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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 $40K salary, 0 cities (0%) meet this threshold. That's a tough market. We ran the numbers on 11 cities in Colorado using 2026 census, rent, and salary data. Pueblo comes o…
111,077 residents · Colorado
Why Pueblo ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 94 on the cost index, residents save roughly 18% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,316/month while the median household pulls in $55,305/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 85, though Healthcare (97) lags behind. Home prices average $283,780 — $183,590 below the national median.
112,609 residents · Colorado
Here's Greeley by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 102. Rent: $1,442/month. Income: $68,650/year. Home price: $418,757. Population: 112,609. The strongest category is Utilities at 94; the most expensive is Housing at 106. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $5,436 per year vs. the national median. This is the type of edge you don't see advertised.
488,664 residents · Colorado
A closer look at Colorado Springs: the cost index of 107 breaks down to a Utilities index of 98 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 118 (weakest). 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 (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
177,563 residents · Colorado
Here's Aurora by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). And broadly, cost index: 108. Rent: $1,689/month. Income: $84,320/year. Home price: $458,953. Population: 177,563. The strongest category is Utilities at 99; the most expensive is Housing at 120. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $2,472 per year vs. the national median. For anyone relocating from a high-cost market, this will feel like a raise. That's not nothing.
155,961 residents · Colorado
Real talk: Dive into Lakewood's numbers: cost index 114 (2 points above national average), rent $1,733/month, income $85,789, and a home price of $565,592. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Utilities is the cheapest category at 104, while Housing runs 134. With 155,961 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
#1 Ranked: Pueblo — cost index 94, rent $1,316/mo, income $55,305
0 of 11 cities keep rent under 30% of $40K
0 of 11 cities keep rent under 30% of $40K 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 | 39% | 94 | Details |
| 2 | Greeley | $1,442 | 43% | 102 | Details |
| 3 | Colorado Springs | $1,667 | 50% | 107 | Details |
| 4 | Aurora | $1,689 | 51% | 108 | Details |
| 5 | Lakewood | $1,733 | 52% | 114 | Details |
| 6 | Westminster | $1,788 | 54% | 112 | Details |
| 7 | Denver | $1,818 | 55% | 113 | Details |
| 8 | Thornton | $1,888 | 57% | 113 | Details |
| 9 | Fort Collins | $1,970 | 59% | 117 | Details |
| 10 | Arvada | $2,053 | 62% | 121 | Details |
| 11 | Centennial | $2,056 | 62% | 122 | Details |
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $40K salary, 0 cities (0%) meet this threshold. That's a tough market. 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.
The #1 spot goes to Pueblo, and the breakdown explains why. And as far as the data shows, renters here pay $1,316/month — saving renters $6,948 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 85, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 97. A 29% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone (we double-checked this one).
On a $40K salary, the key number is $1,000/month — that's 30% of gross, the standard affordability line. Pueblo ($1,316/mo, 39%), Greeley ($1,442/mo, 43%), Colorado Springs ($1,667/mo, 50%) all clear that bar. After federal tax, FICA (7.65%), and state income tax, estimated take-home ranges from $30,612 to $30,612/year across these top picks.
The numbers are clear. The implications are even clearer: 0 of 11 cities keep rent under 30% of $40K. The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $40K salary, 0 cities (0%) meet this threshold. That's a tough market. That's not a marginal difference — it reshapes your monthly budget.
Against the national baseline, though: Here's the state-level backdrop: Colorado averages a 111 cost index, $1,765/mo 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. Quietly competitive.
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. The difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Pueblo | 4.4% | 7.81% | 0.49% | $30,612 |
2Greeley | 4.4% | 7.81% | 0.49% | $30,612 |
3Colorado Springs | 4.4% | 7.81% | 0.49% | $30,612 |
4Aurora | 4.4% | 7.81% | 0.49% | $30,612 |
5Lakewood | 4.4% | 7.81% | 0.49% | $30,612 |
6Westminster | 4.4% | 7.81% | 0.49% | $30,612 |
7Denver | 4.4% | 7.81% | 0.49% | $30,612 |
8Thornton | 4.4% | 7.81% | 0.49% | $30,612 |
9Fort Collins | 4.4% | 7.81% | 0.49% | $30,612 |
10Arvada | 4.4% | 7.81% | 0.49% | $30,612 |
We calculate what percentage of a $40K 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 $40K salary in Pueblo, rent would consume about 39% of your gross monthly income. Financial experts recommend keeping rent under 30%. It's tight — consider a roommate or nearby suburb.
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 $40K in Pueblo is approximately $30,612/year ($2,551/month). After median rent of $1,316/month, you'd have roughly $14,820/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.