Cost of living in Golden research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Golden is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Colorado, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Golden is 127, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Golden is 1.3x higher than the national average.
Golden ranks as the #85 cheapest in Colorado out of 111.
Golden ranks as the #5,140 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Golden is $579,800.
The median income in Golden is $83,976.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Golden has an overall cost of living index of 127, which is 1.3x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Colorado, Golden has a cost of living index that's 1.2x higher than Colorado's index of 104.
The standard of living in Golden ranks as #85 most affordable out of the 111 places we measured in Colorado. By definition, that implies Golden ranks as the #26 most expensive place in the Centennial State.
For more reading on life in Golden, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Golden. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Golden is 103.
The Groceries index in Golden is 90.
The Health index in Golden is 98.
The Housing index in Golden is 196.
The Transportation index in Golden is 106.
The Utilities index in Golden is 78.
Living Expense | Golden | Colorado | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 127 | 104 | 100 | |
Services | 103 | 102 | 100 | |
Groceries | 90 | 99 | 100 | |
Health | 98 | 100 | 100 | |
Housing | 196 | 116 | 100 | |
Transportation | 106 | 104 | 100 | |
Utilities | 78 | 90 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Colorado, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Golden is $579,800.
The Median Rent in Golden is $1,547.
The Median Income in Golden is $83,976.
The Home Value To Income in Golden is 6.9x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Golden is 0.22x.
Statistic | Golden | Colorado | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $579,800 | $397,500 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $1,547 | $1,437 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $83,976 | $80,184 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 6.9x | 5.0x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.22x | 0.22x | 0.2x |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Golden. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Denver, CO has a cost of living index of 116, 0.9x Golden.
Lakewood, CO has a cost of living index of 115, 0.9x Golden.
Arvada, CO has a cost of living index of 109, 0.9x Golden.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Golden |
---|---|---|---|
Denver, CO | 706,799 | 116 | 0.9x |
Lakewood, CO | 155,608 | 115 | 0.9x |
Arvada, CO | 122,903 | 109 | 0.9x |
Northglenn, CO | 37,899 | 103 | 0.8x |
Englewood, CO | 33,500 | 111 | 0.9x |
Wheat Ridge, CO | 32,340 | 110 | 0.9x |
Central, LA | 29,746 | 96 | 0.8x |
Sherrelwood, CO | 20,069 | 98 | 0.8x |
Welby, CO | 16,260 | 97 | 0.8x |
Federal Heights, CO | 14,111 | 80 | 0.6x |