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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.
#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
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.
Centennial earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 122 cost index sits 10 points above the national baseline, and the $128,167 median income means purchasing power here is partially offset by higher costs. Homes list at $638,401 — $171,031 above the national median, reflecting the local market dynamics. On the cost side, Utilities leads the way at 112, while Housing trails at 155.
That said, State context matters: Colorado's 11 cities average a 111 cost index with $1,765/month median rent and $90,112 household income. Outdoor lifestyle with a rising price tag. The sidebar links are curated — each one opens a different lens on the same data.
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.
| Rank | City | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Centennial | 122 | $2,056 | Details |
| 2 | Arvada | 121 | $2,053 | Details |
| 3 | Fort Collins | 117 | $1,970 | Details |
| 4 | Thornton | 113 | $1,888 | Details |
| 5 | Denver | 113 | $1,818 | Details |
| 6 | Westminster | 112 | $1,788 | Details |
| 7 | Lakewood | 114 | $1,733 | Details |
| 8 | Aurora | 108 | $1,689 | Details |
| 9 | Colorado Springs | 107 | $1,667 | Details |
| 10 | Greeley | 102 | $1,442 | Details |
| 11 | Pueblo | 94 | $1,316 | Details |
106,883 residents · Colorado
Centennial earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. And as far as the data shows, the 122 cost index sits 10 points above the national baseline, and the $128,167 median income means purchasing power here is partially offset by higher costs. Homes list at $638,401 — $171,031 above the national median, reflecting the local market dynamics. On the cost side, Utilities leads the way at 112, while Housing trails at 155.
121,414 residents · Colorado
At $2,053/month for rent and a cost index of 121, Arvada is pretty much what you'd expect from a mid-size city in this part of the country. And in most cases, income is $113,396. Not the most exciting stat, but it matters.
170,376 residents · Colorado
The #3 spot goes to Fort Collins, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,970/month — costing renters $900 more per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Utilities is the standout at index 108, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 142. A 28% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone.
144,922 residents · Colorado
Dive into Thornton's numbers: cost index 113 (1 points above national average), rent $1,888/month, income $100,985, and a home price of $497,741. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Utilities is the cheapest category at 104, while Housing runs 132. With 144,922 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
716,577 residents · Colorado
The #5 spot goes to Denver, and the breakdown explains why. And generally speaking, renters here pay $1,818/month — saving renters $924 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Utilities is the standout at index 104, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 133. At a 24% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget.
Cities with the highest rents in Colorado are ranked from most expensive to least. High rent doesn't always mean unaffordable — we pair rent data with income to show the full picture. 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.