Is Aurora, CO a Good Place to Live?
Aurora is a large city of 387,349 in Colorado, with a median household income of $78,685 and a 5.5% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 106 (US average = 100), which is 6% above the national average.
Strengths: Aurora stands out for solid school ratings (B-).
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include high home prices, a higher-than-average crime index, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Aurora is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Aurora city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 105.5Aurora's overall cost of living index is 105.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Aurora costs roughly 6% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Aurora, CO | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $409,700 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,651 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 62.5% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $78,685 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
High CrimeAurora's violent crime rate is 947.8 per 100,000 residents — 149% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Aurora is served primarily by Aurora Joint District No. 28 of the counties of Adams and A. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16.6:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Aurora, CO | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Aurora Joint District No. 28 of the counties of Adams and A | — |
| Elementary Schools | 37 | — |
| Middle Schools | 6 | — |
| High Schools | 7 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 16.6:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 31.8% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 86.9% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Aurora sees average highs of 47.3°F in January and 90.4°F in July, with 17.5 inches of annual precipitation and 49.0 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Aurora, CO |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 47.3°F |
| Average High — July | 90.4°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 17.5" |
| Annual Snowfall | 49.0" |
Demographics
| Metric | Aurora, CO | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 387,349 | — |
| Median Age | 35.1 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.5% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 29.4 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 52.2% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 16.6% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 19.2% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 6.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 24.2% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 11.9% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Aurora
Aurora, CO is covered by 11 ZIP codes: