College of Architecture and Planning University of Colorado Denver

How Does Denver Rank?

Did you know that ...

• National survey finds Denver tops list of favorite cities
  (http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1096/community-satisfaction-top-cities)
• Denver ranks # 1 out of 100 US cities as the Best City for Families (Child.com).
• In the Kid Friendly Cities ranking of the Population Connection in 2004, Denver ranked 7th among 20 major cities; it received a grade of A for community life, placing second only to San Francisco.
• There is a correlation between a city's Kid Friendly ranking and the percentage of the labor force in professions critical to urban growth: Child-Friendly City principles will benefit Denver’s economic health (Richard Florida, The Rise of the Creative Class, 2002) .
• Denver ranks as the No. 3 large metro area in the United States for teleworking, according to a new study by Sperling's Best Places, leading to an estimated annual savings of 20.7 million gallons of gas, 11.2 million hours of commuting, and $543 million. Opportunities for teleworking are attractive to many families with children.
• Denver ranks as the 9th healthiest city out of the largest 50 cities in the US, based on measures related to physical and mental health, nutrition, lifestyle pursuits and physical activity; Denver places 4th in the physical activity category (Sperling's Best Places)
• A 2005 study, published in the Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association, ranks Denver as the 10th best place for walking out of the 200 largest incorporated cities in the US. 
• Denver has been recognized three years in a row by Bicycling Magazine as a Top Ten City for Cycling. It is also the largest city to qualify for the League of American Bicyclists Bicycle Friendly Communities program.
• Denver places 9th on a 2006 ranking of the 50 largest US cities based on 15 sustainability factors (Sustainlane.com)
• Denver ranks 6th out of 50 largest US cities on quality of water, air and sanitation (Reader's Digest, July 2005 ) 
• Denver's Children’s Hospital ranks 7th in two recent nationwide surveys (US News, 2006; Child Magazine, 2005) .
• Denver earned the 7th spot on the 2007 top 20 list of Cooking Light Cities for low percentage of population with diabetes, low percentage of population that's overweight, high percentage who participated in physical activity during the last month, dollars per capita spent on parkland, and chef wages.
• America's Promise selected Denver in 2005 as one of its 100 Best Communities for Young People. 
• Denver has major services and amenities for children and youth, including the Children’s Museum; Zoo; Museum of Nature and Science; IMAX; Museum of Miniatures, Toys and Dolls; PlatteForum; Water World; Botanic Gardens; Elitch Gardens; LoDo Skatepark; Cherry Creek green belt system; more than 300 parks.