I live and work out of Castle Rock, and I get this question every week: Castle Rock or Colorado Springs? They sit 37 miles apart on the same interstate, but they are very different places to buy a home.
The short version: Castle Rock is a town of about 84,000 that costs more per house and puts you closer to Denver. Colorado Springs is a city of nearly 500,000 where your money goes further and the job market is anchored by the military. Here is the side-by-side, with sources and dates.
Castle Rock vs Colorado Springs at a glance
| Castle Rock | Colorado Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 83,815 (2025 estimate) | 494,743 (2025 estimate) |
| County | Douglas (county seat) | El Paso (county seat) |
| Typical home value | $660,519, down 1.2% over a year | $441,553, down 1.5% over a year |
| Elevation | 6,224 ft | About 6,035 ft downtown |
| Downtown Denver | About 28 miles | About 69 to 70 miles |
| Average snowfall | About 57.5 inches | About 38 inches |
| Sales tax (2026 minimum combined) | 8.1% | 8.2% |
| Public schools | Douglas County School District | Split among several districts, including D11, Academy D20, Harrison D2, and D49 |
| Parks and open space | 104 miles of town trails, 4,000+ acres of town open space | About 9,000 acres of city parks, about 5,000 acres of open space |
| Transit to Denver | Not in RTD; no bus or rail service to Denver | Not in RTD; Colorado Springs Airport (COS) in town |
Home values are Zillow data published by Stacker on Sept. 29, 2026. Full sources are listed at the end.
Size and pace
Castle Rock grew about 52% between 2010 and 2020, to 73,158 people, and the Census Bureau estimates 83,815 as of July 2025. It still feels like a town, with a downtown along Wilcox Street and the butte the town is named for rising right above it. Read more in my Castle Rock town guide.
Colorado Springs had 494,743 people in the 2025 estimate, spread over about 195 square miles at the foot of Pikes Peak. You get big-city services, a commercial airport, and a much wider range of neighborhoods and price points. My Colorado Springs town guide covers them.
What homes cost
This is the biggest difference. Zillow’s typical home value was $660,519 in Castle Rock and $441,553 in Colorado Springs, in data published September 29, 2026. Both were down slightly over the year. On that measure, a Castle Rock home costs about 50% more than a typical Colorado Springs home.
Redfin’s numbers point the same way. The Colorado Springs median sale price was $454,783 for the three months ending September 2026, at about $206 per square foot, with homes taking a median of 47 days to sell.
What that means for a budget: at $660,000 in Castle Rock you are buying close to the town’s typical home. The Census Bureau puts Castle Rock’s median owner-occupied home value at $652,900 for 2020 to 2024. The same money in Colorado Springs puts you well above the city’s typical value, which usually means more square footage, a bigger lot, or an established neighborhood closer to the mountains. The tradeoff is the drive north.
If you are shopping at the top of both markets, I also wrote about the luxury-market side of this comparison.
Property taxes and metro districts
In Castle Rock, the bigger tax question is not the town. It is the metro district. The town’s own July 2026 comparison, using a median home value of $635,115 and June 2026 Douglas County data, shows an annual property tax bill of about $2,984 for a home outside any metro district. Inside a metro district, the same home ranged from about $3,859 in Crystal Valley to $6,677 in Founders Village, the highest one listed. The town’s own levy is under one mill, about $36 of that bill.
In Colorado Springs, I can’t give you one honest citywide number, because the bill depends on which taxing districts sit on top of each address. Colorado property tax works the same way everywhere: the county sets the home’s actual value, multiplies it by the state residential assessment rate, then applies the total mill levy for that address. One mill is $1 of tax for every $1,000 of assessed value. In Colorado Springs, the total levy changes with the school district (D11, D20, D2, D49 and others), any metro or special district, and the city and county levies. Look up the actual value and current bill for any address with the El Paso County Assessor and Treasurer before you write an offer.
Commute and getting around
Castle Rock is about 28 miles from downtown Denver and 37 miles from Colorado Springs. That middle position is the whole appeal if your household works in both directions. Castle Rock workers average a 28.6-minute commute, per the Census Bureau. Castle Rock is not in RTD, so there is no bus or light rail to Denver. Plan on driving.
Colorado Springs is about 69 to 70 miles from Denver, roughly an hour on I-25 without traffic. If you work in Denver five days a week, that is a long drive. If you work in Colorado Springs, on one of the bases, or remotely, it is a non-issue. Colorado Springs also has its own commercial airport, Colorado Springs Airport.
Jobs
The military anchors the Colorado Springs economy: Fort Carson, Peterson and Schriever Space Force Bases, Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station, the Air Force Academy, and U.S. Space Command. That means a steady flow of people moving in and out, which affects both buying and resale.
Castle Rock’s job strategy is location. From the middle of the corridor, you can reach the south Denver metro and Colorado Springs without moving.
Outdoors, weather, and water
Both places put trails close by. Castle Rock manages 104 miles of trails, 25 parks, and more than 4,000 acres of open space, and with partner land residents can reach over 130 miles of trails and 6,900 acres. Colorado Springs has about 9,000 acres of city parks, about 5,000 acres of open space, and Garden of the Gods, a free National Natural Landmark on its west edge, with Pikes Peak behind it.
Castle Rock gets more snow: about 57.5 inches a year, compared with about 38 in Colorado Springs, which also averages around 243 sunny days. Wildfire is real at the edge of both. The 2012 Waldo Canyon Fire destroyed 347 homes in Colorado Springs, so get insurance quotes early on any home near the foothills or in the trees.
Water is worth one question on every house. Castle Rock Water still pumps Denver Basin groundwater and is working toward renewable supplies for 75% of demand by 2050. Colorado Springs relies heavily on mountain water brought over from the Western Slope and the Arkansas River, including the Blue River, Homestake, and Southern Delivery System projects.
Which one is right for you?
Castle Rock fits you if Denver or the south metro is part of your work life, you want a town feel, and you can pay roughly 50% more for the typical home. Colorado Springs fits you if your job is there or on a base, you want more house for the money, or you want a full city with an airport and a wide range of neighborhoods.
If you are torn, book a free Buyer Strategy Session. I will put real tax bills, metro districts, and drive times for both side by side before you tour. You can also read my Castle Rock guide and Colorado Springs guide, or set up listing alerts in both.
Frequently asked questions
Is Castle Rock more expensive than Colorado Springs?
Yes. Zillow’s typical home value, published September 29, 2026, was $660,519 in Castle Rock and $441,553 in Colorado Springs, so a typical Castle Rock home costs about 50% more.
How far is Castle Rock from Colorado Springs and Denver?
Castle Rock is about 37 miles north of Colorado Springs and about 28 miles south of downtown Denver on I-25. Colorado Springs is about 69 to 70 miles from Denver, roughly an hour without traffic.
Which has higher property taxes?
It depends on the address. In Castle Rock, the town’s July 2026 comparison put a median-value home at about $2,984 a year outside a metro district and up to $6,677 inside the highest-levy one. In Colorado Springs, the total mill levy changes with the school district and any metro or special district, so check the specific address with the El Paso County Assessor and Treasurer.
Which gets more snow?
Castle Rock, at about 57.5 inches a year on average. Colorado Springs averages about 38 inches a season.
What school district would I be in?
In Castle Rock, Douglas County School District. In Colorado Springs, it depends on the address: the city is split among several districts, including D11, Academy D20, Harrison D2, and D49. Confirm the assigned schools for any address with the district.
Is there public transit from Castle Rock to Denver?
No. Castle Rock is not in the RTD district, so there is no bus or light rail to Denver. Most people drive I-25.
Sources
- Cities with the most expensive homes in the Denver metro area, Stacker (Zillow data), Sept. 29, 2026
- Cities with the most expensive homes in the Colorado Springs metro area, Stacker (Zillow data), Sept. 29, 2026
- Colorado Springs housing market, Redfin, data through Sept. 2026
- QuickFacts: Castle Rock town, Colorado, U.S. Census Bureau, V2025 estimates
- Castle Rock, Colorado, Wikipedia (2020 census, elevation, distances, snowfall, transit, water)
- Colorado Springs, Colorado, Wikipedia (population, parks, snowfall, military, Waldo Canyon Fire)
- Metro districts property tax comparison, Town of Castle Rock, July 2026
- Parks, Open Space and Trails, Town of Castle Rock
- Source Water, Castle Rock Water
- Homestake Reservoir, Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum
- Castle Rock, CO sales tax rate, Avalara, 2026 rates
- Colorado Springs, CO sales tax rate, Avalara, 2026 rates
- D-49 becomes largest school district in El Paso County, Colorado Springs Gazette, Jan. 15, 2025
- How property tax is calculated, Boulder County Assessor (Colorado mill levy method)
Photos: Castle Rock butte (featured), Jeff Albright, CC BY-SA 3.0. Wilcox Street, Jared Winkler, CC BY-SA 4.0. Colorado Springs homes and skyline, Lumen Wilde, CC BY 2.0. Garden of the Gods, mark byzewski, CC BY 2.0. All via Wikimedia Commons.
