Best Cities in Colorado for Retirees (2026)

Here's Denver by the numbers — and there's a lot to like. Cost index: 113. Rent: $1,818/month. Income: $91,681/year. Home price: $530,920. Population: 716,577. The strongest category is Utilities at 104; the most expensive is Housing at 133. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $924 per year vs. the national median. That's a number worth sharing with anyone who says affordable cities can't have good jobs (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling). Hard to argue with that.

Dive into Colorado Springs's numbers: cost index 107 (5 points below national average), rent $1,667/month, income $83,198, and a home price of $446,132. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Utilities is the cheapest category at 98, while Housing runs 118. With 488,664 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.

Look, Why Aurora ranks #4: the numbers tell a clear story. At 108 on the cost index, residents save roughly 4% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,689/month — we had to double-check this one — while the median household pulls in $84,320/year. The Utilities category is particularly strong at 99, though Housing (120) lags behind. Home prices average $458,953 — $8,417 below the national median.

Fort Collins earns its position at #5 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 117 cost index sits 5 points above the national baseline, and the $83,598 median income means purchasing power here is partially offset by higher costs. Homes list at $556,327 — $88,957 above the national median, reflecting the local market dynamics. On the cost side, Utilities leads the way at 108, while Housing trails at 142.