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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Premium market, smart picks: while Colorado trends above the national average, the gap between the most and least expensive cities here is wider than you'd think. Centennial at index 122 is the standout — offering meaningful savings without leaving Colorado.
Premium market, smart picks: while Colorado trends above the national average, the gap between the most and least expensive cities here is wider than you'd think. Centennial at index 122 is the standout — offering meaningful savings without leaving Colorado.
Why Centennial ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 122 on the cost index, residents spend roughly 10% more than the typical American. Rent sits at $2,056/month while the median household pulls in $128,167/year. The Utilities category is particularly strong at 112, though Housing (155) lags behind. Home prices average $638,401 — $171,031 above the national median.
Bottom line: Centennial 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: Centennial — cost index 122, rent $2,056/mo, income $128,167
4 of 11 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 112
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
106,883 residents · Colorado
A closer look at Centennial: the cost index of 122 — we had to double-check this one — breaks down to a Utilities index of 112 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 155 (weakest). Median rent is $2,056/month — 8% above the national median — while household income sits at $128,167, meaning locals spend about 19% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
121,414 residents · Colorado
Look, the #2 spot goes to Arvada, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $2,053/month — costing renters $1,896 more per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Utilities is the standout at index 111, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 152. At a 22% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget.
144,922 residents · Colorado
Why Thornton ranks #3: the numbers tell a clear story. At 113 on the cost index, residents spend roughly 1% more than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,888/month while the median household pulls in $100,985/year. The Utilities category is particularly strong at 104, though Housing (132) lags behind. Home prices average $497,741 — $30,371 above the national median. Quietly competitive.
114,875 residents · Colorado
Here's Westminster by the numbers — and there's a lot to like. Cost index: 112. Rent: $1,788/month — for better or worse — . Income: $96,145/year. Home price: $520,025. Population: 114,875. The strongest category is Utilities at 103; the most expensive is Housing at 131. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $1,284 per year vs. the national median. On a fixed income, this is the metric that matters most.
716,577 residents · Colorado
Dive into Denver's numbers: cost index 113 (1 points above national average), rent $1,818/month, income $91,681, and a home price of $530,920. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Utilities is the cheapest category at 104, while Housing runs 133. As a major city with 716,577 residents, amenities and job markets are robust.
| Rank | City | Value Ratio | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Centennial | 1,051 | 122 | $2,056 | Details |
| 2 | Arvada | 937 | 121 | $2,053 | Details |
| 3 | Thornton | 894 | 113 | $1,888 | Details |
| 4 | Westminster | 858 | 112 | $1,788 | Details |
| 5 | Denver | 811 | 113 | $1,818 | Details |
| 6 | Aurora | 781 | 108 | $1,689 | Details |
| 7 | Colorado Springs | 778 | 107 | $1,667 | Details |
| 8 | Lakewood | 753 | 114 | $1,733 | Details |
| 9 | Fort Collins | 715 | 117 | $1,970 | Details |
| 10 | Greeley | 673 | 102 | $1,442 | Details |
| 11 | Pueblo | 588 | 94 | $1,316 | Details |
Value ratio = median household income ÷ cost of living index. A higher ratio means each dollar of income buys more locally. This captures purchasing power better than looking at income or cost alone. 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.
Centennial ranks #1 in Colorado for this analysis with a cost index of 122 and median income of $128,167.
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.
Centennial (ranked #1) has a cost index of 122 and rent of $2,056/mo, while Pueblo (ranked #11) has a cost index of 94 and rent of $1,316/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 Centennial is $2,056/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $161 above the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Centennial is $638,401, which is 5.0× 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.