Orivian

Wheat Ridge · 2025 public safety benchmarks

Jefferson County · Denver Metro · Pop. 32,081 (2025 estimate) · Public safety data 2016–2025

City website (opens in a new tab)

2025 in brief

Wheat Ridge spent $455 per resident on police in FY2023, 6% above the median of the 91 Colorado municipalities reporting. It had 2.2 sworn officers per 1,000 residents in 2025, 16% above its peers. Reported violent crime was 2.6 per 1,000 residents, 28% above the Colorado median, and property crime was 2.9× the median. Police cleared 41.2% of reported violent crimes, in line with peers.

Generated from the figures below. Every number links to its source.

Notes: spending is fiscal-year Census data; staffing and crime are calendar-year FBI data via CBI. Dollars are nominal. Definitions: orivian.ai/benchmarks/methodology#public-safety

Compared with

The finance peers: nearest on population, household income and region

Peers matched on FY2023 finances, the latest available.

Reporting agency: Wheat Ridge Police Department (ORI CO0300500) · 12 of 12 months reported.

Spending & staffing

Spending: FY2023, latest available, the government's fiscal year (Census). Staffing: 2025, sworn officers on the payroll October 31 (FBI).

Police spending per resident (definition)FY2023, latest available

$455
31% above peers
Peer median
$348
CO median · 91 with a published figure
$428
Position
Higher than 54% of the 91 reporting
5-year changenominal dollars
Not comparable: 5-year change not shown: it would compare spending under two different Census definitions. See the trend chart for each year.

Police share of spending (definition)FY2023, latest available

20.8%
37% above peers
Peer median
15.2%
CO median · 87 with a published figure
12.6%
Position
Higher than 87% of the 87 reporting
5-year change
Not comparable: 5-year change not shown: it would compare spending under two different Census definitions. See the trend chart for each year.

Police spending per officer (definition)FY2023, latest available

$181.3K
in line with peers
Peer median
$180.2K
CO median · 84 with a published figure
$207.3K
Position
Higher than 35% of the 84 reporting
5-year changenominal dollars
Not comparable: 5-year change not shown: it would compare spending under two different Census definitions. See the trend chart for each year.

Officers per 1,000 residents (definition)2025

2.2
16% above peers

per 1,000 residents

Peer median
1.9
CO median · 143 with a published figure
2.5
Position
Higher than 43% of the 143 reporting
5-year change
−0.4 per 1,000

5-year change not shown: it would compare spending under two different Census definitions. See the trend chart for each year. Excludes equipment purchases and payments to other governments, which Census stopped reporting after FY2021.

Reported outcomes

Reported crime reflects what is reported to police and how it is recorded, not only how much crime occurs.

Violent crime rate (definition)2025

2.6
26% below peers

per 1,000 residents

Peer median
3.6
CO median · 139 with a published figure
2.1
Position
Higher than 61% of the 139 reporting
5-year change
−2.8 per 1,000

Property crime rate (definition)2025

38.8
92% above peers

per 1,000 residents

Peer median
20.2
CO median · 139 with a published figure
13.6
Position
Higher than 91% of the 139 reporting
5-year change
−13.1 per 1,000

Violent crime clearance rate (definition)2025

41.2%
in line with peers
Peer median
41.7%
CO median · 70 with a published figure
53.3%
Position
Higher than 20% of the 70 reporting
5-year change
+4.5 pts

Property crime clearance rate (definition)2025

13.9%
12% above peers
Peer median
12.4%
CO median · 119 with a published figure
20.1%
Position
Higher than 30% of the 119 reporting
5-year change
+6.1 pts

How this number was calculated

Police spending per resident · $455
Reported by the city to the Census Bureau

Excludes equipment purchases and payments to other governments, which Census stopped reporting after FY2021.

  1. 1Metric

    $455 Police spending divided by population

    = Police spending ÷ population

    Full definition: Police spending per resident

  2. 2Inputs

    Police spending $14.5M ÷ population 31,887 (2023 estimate)

  3. 3Census line items

    • E62 Police protection, current operations
    • F62 Police protection, construction

  4. 4Source file

Wheat Ridge and its peers

The same five peers as the finance pages. Police spending is per resident for the fiscal year shown; staffing and crime are per 1,000 residents for 2025. How peers are chosen

Peers matched on FY2023 finances, the latest available.

Wheat Ridge compared with its peer municipalities: police spending per resident and per-1,000 staffing and crime rates
Fiscal year · CensusCalendar year · FBI via CBI
MunicipalityPolice spendingper resident · FY2023Officers per 1,000 residentsper 1,000 · 2025Violent crimeper 1,000 · 2025Property crimeper 1,000 · 2025Violent crime clearance2025
Wheat Ridge$4552.22.638.841.2%
Englewood$4592.26.642.441.6%
Lafayette$2161.42.916.156.3%
Fountain$3482.03.716.750.0%
Littleton$3891.92.320.241.7%
Northglenn$3421.93.622.616.4%
Peer median$3481.93.620.241.7%

Trends

Police spending by fiscal year; staffing and crime by calendar year. Lines break where a year is missing or withheld; nothing is interpolated.

  • This city
  • Peer median
  • Withheld (shown on the axis, no value)
Police spending per resident
FY2016 $318 to FY2023 $455.$0$227.5$455’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23Peer median FY2016: $251Peer median FY2017: $258Peer median FY2018: $279Peer median FY2019: $268Peer median FY2020: $291Peer median FY2021: $310Peer median FY2022: $323Peer median FY2023: $348FY2016: $318FY2017: $320FY2018: $339FY2019: $364FY2020: $377FY2021: $384FY2022: $419. Excludes equipment purchases and payments to other governments, which Census stopped reporting after FY2021.FY2023: $455. Excludes equipment purchases and payments to other governments, which Census stopped reporting after FY2021.

Fiscal year · nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation

Census definition change: Excludes equipment purchases and payments to other governments, which Census stopped reporting after FY2021.

Peer group changed in FY2017, FY2018. Peers are matched each year, so the peer median can step when the group changes.

Show data table
Police spending per resident by fiscal year
YearThis cityPeer medianColorado median
FY2016$318$251$272 (179 reporting, sample year)
FY2017$320$258$304 (35 reporting, sample year)
FY2018$339$279$312 (72 reporting, sample year)
FY2019$364$268$330 (72 reporting, sample year)
FY2020$377$291$367 (71 reporting, sample year)
FY2021$384$310$332 (174 reporting, sample year)
FY2022$419$323$377 (71 reporting, sample year)
FY2023$455$348$428 (91 reporting, sample year)
Officers per 1,000 residents
2016 2.4 to 2025 2.2.0.01.32.7’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25Peer median 2016: 1.6Peer median 2017: 1.7Peer median 2018: 1.6Peer median 2019: 1.7Peer median 2020: 1.6Peer median 2021: 1.7Peer median 2022: 1.8Peer median 2023: 1.9Peer median 2024: 2.0Peer median 2025: 1.92016: 2.42017: 2.42018: 2.42019: 2.62020: 2.72021: 2.42022: 0.02023: 2.52024: 2.62025: 2.2

Calendar year

Peer group changed in 2017, 2018. Peers are matched each year, so the peer median can step when the group changes.

Show data table
Officers per 1,000 residents by calendar year
YearThis cityPeer medianColorado median
20162.41.62.4 (145 reporting, sample year)
20172.41.72.2 (145 reporting, sample year)
20182.41.62.2 (152 reporting, sample year)
20192.61.72.2 (153 reporting, sample year)
20202.71.62.2 (153 reporting, sample year)
20212.41.72.3 (155 reporting, sample year)
20220.01.81.9 (155 reporting, sample year)
20232.51.92.3 (155 reporting, sample year)
20242.62.02.4 (155 reporting, sample year)
20252.21.92.5 (143 reporting, sample year)
Violent crime rate
2016 3.5 to 2025 2.6.0.02.75.5’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25Peer median 2016: 3.3Peer median 2017: 3.3Peer median 2018: 2.5Peer median 2019: 2.4Peer median 2020: 2.9Peer median 2021: 3.9Peer median 2022: 3.5Peer median 2023: 4.9Peer median 2024: 4.3Peer median 2025: 3.62016: 3.52017: 4.22018: 2.62019: 3.72020: 5.52021: 5.42022: 4.22023: 4.42024: 4.82025: 2.6

Calendar year

Peer group changed in 2017, 2018. Peers are matched each year, so the peer median can step when the group changes.

Show data table
Violent crime rate by calendar year
YearThis cityPeer medianColorado median
20163.53.31.9 (126 reporting, sample year)
20174.23.31.7 (129 reporting, sample year)
20182.62.52.1 (126 reporting, sample year)
20193.72.42.0 (130 reporting, sample year)
20205.52.92.0 (140 reporting, sample year)
20215.43.92.5 (133 reporting, sample year)
20224.23.52.4 (121 reporting, sample year)
20234.44.92.5 (122 reporting, sample year)
20244.84.32.1 (135 reporting, sample year)
20252.63.62.1 (139 reporting, sample year)
Property crime rate
2016 46.8 to 2025 38.8.0.030.561.1’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25Peer median 2016: 34.5Peer median 2017: 31.6Peer median 2018: 34.3Peer median 2019: 30.2Peer median 2020: 27.3Peer median 2021: 31.9Peer median 2022: 32.7Peer median 2023: 30.0Peer median 2024: 26.0Peer median 2025: 20.22016: 46.82017: 48.02018: 34.02019: 34.72020: 51.92021: 61.12022: 53.12023: 45.42024: 44.62025: 38.8

Calendar year

Peer group changed in 2017, 2018. Peers are matched each year, so the peer median can step when the group changes.

Show data table
Property crime rate by calendar year
YearThis cityPeer medianColorado median
201646.834.522.9 (126 reporting, sample year)
201748.031.621.6 (129 reporting, sample year)
201834.034.320.2 (126 reporting, sample year)
201934.730.218.3 (130 reporting, sample year)
202051.927.319.5 (140 reporting, sample year)
202161.131.920.9 (133 reporting, sample year)
202253.132.720.6 (121 reporting, sample year)
202345.430.019.6 (122 reporting, sample year)
202444.626.015.9 (135 reporting, sample year)
202538.820.213.6 (139 reporting, sample year)

About these numbers

  • The city's own published statistics may differ: CBI counts some offenses once per victim, while many cities count once per case.
  • Reported crime reflects what is reported to police and how it is recorded, not only how much crime occurs.
  • Police spending here is FY2023, latest available, the government’s fiscal year; crime, clearances and staffing are calendar year 2025.
Read the public safety methodology

Sources · Retrieved October 12, 2026 from orivian.ai/benchmarks/public-safety

Every figure on this page is read from the published index; nothing is recalculated for display. Read the methodology

Work for Wheat Ridge?

Public data shows the what. Orivian connects your city's own calls-for-service, overtime and work-order data to show the why.

See staffing, overtime and calls togetherOrivian for municipalities
Book a walkthrough