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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $150K salary, 11 cities (100%) meet this threshold. You've got plenty of choices. We ran the numbers on 11 cities in Colorado using 2026 census, rent, and salary data. Pue…
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $150K salary, 11 cities (100%) meet this threshold. You've got plenty of choices. We ran the numbers on 11 cities in Colorado using 2026 census, rent, and salary data. Pueblo comes out on top — here's the full ranking and analysis.
11 of 11 cities keep rent under 30% of $150K. The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $150K salary, 11 cities (100%) meet this threshold. You've got plenty of choices (that's pre-tax, of course).
A closer look at Pueblo: the cost index of 94 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — breaks down to a Housing index of 85 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 97 (weakest). Median rent is $1,316/month — 31% below the national median — while household income sits at $55,305, meaning locals spend about 29% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room (that's pre-tax, of course).
On a $150K salary, the key number is $3,750/month — that's 30% of gross, the standard affordability line. Pueblo ($1,316/mo, 11%), Greeley ($1,442/mo, 12%), Colorado Springs ($1,667/mo, 13%) all clear that bar. After federal tax, FICA (7.65%), and state income tax, estimated take-home ranges from $102,883 to $102,883/year across these top picks.
Pair that with the housing data, and the pattern sharpens. And as a general rule, here's the state-level backdrop: Colorado averages a 111 cost index, $1,765/mo — this is the part where it gets real — rent, and $90,112 income across 11 cities. That's $130 less than the national rent average. Outdoor lifestyle with a rising price tag — and that context shapes every city in this ranking.
If you're ready to act on this, three things to do next: 1) Click into the city pages for the top 3 and check rent trends — direction matters more than the snapshot. 2) Run your income through the salary calculator for a personalized cost comparison. 3) Compare your top two picks head-to-head on our comparison page. That's about what we'd expect given the state context. The data is here; the decision is yours.
#1 Ranked: Pueblo — cost index 94, rent $1,316/mo, income $55,305
11 of 11 cities keep rent under 30% of $150K
11 of 11 cities keep rent under 30% of $150K gross income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
| Rank | City | Median Rent | Rent % of Gross | Cost Index | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pueblo | $1,316 | 11% | 94 | Details |
| 2 | Greeley | $1,442 | 12% | 102 | Details |
| 3 | Colorado Springs | $1,667 | 13% | 107 | Details |
| 4 | Aurora | $1,689 | 14% | 108 | Details |
| 5 | Lakewood | $1,733 | 14% | 114 | Details |
| 6 | Westminster | $1,788 | 14% | 112 | Details |
| 7 | Denver | $1,818 | 15% | 113 | Details |
| 8 | Thornton | $1,888 | 15% | 113 | Details |
| 9 | Fort Collins | $1,970 | 16% | 117 | Details |
| 10 | Arvada | $2,053 | 16% | 121 | Details |
| 11 | Centennial | $2,056 | 16% | 122 | Details |
111,077 residents · Colorado
A closer look at Pueblo: the cost index of 94 breaks down to a Housing index of 85 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 97 (weakest). Median rent is $1,316/month — 31% below the national median — while household income sits at $55,305, meaning locals spend about 29% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room. No gimmicks — just good numbers.
112,609 residents · Colorado
The #2 spot goes to Greeley, and the breakdown explains why. And as far as the data shows, renters here pay $1,442/month — saving renters $5,436 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Utilities is the standout at index 94, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 106. A 25% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone.
488,664 residents · Colorado
A closer look at Colorado Springs: the cost index of 107 — we had to double-check this one — breaks down to a Utilities index of 98 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 118 (weakest). Fairly typical for a city this size. Median rent is $1,667/month — 12% below the national median — while household income sits at $83,198, meaning locals spend about 24% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard (that's pre-tax, of course).
177,563 residents · Colorado
The #4 spot goes to Aurora, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,689/month — saving renters $2,472 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Utilities is the standout at index 99, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 120. At a 24% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget.
155,961 residents · Colorado
In plain English: a closer look at Lakewood: the cost index of 114 breaks down to a Utilities index of 104 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 134 (weakest). Median rent is $1,733/month — 9% below the national median — while household income sits at $85,789, meaning locals spend about 24% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Pueblo | 4.4% | 7.81% | 0.49% | $102,883 |
2Greeley | 4.4% | 7.81% | 0.49% | $102,883 |
3Colorado Springs | 4.4% | 7.81% | 0.49% | $102,883 |
4Aurora | 4.4% | 7.81% | 0.49% | $102,883 |
5Lakewood | 4.4% | 7.81% | 0.49% | $102,883 |
6Westminster | 4.4% | 7.81% | 0.49% | $102,883 |
7Denver | 4.4% | 7.81% | 0.49% | $102,883 |
8Thornton | 4.4% | 7.81% | 0.49% | $102,883 |
9Fort Collins | 4.4% | 7.81% | 0.49% | $102,883 |
10Arvada | 4.4% | 7.81% | 0.49% | $102,883 |
We calculate what percentage of a $150K gross salary goes to median rent. Cities where rent consumes less of your paycheck rank higher. We also factor in estimated take-home pay after federal taxes, FICA (7.65%), and state income tax. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Pueblo ranks #1 in Colorado for this analysis with a cost index of 94 and median income of $55,305.
Yes. On a $150K salary in Pueblo, rent would consume about 11% of your gross monthly income. Financial experts recommend keeping rent under 30%. You're well within that guideline.
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.
Pueblo (ranked #1) has a cost index of 94 and rent of $1,316/mo, while Centennial (ranked #11) has a cost index of 122 and rent of $2,056/mo — a 28-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 Pueblo is $1,316/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $579 below the national median of $1,895/month.
After federal taxes, FICA (7.65%), and 4.4% state income tax, estimated take-home on $150K in Pueblo is approximately $102,883/year ($8,574/month). After median rent of $1,316/month, you'd have roughly $87,091/year for all other expenses.
The median home price in Pueblo is $283,780, which is 5.1× 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.