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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
After service, the right city means keeping more of what you've earned. We scored 11 cities across Colorado for veterans: cost, taxes, and healthcare. Greeley takes #1 for 2026.
#1 Ranked: Greeley — cost index 84, rent $1,442/mo, income $68,650
Veteran scoring: cost index 84, state tax 4.4%, healthcare index 97 — preserving earned benefits
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
After service, the right city means keeping more of what you've earned. We scored 11 cities across Colorado for veterans: cost, taxes, and healthcare. Greeley takes #1 for 2026.
Full transparency here: Greeley earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. And in most cases, the 84 cost index sits 27 points below the national baseline, and the $68,650 median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $418,757 — $48,613 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Housing leads the way at 84, while Healthcare trails at 97.
Veterans have unique financial considerations: pension, VA disability, GI Bill benefits all interact with local costs and taxes. And more often than not, our model weights cost of living (20pts), state tax burden (20pts), and healthcare costs (15pts) for supplemental care beyond VA. Greeley scores highest with a 84 cost index and 4.4% state tax.
Flip the lens, and you get a different read: Colorado — outdoor lifestyle with a rising price tag. The 11 cities we track here average a cost index of 103 and median income of $90,112. It's a clear buyer's market compared to national norms. The typical rent runs $1,765/month, which is $130 less than the national median.
In plain English: Bottom line: Greeley 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 | Greeley | 84 | $1,442 | Details |
| 2 | Pueblo | 77 | $1,316 | Details |
| 3 | Denver | 106 | $1,818 | Details |
| 4 | Colorado Springs | 97 | $1,667 | Details |
| 5 | Aurora | 99 | $1,689 | Details |
| 6 | Fort Collins | 115 | $1,970 | Details |
| 7 | Lakewood | 101 | $1,733 | Details |
| 8 | Thornton | 110 | $1,888 | Details |
| 9 | Arvada | 120 | $2,053 | Details |
| 10 | Westminster | 104 | $1,788 | Details |
| 11 | Centennial | 120 | $2,056 | Details |
112,609 residents · Colorado
Why Greeley ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 84 on the cost index, residents save roughly 27% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,442/month while the median household pulls in $68,650/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 84, though Healthcare (97) lags behind. Home prices average $418,757 — $48,613 below the national median.
111,077 residents · Colorado
The #2 spot goes to Pueblo, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,316/month — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — — 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 (that's pre-tax, of course).
716,577 residents · Colorado
A closer look at Denver: the cost index of 106 breaks down to a Healthcare index of 101 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 106 (weakest). Median rent is $1,818/month — 4% below the national median — while household income sits at $91,681, meaning locals spend about 24% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
488,664 residents · Colorado
A closer look at Colorado Springs: the cost index of 97 breaks down to a Housing index of 97 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 99 (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.
177,563 residents · Colorado
The #5 spot goes to Aurora, and the breakdown explains why. And as a general rule, renters here pay $1,689/month — for better or worse — — saving renters $2,472 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 99, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Healthcare at 100. At a 24% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget. The definition of value.
Our persona scoring model weights cost, income, rent, healthcare, taxes, and city size based on what matters most to military veterans. Each factor scores 10-25 points out of a 100-point composite. The guide ranks every tracked city in Colorado by this personalized metric. 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.
Greeley ranks #1 in Colorado for this analysis with a cost index of 84 and median income of $68,650.
Greeley scores highest for military veterans due to its below-average cost of living, median rent of $1,442/mo, and competitive median income of $68,650.
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.
Greeley (ranked #1) has a cost index of 84 and rent of $1,442/mo, while Centennial (ranked #11) has a cost index of 120 and rent of $2,056/mo — a 36-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 Greeley is $1,442/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $453 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Greeley is $418,757, which is 6.1× 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.