COVID-19: Denver Neighborhoods With Most Cases, Shocking Rise

While Colorado has already lifted a stay-at-home edict instituted in response to COVID-19, Denver's stay-at-home order will remain in place until at least May 8, and new data about infections in specific sections of the city shows why. Over the eighteen days since our first analysis of positive cases by neighborhood, the numbers have exploded.

According to April 12 data shared by Denver Public Health on its COVID-19 data summary page, every neighborhood in the Mile High City had a case rate below two per 1,000 residents at the time. As of 6 p.m. on April 30, though, when the statistics were updated, 43 neighborhoods register at two or above, with one, Civic Center, coming in at a staggering 16.9.

Another disturbing fact: Most neighborhoods had fewer than five cases on April 12, but today, most have moved into the double digits — and Gateway/Green Valley Ranch has 197.

The percentage of Denver fatalities has also gone up in comparison with Colorado's as a whole. On April 12, 52 people in Denver had died because of the virus — nearly 18 percent of the 290 statewide. On April 30, the Denver casualty count is 167, approximately 21.5 percent of the 777 COVID-19 victims calculated by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment in its April 30 update. And totals don't include so-called excessive deaths cited by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Protection.

Of course, some of the rise in cases can be ascribed to an increase in testing touted by Governor Jared Polis during his April 29 press conference. But whatever the reason, many Denver neighborhoods now qualify as COVID-19 hot spots — a designation that has to concern the people who live there.

Here are the Denver neighborhoods with case rates of at last two per 1,000 residents, ranked from lowest to highest:

Sloan's Lake
Case Count 17
Case Rate 2.0

Union Station
Case Count 19
Case Rate 2.0

Speer
Case Count 28
Case Rate 2.1

Lincoln Park
Case Count 15
Case Rate 2.1

West Highland
Case Count 22
Case Rate 2.2

City Park
Case Count 8
Case Rate 2.3

Capitol Hill
Case Count 38
Case Rate 2.3

Globeville
Case Count 10
Case Rate 2.3

University Hills
Case Count 15
Case Rate 2.4

Harvey Park
Case Count 33
Case Rate 2.6

North Capitol Hill
Case Count 21
Case Rate 2.7

Hale
Case Count 24
Case Rate 2.8

Washington Virginia Vale
Case Count 41
Case Rate 2.8

West Colfax
Case Count 41
Case Rate 2.9

Barnum
Case Count 20
Case Rate 3.0

Whittier
Case Count 16
Case Rate 3.0

South Park Hill
Case Count 30
Case Rate 3.1

Washington Park
Case Count 23
Case Rate 3.1

DIA
Case Count 5
Case Rate 3.1

Berkeley
Case Count 30
Case Rate 3.2

Cole
Case Count 17
Case Rate 3.2

North Park Hill
Case Count 33
Case Rate 3.2

Five Points
Case Count 67
Case Rate 3.2

Villa Park
Case Count 32
Case Rate 3.3

East Colfax
Case Count 39
Case Rate 3.5

Ruby Hill
Case Count 39
Case Rate 3.5

Indian Creek
Case Count 12
Case Rate 3.6

Lowry Field
Case Count 32
Case Rate 3.6

Barnum West
Case Count 22
Case Rate 3.7

Hampden
Case Count 77
Case Rate 3.8

Windsor
Case Count 57
Case Rate 4.0

Goldsmith
Case Count 29
Case Rate 4.4

Southmoor Park
Case Count 26
Case Rate 4.6

Gateway/Green Valley Ranch
Case Count 197
Case Rate 4.7

Westwood
Case Count 88
Case Rate 4.9

Virginia Village
Case Count 75
Case Rate 5.2

Skyland
Case Count 19
Case Rate 5.3

Auraria
Case Count < 5
Case Rate 5.5

Montbello
Case Count 190
Case Rate 5.6

Valverde
Case Count 26
Case Rate 6.0

Hilltop
Case Count 64
Case Rate 6.3

Northeast Park Hill
Case Count 62
Case Rate 6.6

Civic Center
Case Count 40
Case Rate 16.9