A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Berthoud$3,460/mo

Typical home $607K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.55% · or rent about $1,795/mo · Housing →

Mead$3,220/mo

Typical home $552K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.71% · or rent about $1,275/mo · Housing →

The difference: $240 a month, about $2,900 a year, between Berthoud and Mead.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Berthoud places higher on 13 of 20 CO lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Colorado ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety

–BerthoudNot graded BMeadSafer than 58% of U.S. towns

Schools

B+BerthoudBetter than 66% of districts in the state A−MeadBetter than 77% of districts in the state

Health

ABerthoudHealthier than 93% of U.S. towns AMeadHealthier than 90% of U.S. towns

13Berthoud

6Mead

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Lowest depressionHealth · 160 towns #138#37 Lowest obesityHealth · 160 towns #36#119 Most trailsOutdoors · 143 towns #77#141 Most activeHealth · 160 towns #20#70 Most conserved landOutdoors · 152 towns #101#145 Cheapest rentCost of living · 153 towns #77#33 Lowest property taxCost of living · 158 towns #91#133 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 160 towns #101#60

Left end = #1 in Colorado. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Berthoud’s rankings →

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

BerthoudMead

Snow a year47″47″

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)24th 26th

Outdoors & history

BerthoudMead

Trails18 mi 3 mi

Conserved land4.2%0.7%

Settled—1906

National Register places2 1

Archive photos6 5

Famous people born here2 2

Community

BerthoudMead

Library hours a week50 hrs —

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

4 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

BerthoudMead

Berthoud ↔ Mead4.5 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs Colorado average

BerthoudMead

People

Population 12,411Highest 5,919Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +102.4%Highest CO: +14.8% +40.4%Lowest CO: +14.8%

Median age 39.3±3.5Highest 4% above CO 36.8±4Lowest about the CO average

Berthoud and Mead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 21.7%±3.8Lowest CO: 21% 30.8%±6.6Highest CO: 21%

Mead and Berthoud are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 14.2%±3Highest CO: 15.6% 9.9%±3.8Lowest CO: 15.6%

Berthoud and Mead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 48.1%Lowest CO: 45.7% 50.3%Highest CO: 45.7%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.1%±2.5Lowest CO: 6.4% 6%±3.4Highest CO: 6.4%

Mead and Berthoud are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $119,385±$13kLowest 25% above CO $125,357±$18kHighest 31% above CO

Mead and Berthoud are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $533,500±$34kLowest about the CO average $585,100±$38kHighest 8% above CO

Mead and Berthoud are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,795±$77Highest about the CO average $1,275±$1kLowest 28% below CO

Berthoud and Mead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,938Lowest 13% above CO $4,134Highest 59% above CO

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 38.4%±20.1Highest CO: 52.9% 34.4%±31.4Lowest CO: 52.9%

Berthoud and Mead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 4.6%Highest CO: 9.4% 1.4%Lowest CO: 9.4%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 87.5%Lowest CO: 66.2% 93.7%Highest CO: 66.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 2011Highest 23 yrs newer than CO 2006Lowest 18 yrs newer than CO

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 32 minHighest 25% above CO 31 minLowest 21% above CO

Work from home 21.1%±4.6Highest CO: 21% 18.2%±6.9Lowest CO: 21%

Berthoud and Mead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 8.1%Highest 3.8%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 16.3 miLowest 19.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.53Lowest 0.67Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Longmont (14%)Longmont (19%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in MeadFew work in Berthoud

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 4.2%Highest 0.7%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 17.7 miHighest 3.4 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.4 miHighest 0.2 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 4Highest 1Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 46.1Highest 21.8Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #34 of 142 in CO #45 of 142 in CO

School district Thompson School District R-2JSt. Vrain Valley School District No. Re1J

High school in town Berthoud High SchoolMead High School

Students per teacherat that high school 19.7Lowest 21.1Highest

Colorado average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Berthoud neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Berthoud’s Town Square.

Mead neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Mead’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Berthoud and Mead

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Berthoud

+ Compare

Johnstown18,883 people · $540K homes

Towns like Berthoud

+ Compare

Wellington11,798 people · $464K homes

+ Compare

Woodland Park7,949 people · $549K homes

+ Compare

Severance10,130 people · $529K homes

+ Compare

Frederick16,651 people · $568K homes

Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Colorado towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Berthoud vs Mead

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $240 more a month in Berthoud

Berthoud places higher on 13 of 20 CO lists

What daily life feels like in each

4 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Berthoud and Mead

Bordering Berthoud

Towns like Berthoud

Post to Berthoud

Check your email