Loading
Assembling your view…
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 $50K 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…
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $50K salary, 0 cities (0%) meet this threshold. That's a tough market.
Pueblo (index 77) and Centennial (index 120) sit 43 points apart on the cost index — proof that Colorado is far from monolithic in affordability.
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $50K 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.
On a $50K salary, the key number is $1,250/month — that's 30% of gross, the standard affordability line. Pueblo ($1,316/mo, 32%), Greeley ($1,442/mo, 35%), Colorado Springs ($1,667/mo, 40%) all clear that bar. After federal tax, FICA (7.65%), and state income tax, estimated take-home ranges from $37,922 to $37,922/year across these top picks.
The #1 spot goes to Pueblo, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,316/month — saving renters $6,948 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 77, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 95. A 29% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone.
This looks affordable — until you factor in healthcare. In Pueblo, the healthcare index sits at 95 — not a dealbreaker, but worth knowing about.
Want the real cheat code for comparing cities? It's this ratio: 0 of 11 cities keep rent under 30% of $50K. The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $50K salary, 0 cities (0%) meet this threshold. That's a tough market.
Look, 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.
#1 Ranked: Pueblo — cost index 77, rent $1,316/mo, income $55,305
0 of 11 cities keep rent under 30% of $50K
0 of 11 cities keep rent under 30% of $50K 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 | 32% | 77 | Details |
| 2 | Greeley | $1,442 | 35% | 84 | Details |
| 3 | Colorado Springs | $1,667 | 40% | 97 | Details |
| 4 | Aurora | $1,689 | 41% | 99 | Details |
| 5 | Lakewood | $1,733 | 42% | 101 | Details |
| 6 | Westminster | $1,788 | 43% | 104 | Details |
| 7 | Denver | $1,818 | 44% | 106 | Details |
| 8 | Thornton | $1,888 | 45% | 110 | Details |
| 9 | Fort Collins | $1,970 | 47% | 115 | Details |
| 10 | Arvada | $2,053 | 49% | 120 | Details |
| 11 | Centennial | $2,056 | 49% | 120 | Details |
111,077 residents · Colorado
So, Pueblo. Cost index of 77, rent at $1,316/month. It's lower than the national average. Median income is $55,305, which is below the national median. It lines up with what you'd expect (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
112,609 residents · Colorado
Here's Greeley by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 84. Rent: $1,442/month. Income: $68,650/year. Home price: $418,757. Population: 112,609. The strongest category is Housing at 84; the most expensive is Healthcare at 97. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $5,436 per year vs. the national median. That's a margin of safety most budgets don't have.
488,664 residents · Colorado
The #3 spot goes to Colorado Springs, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,667/month — saving renters $2,736 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 97, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Healthcare at 99. At a 24% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
177,563 residents · Colorado
Why Aurora ranks #4: the numbers tell a clear story. At 99 on the cost index, residents save roughly 12% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,689/month while the median household pulls in $84,320/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 99, though Healthcare (100) lags behind. Home prices average $458,953 — $8,417 below the national median.
155,961 residents · Colorado
The #5 spot goes to Lakewood, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,733/month — we had to double-check this one — — saving renters $1,944 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Healthcare is the standout at index 100, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 101. At a 24% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget. Worth a deeper look.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Pueblo | 4.4% | 7.81% | 0.49% | $37,922 |
2Greeley | 4.4% | 7.81% | 0.49% | $37,922 |
3Colorado Springs | 4.4% | 7.81% | 0.49% | $37,922 |
4Aurora | 4.4% | 7.81% | 0.49% | $37,922 |
5Lakewood | 4.4% | 7.81% | 0.49% | $37,922 |
6Westminster | 4.4% | 7.81% | 0.49% | $37,922 |
7Denver | 4.4% | 7.81% | 0.49% | $37,922 |
8Thornton | 4.4% | 7.81% | 0.49% | $37,922 |
9Fort Collins | 4.4% | 7.81% | 0.49% | $37,922 |
10Arvada | 4.4% | 7.81% | 0.49% | $37,922 |
Pueblo ranks #1 in Colorado for this analysis with a cost index of 77 and median income of $55,305.
Yes. On a $50K salary in Pueblo, rent would consume about 32% 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 77 and rent of $1,316/mo, while Centennial (ranked #11) has a cost index of 120 and rent of $2,056/mo — a 43-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 $50K in Pueblo is approximately $37,922/year ($3,160/month). After median rent of $1,316/month, you'd have roughly $22,130/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.