Median Income
$85,853
household / year
Median Home Value
$540,400
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$1,665
gross / month
Cost of Living
106
national avg = 100

Is Denver, CO a Good Place to Live?

Denver is a large city of 710,800 in Colorado, with a median household income of $85,853 and a 4.7% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 106 (US average = 100), which is 6% above the national average.

Strengths: Denver stands out for solid school ratings (A-), a well-educated population, short average commutes.

Trade-offs: Potential downsides include high home prices, a higher-than-average crime index. Whether Denver is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Denver 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: 105.5

Denver's overall cost of living index is 105.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Denver costs roughly 6% more than the average American city.

Metric Denver, CO National Avg
Median Home Value $540,400 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $1,665 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 49.4% 65.9%
Median Household Income $85,853 $74,755

Crime & Safety

High Crime

Denver's violent crime rate is 993.0 per 100,000 residents — 161% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
993.0 /100k
Property Crime
4761.6 /100k

Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.

Schools & Education

Denver is served primarily by School District No. 1 in the county of Denver and State of C. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15.1:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).

Metric Denver, CO National Avg
School District School District No. 1 in the county of Denver and State of C —
Elementary Schools 111 —
Middle Schools 30 —
High Schools 54 —
Student/Teacher Ratio 15.1:1 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 54.2% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 90.5% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Denver sees average highs of 46.5°F in January and 90.2°F in July, with 15.4 inches of annual precipitation and 49.0 inches of snow per year.

MetricDenver, CO
Average High — January46.5°F
Average High — July90.2°F
Annual Precipitation15.4"
Annual Snowfall49.0"

Demographics

MetricDenver, CONational Avg
Population710,800—
Median Age34.938.9
Unemployment Rate4.7%3.7%
Avg Commute Time25.3 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)65.7%59.3%
Black or African American8.9%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino17.0%18.9%
Asian3.6%6.3%
Under 1818.7%22.2%
65 and over12.0%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Glendale, CO 5 mi Four Square Mile, CO 6 mi Derby, CO 6 mi North Washington, CO 6 mi Holly Hills, CO 7 mi

ZIP Codes in Denver

Denver, CO is covered by 32 ZIP codes:

80249 80239 80219 80216 80238 80210 80204 80223 80220 80205 80211 80207 80237 80209 80222 80224 80236 80231 80212 80230 80206 80218 80247 80202 80246 80203 80235 80266 80294 80290 80264 80293

Denver vs Other Cities

Denver, CO vs Glendale, CO Denver, CO vs Four Square Mile, CO Denver, CO vs Derby, CO Denver, CO vs North Washington, CO Denver, CO vs Holly Hills, CO

Frequently Asked Questions

Denver's cost of living index is 106, where 100 is the national average. That puts Denver roughly 6% above the national average in cost. The median home price is $540,400 and median rent is $1,665/month.
Denver's violent crime rate is 993.0 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 4761.6 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
Public schools in Denver are operated by School District No. 1 in the county of Denver and State of C. The district has 111 elementary, 30 middle, and 54 high schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15.1:1. 54.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Denver, CO has a population of 710,800, a median household income of $85,853, and an unemployment rate of 4.7%. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Denver averages 46.5°F in January and 90.2°F in July. Annual rainfall is 15.4 inches with about 49.0 inches of snow per year. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
Denver, CO is covered by 32 ZIP codes: 80249, 80239, 80219, 80216, 80238, 80210, 80204, 80223, 80220, 80205, 80211, 80207, 80237, 80209, 80222, 80224, 80236, 80231, 80212, 80230, 80206, 80218, 80247, 80202, 80246, 80203, 80235, 80266, 80294, 80290, 80264, 80293.
The population of Denver, Colorado is 710,800 with a median age of 34.9. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Denver: cost of living index 106 (100 = US average), median home $540,400, median household income $85,853, crime index 247 (100 = US average, lower is safer), schools rated A-. Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Denver side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.