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Brookside vs Westcliffe

24 miles apart. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (32.7× in Westcliffe) and age 65+ (+16.8 pts in Westcliffe).

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Brookside, COA small town of 276Colorado · 276 people

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Westcliffe, COA regional job hubColorado · 419 people

Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

BrooksideA small town of 276

Quiet strengthsBrookside doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.

All about Brookside →

WestcliffeA regional job hub

Work406 jobsbased in Westcliffe, a regional job hub Housing$428K typical home20% below the CO typical home

History6 archive photos & papers4 places on the National Register All about Westcliffe →

The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Jobs per worker32.7×

Westcliffe is more of a job hub

Westcliffe 2.29Brookside 0.07

Age 65++16.8 pts

Westcliffe has more people 65 and up

Westcliffe 35.6%Brookside 18.8%

Property tax bill+31%

Tax bills are bigger in Brookside

Brookside $1,600Westcliffe $1,218

Work in town+12.4 pts

More of Westcliffe’s workers stay in town

Westcliffe 12.4%Brookside 0%

Average commute5 min

Westcliffe has the shorter commute

Brookside 23 minWestcliffe 18 min

Homeowners+8.1 pts renters

Westcliffe has more renters

Brookside 75.9%Westcliffe 67.8%

★ What stands out · Life in each

Westcliffe gets 46 more inches of snow a year

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

BrooksideWestcliffe

Snow a year38″84″

January low18°F 8°F

July high89°F 81°F

Growing season (days)153d 89d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)68th 63rd

Outdoors & history

BrooksideWestcliffe

Conserved land—0.8%

National Register places—4

Archive photos2 6

Famous people born here—1

Community

BrooksideWestcliffe

Library hours a week—34 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.

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $370 more a month in Westcliffe

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%

Brookside$2,010/mo

Typical home $357K (Census) · tax rate 0.45% · or rent about $1,364/mo · Housing →

Westcliffe$2,370/mo

Typical home $428K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.36% · or rent about $879/mo · Housing →

The difference: $370 a month, about $4,400 a year, between Westcliffe and Brookside.

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

Grades and rankings, side by side

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.

Schools

–BrooksideNot graded B−WestcliffeBetter than 49% of districts in the state

Where they are

24 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

BrooksideWestcliffe

Brookside ↔ Westcliffe24 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

BrooksideWestcliffe

People

Population 276Lowest 419Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census — -23.4% CO: +14.8%

Median age 51.5±12.2Lowest 37% above CO 54.4±15.3Highest 44% above CO

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

Kids under 18 14.1%±10.6Highest CO: 21% 9.8%±7Lowest CO: 21%

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

Age 65+ 18.8%±5.3Lowest CO: 15.6% 35.6%±8.3Highest CO: 15.6%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 23.1%Lowest CO: 45.7% 30.9%Highest CO: 45.7%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.8%±8.9Highest CO: 6.4% 3.3%±4.4Lowest CO: 6.4%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $62,813±$23kHighest 34% below CO $53,929±$27kLowest 44% below CO

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $357,100±$115kHighest 34% below CO $341,800±$53kLowest 37% below CO

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,364±$665Highest 23% below CO $879±$392Lowest 50% below CO

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,600Highest 39% below CO $1,218Lowest 53% below CO

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 42.9%±94.1Highest CO: 52.9% 39%±23.6Lowest CO: 52.9%

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

Below poverty line 10.1%Highest CO: 9.4% 6.6%Lowest CO: 9.4%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 75.9%Highest CO: 66.2% 67.8%Lowest CO: 66.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1973Lowest 15 yrs older than CO 1981Highest 7 yrs older than CO

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 23 minHighest 8% below CO 18 minLowest 29% below CO

Work from home 9.7%±18.8Lowest CO: 21% 22.5%±13.9Highest CO: 21%

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

Work in townworking residents 0%Lowest 12.4%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 27.3 miLowest 51.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.07Lowest 2.29Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Cañon City (33%)Colorado Springs (7%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in WestcliffeFew work in Brookside

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 6.7%Highest 0.8%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 2.0 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 1.7 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 5Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 48.8Lowest 61.7Highest

Schools

School district —Custer County School District Consolidate 1

High school in town —Custer County High School

Students per teacherat that high school — 12.9

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.

Brookside neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Brookside’s Town Square.

Westcliffe neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Westcliffe’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Brookside and Westcliffe

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

Bordering Brookside

Lincoln Park3,986 people · $296K homes

Towns like Brookside

De Beque458 people · $242K homes

Genoa190 people · $186K homes

Crawford448 people · $208K homes

Victor388 people · $212K homes

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.