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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
This is one of the closest races in our database: the top 5 cities are separated by just 8 points on the cost index. Thornton, Centennial, Pueblo, Colorado Springs, Arvada are all within striking distance. At this margin, secondary factors — taxes, rent trends, category-specific costs — become the t…
#1 Ranked: Thornton — cost index 113, rent $1,888/mo, income $100,985
Top 5 separated by only 8 points
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
| Rank | City | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thornton | 113 | $1,888 | Details |
| 2 | Centennial | 122 | $2,056 | Details |
| 3 | Pueblo | 94 | $1,316 | Details |
| 4 | Colorado Springs | 107 | $1,667 | Details |
| 5 | Arvada | 121 | $2,053 | Details |
| 6 | Westminster | 112 | $1,788 | Details |
| 7 | Aurora | 108 | $1,689 | Details |
| 8 | Denver | 113 | $1,818 | Details |
| 9 | Greeley | 102 | $1,442 | Details |
| 10 | Lakewood | 114 | $1,733 | Details |
| 11 | Fort Collins | 117 | $1,970 | Details |
This is one of the closest races in our database: the top 5 cities are separated by just 8 points on the cost index. Thornton, Centennial, Pueblo, Colorado Springs, Arvada are all within striking distance. At this margin, secondary factors — taxes, rent trends, category-specific costs — become the tiebreakers. Here's the full breakdown.
The 3.5× rule is a conservative benchmark: lenders often approve up to 4-5× income, but 3.5× keeps monthly payments safely under 28% of gross income at typical rates. On $60K, that means targeting homes under $210,000. Thornton offers a median home at $497,741 — a 8.3× ratio with room to spare.
Here's Thornton by the numbers — and there's a lot to like. Cost index: 113. Rent: $1,888/month. Income: $100,985/year. Home price: $497,741. Population: 144,922. The strongest category is Utilities at 104; the most expensive is Housing at 132. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $84 per year vs. the national median. There's real money on the table here (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
You don't need to read between the lines. The lines say it all: Top 5 separated by only 8 points. The race is tight: Thornton, Centennial, Pueblo, Colorado Springs, Arvada are all within 8 points of each other. At this level, differences in rent, taxes, or a single category can sway the decision.
Bottom line: Thornton 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.
144,922 residents · Colorado
Why Thornton ranks #1: 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. An outlier in the best sense.
106,883 residents · Colorado
A closer look at Centennial: the cost index of 122 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.
111,077 residents · Colorado
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.
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 (that's pre-tax, of course).
121,414 residents · Colorado
Here's Arvada by the numbers — and there's a lot to like. Cost index: 121. Rent: $2,053/month. Income: $113,396/year. Home price: $608,988. Population: 121,414. The strongest category is Utilities at 111; the most expensive is Housing at 152. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are costing renters $1,896 more per year vs. the national median. For freelancers and gig workers with variable income, this cushion is everything.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Thornton | 4.4% | 7.81% | 0.49% | $71,537 |
2Centennial | 4.4% | 7.81% | 0.49% | $71,537 |
3Pueblo | 4.4% | 7.81% | 0.49% | $71,537 |
4Colorado Springs | 4.4% | 7.81% | 0.49% | $71,537 |
5Arvada | 4.4% | 7.81% | 0.49% | $71,537 |
6Westminster | 4.4% | 7.81% | 0.49% | $71,537 |
7Aurora | 4.4% | 7.81% | 0.49% | $71,537 |
8Denver | 4.4% | 7.81% | 0.49% | $71,537 |
9Greeley | 4.4% | 7.81% | 0.49% | $71,537 |
10Lakewood | 4.4% | 7.81% | 0.49% | $71,537 |
We divide median home price by median household income for each city in Colorado. A ratio of 3× means a home costs 3 years of gross income — generally considered affordable. Ratios above 5× signal a stretched market. 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.
Thornton ranks #1 in Colorado for this analysis with a cost index of 113 and median income of $100,985.
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.
Thornton (ranked #1) has a cost index of 113 and rent of $1,888/mo, while Fort Collins (ranked #11) has a cost index of 117 and rent of $1,970/mo — a 4-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 Thornton is $1,888/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $7 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Thornton is $497,741, which is 4.9× the local median income. It's on the edge of affordability for median-income households. 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.