029 | 155,388 | -96 | -0.06% |
| 2028 | 155,484 | -95 | -0.06% |
| 2027 | 155,579 | -95 | -0.06% |
| 2026 | 155,674 | -96 | -0.06% |
| 2025 | 155,770 | -95 | -0.06% |
| 2024 | 155,865 | -96 | -0.06% |
| 2023 | 155,961 | -40 | -0.03% |
| 2022 | 156,001 | -1,059 | -0.67% |
| 2021 | 157,060 | 813 | 0.52% |
| 2020 | 156,247 | -212 | -0.14% |
| 2019 | 156,459 | 547 | 0.35% |
| 2018 | 155,912 | 892 | 0.58% |
| 2017 | 155,020 | 1,169 | 0.76% |
| 2016 | 153,851 | 2,838 | 1.88% |
| 2015 | 151,013 | 1,726 | 1.16% |
| 2014 | 149,287 | 2,155 | 1.46% |
| 2013 | 147,132 | 1,405 | 0.96% |
| 2012 | 145,727 | 1,617 | 1.12% |
| 2011 | 144,110 | 1,341 | 0.94% |
| 2010 | 142,769 | 0 | 0% |
| 2000 | 144,126 | 17,645 | 13.95% |
| 1990 | 126,481 | 12,673 | 11.14% |
| 1980 | 113,808 | 21,065 | 22.71% |
| 1970 | 92,743 | 42,743 | 85.49% |
| 1960 | 50,000 | -105,388 | -67.82% |