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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Early in your career, the right city accelerates everything: salary growth, networking, savings. We ranked 11 cities in Colorado for young professionals, weighting income, job market depth, and transport. Denver leads with income of $91,681 and 716,577 residents.
Early in your career, the right city accelerates everything: salary growth, networking, savings. We ranked 11 cities in Colorado for young professionals, weighting income, job market depth, and transport. Denver leads with income of $91,681 and 716,577 residents.
What does daily life actually cost in Denver? Start with the 24% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. On the category level, Utilities (index 104) is where the real savings show up, while Housing (index 133) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $91,681 and homes at $530,920 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
Frankly, Bottom line: Denver leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers.
#1 Ranked: Denver — cost index 113, rent $1,818/mo, income $91,681
Young-professional scoring: income $91,681, population 716,577 (job market depth), transport index 108
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
716,577 residents · Colorado
Here's Denver by the numbers — and there's a lot to like. Cost index: 113. Rent: $1,818/month — for better or worse — . 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. Year over year, that savings rate is portfolio-grade.
488,664 residents · Colorado
In plain English: the #2 spot goes to Colorado Springs, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,667/month — saving renters $2,736 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Utilities is the standout at index 98, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 118. At a 24% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget.
177,563 residents · Colorado
What does daily life actually cost in Aurora? Start with the 24% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. On the category level, Utilities (index 99) is where the real savings show up, while Housing (index 120) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $84,320 and homes at $458,953 round out a profile that ranks #3 for clear reasons.
155,961 residents · Colorado
The #4 spot goes to Lakewood, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,733/month — saving renters $1,944 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Utilities is the standout at index 104, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 134. At a 24% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget.
144,922 residents · Colorado
What does daily life actually cost in Thornton? Start with the 22% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. And with some exceptions, on the category level, Utilities (index 104) is where the real savings show up, while Housing (index 132) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $100,985 and homes at $497,741 round out a profile that ranks #5 for clear reasons.
| Rank | City | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denver | 113 | $1,818 | Details |
| 2 | Colorado Springs | 107 | $1,667 | Details |
| 3 | Aurora | 108 | $1,689 | Details |
| 4 | Lakewood | 114 | $1,733 | Details |
| 5 | Thornton | 113 | $1,888 | Details |
| 6 | Westminster | 112 | $1,788 | Details |
| 7 | Greeley | 102 | $1,442 | Details |
| 8 | Pueblo | 94 | $1,316 | Details |
| 9 | Fort Collins | 117 | $1,970 | Details |
| 10 | Arvada | 121 | $2,053 | Details |
| 11 | Centennial | 122 | $2,056 | Details |
Denver ranks #1 in Colorado for this analysis with a cost index of 113 and median income of $91,681.
Denver scores highest for young professionals due to its strong income potential, median rent of $1,818/mo, and above-average median income of $91,681.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Denver (ranked #1) has a cost index of 113 and rent of $1,818/mo, while Centennial (ranked #11) has a cost index of 122 and rent of $2,056/mo — a 9-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Denver is $1,818/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $77 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Denver is $530,920, which is 5.8× the local median income. Most median-income households would stretch to buy at this ratio. The national median home price is $467,370.
Colorado has a 4.4% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 7.81%, and the effective property tax rate is 0.49%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.