When searching for the cheapest places to live in Colorado, it’s all about balancing lifestyle and expenses.
Think of it as having your pint of New Belgium Fat Tire and a basket of Rocky Mountain oysters and eating them, too.
To determine the most affordable places to live in Colorado, we used Saturday Night Science to research home prices, rents, and overall living costs. Spending less on housing gives you more money to do the fun stuff the Centennial State offers, like whitewater rafting down the Rio Grande or soaking in the hot springs in Glenwood Springs.
Now, let’s highlight the places in Colorado where living costs are manageable.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 most affordable places to live in Colorado
What is the most affordable place to live in Colorado? The cheapest place in Colorado is Federal Heights after crunching data from the US Census regarding median housing costs, median income, and overall cost of living.
Coloradans are always camping, climbing mountains, skiing/snowboarding, rafting, and mountain biking. This fun happens because Colorado residents know the location of affordable housing.
Check out some more reading about Colorado and the cheapest places in the country:
The 10 Cheapest Places To Live In Colorado For 2024
/10
Population: 14,173
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 82
Median Income: $56,316
Median Home Price: $401,479
Median Rent: $1,516
Federal Heights is the most affordable place in CO. Housing costs are competitive within the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood metro area, with a median home value of $401,479. Located within striking distance of Denver, Federal Heights has an overall cost of living that is 24.1% lower than the state average.
If you’re looking for cheap things to do in Federal Heights, you should check out Camenisch Park and Water World to fill up the weekend.
More on Federal Heights: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 7,667
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 83
Median Income: $48,422
Median Home Price: $167,777
Median Rent: $821
You don’t have to live on ramen noodles and the McDonald’s dollar menu to live in our second most affordable city in Colorado for 2024: Lamar. This city in Prowers County is our second most affordable city for home ownership in line with median income.
Once a city with an agricultural-based economy, this Colorado city has gravitated towards the traditional with most jobs, now, in the trucking industry, medical profession, and fast food. But if you’re looking for a little moonlighting cash, we suggest mountain bike mechanic. We hear they’re in high demand in the southwestern corner of this Rocky Mountain mecca.
More on Lamar: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 7,244
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 84
Median Income: $50,799
Median Home Price: $154,737
Median Rent: $717
La Junta may not have any big cities around, but you’d be surprised how much great stuff there is to do here.
History buffs have Bent’s Old Fort and the Koshare Indian Museum, while hikers can choose between Picket Wire Canyonlands and the exquisite Vogel Canyon.
Note that all of the above activities are pretty cheap, but that’s just the start of your savings in La Junta. The median rent here is a crazy low $717, the lowest anywhere in Colorado.
The median home price in La Junta is also the lowest statewide, with a typical house selling for $154,737. The overall cost of living score in La Junta is 84, compared to the national average of 100 and Colorado’s average of 110.
If you want a high quality of life for an unbeatable price, La Junta might just be your jam.
More on La Junta: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
This is a small town with not a whole lot to do but the crime rate is low and the schools are amazing. The people are kind and giving and smiling and its just an all around good place to be. It is clean and the cost of living is affordable. it is an hour away from the bigger cities and shopping areas
FOX theater has been around for a really long time offering 2 movie screens to enjoy buttered popcorn and snacks in front of.
The Wipeout swimming pool has 2 slides and offers hot dogs and burgers slushies nachos and other great treats
/10
Population: 11,501
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 86
Median Income: $55,407
Median Home Price: $318,927
Median Rent: $1,044
Where Colorado State HWY 52 meets Colorado State Hwy 76, is our fourth most affordable city in Colorado: Fort Morgan.
This little Colorado gem is 35th when it comes to home price to income ratio. We are not surprised considering they have such a strong agricultural economy with an emphasis on meatpacking. Not only is the job market strong in Fort Morgan, their public transportation is the real deal. Amtrak has a hub in this tiny city in northeast Colorado, ready to take you to any job interview and/or profitable business deal in style.
Now if farming and packing meat is not your thing, there’s always a need for train conductors.
More on Fort Morgan: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 13,466
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 87
Median Income: $44,556
Median Home Price: $239,066
Median Rent: $838
If your city has a Walmart Supercenter, you can bet you are living where it’s affordable; and we might add, convenient.
This is only ‘one’ of the reasons our fifth most affordable city in Colorado, Sterling, has made the list. But not the only reason for this northeastern Colorado town to crush our snackability scale. Major employers like Northeastern Junior College, the RE-1 Valley School, Sykes computer software company, and the Sterling Correctional Facility help to keep Sterling’s median household income competitive.
You truly are a ‘Colorado Treasure,’ Sterling.
More on Sterling: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 111,430
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 89
Median Income: $52,794
Median Home Price: $286,223
Median Rent: $940
Pueblo is one of the most affordable places to live in Colorado. As the county seat and largest city in Pueblo County, it offers a variety of amenities and services. With a population of over 111,430, it’s also a hub of activity and an important part of the Front Range Urban Corridor. Whether you’re into outdoor recreation or cultural experiences, Pueblo has something for everyone. Plus, with an unemployment rate of 6.61, residents can enjoy both affordability and economic stability.
More on Pueblo: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
I lived here for 10 years, Pueblo gets a much worse wrap than they’re worth. Just like any city, it depends on where you live and associate your self with, which determines the experience you have. Is it a little rough around the edges- Yes. But what city isn’t. Pueblo is a great community with a deep connection to the people that live in it, I’d move there again if I had been given another chance.
The highschools are a great place for the kids, I sent all 4 of my kids through East Highschool, the IB programme is amazing and Corwin and Fountain are good for middle schoolers and elementary children. If you want a good experience, don’t buy a house in Bessemer or on the East side, that’s just my personal assesment anyway. I grew up in Bessemer, and it’s not as bad as everyone thinks. I suggest looking into University Park or El Comino
/10
Population: 9,792
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 89
Median Income: $50,239
Median Home Price: $284,458
Median Rent: $800
Alamosa is a great option for those looking for an affordable place to live in Colorado. With a median rent of just $800, it is one of the most cost-effective places to live in the state. Additionally, the overall cost of living in Alamosa is rated at 89, which is well below the national average.
The city is known in the area for a thriving community and serves as the commercial center of the San Luis Valley. With a population of just 9,792, it offers a small-town feel with easy access to outdoor recreation opportunities like skiing, hiking, and fishing. Plus, with Adams State University located here, there are plenty of cultural events and activities to enjoy.
More on Alamosa: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
People from Alamosa and surrounding communities don’t want His kind messing up a good thing. He is more than welcome to stay in the cesspool he lives in North of the Valley
/10
Population: 8,334
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 90
Median Income: $47,908
Median Home Price: $242,035
Median Rent: $875
You don’t have to win the lottery to live in this affordable Colorado city. And if you’re looking for a strong side hustle to offset your bills, our eighth most affordable city in Colorado for 2024, Trinidad, is crushing the cannabis industry.
Trinidad is experiencing a new found $4.4 million in tax revenue from $44 million in annual sales of the recreational drug, representing over 5% of the states total sales. No wonder you’re the 15th most affordable city in terms of home ownership to median income.
Trinidad, you are every real estate agents dream.
More on Trinidad: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Whatever keeps the Californians away lol. My grandma lived in Trinidad for most of her life. I used to like going to visit her. It wasn’t until I got older that I realized her doctor was in fact a transexual lol. So that part is fact.
/10
Population: 5,304
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 90
Median Income: $64,475
Median Home Price: $289,894
Median Rent: $891
The ninth most affordable city in Colorado for 2024 is Brush. Kudos to Brush. They moved up 11 from last year to become a Morgan County gold star city.
Located in the northeastern corner of The Centennial State, agriculture and The Brush Rodeo have kept their economy moving in right direction. The median income in this cowboy and cowgirl town is around $64,475 with average home prices up around $289,894.
Brush scored off our charts scoring an 8/10 on our snackability scale. They are the 3rd most affordable city when we looked at home price to income ratio. Affordability = happiness. We get why your city’s motto is “Homegrown Happiness!”
More on Brush: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 8,832
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 91
Median Income: $55,962
Median Home Price: $301,599
Median Rent: $941
Cortez is a contender for the most affordable place to live in Colorado. With a median home value of $301,599 and a median rent of just $941, the cost of living in this small town is significantly lower than other cities in the state. Additionally, the overall cost of living in Cortez is rated at 91 making it an attractive option for anyone on a budget.
Cortez offers stunning natural scenery, with nearby Mesa Verde National Park and the San Juan Mountains both just a short drive away. And with a population of just 8,832, residents enjoy a close-knit community feel where neighbors look out for one another. Cortez is an excellent choice for anyone looking to live comfortably and affordably in beautiful Colorado.
More on Cortez: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Cheapest places to live in Colorado FAQs
The county in Colorado with the lowest cost of living is Ouray County. The average living wage in Ouray County is $101,386 according to MIT data. Ouray County has the lowest cost of living because it has relatively less expensive childcare and housing costs compared to Colorado as a whole. Childcare costs $21,167 a year in Ouray County for two children compared to the Colorado average of $21,623. Housing costs, defined as a blend of the average rent and average mortgage payment, are $16,308 per year in Ouray County compared to $16,996 on average in Colorado.
The cost of living in Colorado is 14.4% higher than the US average. According to MIT, the required living wage for a family of four with two working parents in Colorado is $102,689 vs the national average for a family of four with two working parents of $89,744. The median income of a Colorado household is $75,231.
The cheapest housing market in Colorado is Federal Heights. The average home value in Federal Heights is $71,700, the lowest in the state. The average home value in Colorado is $369,900, almost 5.2 times higher than Federal Heights.
Methodology: How we determined the most affordable places to live in the Centennial State for 2024
Determining affordability for places in Colorado boils down to how much it costs to live here.
You need to understand your costs relative to what people in the rest of the state are paying.
With that logic in mind, we derived several cost of living statistics from the latest Census American Community Survey 2018-2022 for Colorado using Saturday Night Science. We indexed the cost of living statistics across the following categories:
- Housing
- Transportation
- Services
- Groceries
- Healthcare
- Utilities
These are then weighted together to produce an overall cost of living index where 100 is the United States average. Anything below 100 is relatively affordable. Anything over 100 is relatively expensive.
We applied the biggest weight to housing as it typically accounts for 25% or more of your budget. Additionally, housing costs are the highest variant cost across a state. We then compare these cost of living metrics for each place in Colorado to figure out which is the least expensive.
The “Cost of Living Index” allows you to rank all of the 77 places in Colorado that have more than 5,000 people from least expensive to most expensive. Any ties went to the larger city.
The place in Colorado with the lowest cost of living according to the data is Federal Heights.
We updated this article for 2024. This report reflects our tenth time ranking the cheapest places to live in Colorado.
Colorado Affordabilility Summary
This is an accurate list of the most affordable places to live in Colorado for 2024, if you’re looking at the cost of living numbers in Colorado.
The cheapest cities in Colorado are Federal Heights, Lamar, La Junta, Fort Morgan, Sterling, Pueblo, Alamosa, Trinidad, Brush, and Cortez.
Here’s a look at the most expensive cities in Colorado according to the data:
- Cherry Hills Village
- Greenwood Village
- Lone Tree
For more Colorado reading, check out:
Cheapest Places To Live In Colorado
| Rank | City | Population | Cost Of Living Index | Median Income | Home Prices | Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Federal Heights | 14,173 | 82 | $56,316 | $401,479 | $1,516 |
| 2 | Lamar | 7,667 | 83 | $48,422 | $167,777 | $821 |
| 3 | La Junta | 7,244 | 84 | $50,799 | $154,737 | $717 |
| 4 | Fort Morgan | 11,501 | 86 | $55,407 | $318,927 | $1,044 |
| 5 | Sterling | 13,466 | 87 | $44,556 | $239,066 | $838 |
| 6 | Pueblo | 111,430 | 89 | $52,794 | $286,223 | $940 |
| 7 | Alamosa | 9,792 | 89 | $50,239 | $284,458 | $800 |
| 8 | Trinidad | 8,334 | 90 | $47,908 | $242,035 | $875 |
| 9 | Brush | 5,304 | 90 | $64,475 | $289,894 | $891 |
| 10 | Cortez | 8,832 | 91 | $55,962 | $301,599 | $941 |
| 11 | Evans | 22,092 | 93 | $75,544 | $388,506 | $1,411 |
| 12 | Fort Lupton | 8,164 | 93 | $71,293 | $451,653 | $1,195 |
| 13 | Craig | 9,013 | 94 | $52,443 | $287,429 | $977 |
| 14 | Greeley | 107,949 | 95 | $65,525 | $411,873 | $1,208 |
| 15 | Montrose | 20,394 | 96 | $60,132 | $423,228 | $1,032 |
| 16 | Delta | 9,137 | 96 | $45,950 | $335,333 | $846 |
| 17 | Dacono | 6,260 | 98 | $94,783 | $483,988 | $1,682 |
| 18 | Brighton | 40,569 | 99 | $86,975 | $497,256 | $1,629 |
| 19 | Northglenn | 37,948 | 99 | $77,797 | $459,707 | $1,658 |
| 20 | Milliken | 8,438 | 99 | $96,772 | $443,483 | $1,348 |
| 21 | Sheridan | 6,062 | 99 | $53,707 | $424,232 | $1,507 |
| 22 | Grand Junction | 65,918 | 100 | $62,993 | $382,198 | $1,007 |
| 23 | Rifle | 10,420 | 100 | $72,955 | $439,901 | $1,142 |
| 24 | Lochbuie | 7,963 | 100 | $84,556 | $457,546 | $1,165 |
| 25 | Eaton | 5,763 | 101 | $102,314 | $454,752 | $1,443 |
| 26 | Aurora | 387,349 | 102 | $78,685 | $472,149 | $1,651 |
| 27 | Gunnison | 6,629 | 102 | $63,229 | $564,780 | $1,101 |
| 28 | Thornton | 141,799 | 103 | $95,064 | $512,505 | $1,758 |
| 29 | Fruita | 13,462 | 103 | $71,550 | $430,521 | $1,338 |
| 30 | Loveland | 76,500 | 104 | $81,898 | $487,758 | $1,595 |
| 31 | Westminster | 115,502 | 105 | $90,651 | $521,670 | $1,732 |
| 32 | Wellington | 11,163 | 105 | $101,259 | $466,351 | $2,269 |
| 33 | Berthoud | 10,892 | 105 | $101,817 | $592,425 | $1,702 |
| 34 | Fountain | 29,498 | 106 | $80,311 | $389,428 | $1,636 |
| 35 | Salida | 5,697 | 106 | $63,775 | $666,776 | $1,562 |
| 36 | Wheat Ridge | 32,263 | 107 | $79,567 | $594,883 | $1,429 |
| 37 | Edgewater | 5,002 | 107 | $71,964 | $592,807 | $1,412 |
| 38 | Colorado Springs | 479,612 | 108 | $79,026 | $440,298 | $1,464 |
| 39 | Longmont | 98,282 | 108 | $89,720 | $540,403 | $1,689 |
| 40 | Englewood | 33,634 | 108 | $79,375 | $522,702 | $1,483 |
| 41 | Commerce City | 63,050 | 109 | $96,484 | $497,543 | $1,540 |
| 42 | Frederick | 15,037 | 109 | $128,078 | $545,237 | $2,235 |
| 43 | Arvada | 123,066 | 110 | $106,014 | $594,157 | $1,706 |
| 44 | Firestone | 16,704 | 110 | $106,960 | $562,511 | $1,852 |
| 45 | Fort Collins | 168,758 | 111 | $78,977 | $545,188 | $1,576 |
| 46 | Denver | 710,800 | 112 | $85,853 | $558,402 | $1,665 |
| 47 | Lafayette | 30,295 | 112 | $105,819 | $684,062 | $1,912 |
| 48 | Lakewood | 156,149 | 113 | $82,786 | $560,048 | $1,665 |
| 49 | Windsor | 33,905 | 113 | $121,754 | $567,646 | $1,659 |
| 50 | Estes Park | 5,906 | 113 | $63,598 | $687,234 | $1,173 |
| 51 | Gypsum | 8,291 | 115 | $99,726 | $676,112 | $1,741 |
| 52 | Littleton | 45,531 | 116 | $90,273 | $674,009 | $1,554 |
| 53 | Woodland Park | 7,911 | 116 | $89,341 | $534,640 | $1,752 |
| 54 | Glenwood Springs | 10,100 | 117 | $80,806 | $793,858 | $1,430 |
| 55 | Broomfield | 73,946 | 118 | $117,541 | $637,472 | $1,923 |
| 56 | Parker | 58,733 | 119 | $126,615 | $684,096 | $1,885 |
| 57 | Avon | 6,115 | 121 | $85,817 | $1,150,708 | $1,731 |
| 58 | Castle Rock | 74,065 | 122 | $135,985 | $655,932 | $1,810 |
| 59 | Golden | 20,461 | 122 | $90,990 | $820,716 | $1,712 |
| 60 | Durango | 19,148 | 122 | $76,177 | $707,331 | $1,404 |
| 61 | Centennial | 107,702 | 124 | $124,617 | $630,996 | $1,949 |
| 62 | Erie | 30,447 | 124 | $154,509 | $727,737 | $2,650 |
| 63 | Monument | 10,548 | 125 | $102,969 | $712,688 | $1,768 |
| 64 | Timnath | 7,122 | 126 | $162,976 | $675,800 | $1,641 |
| 65 | Eagle | 7,481 | 127 | $101,373 | $914,956 | $1,612 |
| 66 | Louisville | 20,920 | 130 | $135,840 | $821,232 | $1,950 |
| 67 | Breckenridge | 5,017 | 131 | $129,481 | $1,130,739 | $1,198 |
| 68 | Steamboat Springs | 13,251 | 132 | $93,280 | $1,192,382 | $1,813 |
| 69 | Superior | 13,146 | 134 | $149,464 | $827,554 | $2,310 |
| 70 | Aspen | 6,952 | 134 | $94,338 | $3,293,818 | $1,738 |
| 71 | Carbondale | 6,497 | 134 | $92,083 | $1,223,499 | $2,177 |
| 72 | Boulder | 106,598 | 141 | $80,243 | $974,246 | $1,853 |
| 73 | Castle Pines | 11,811 | 142 | $189,280 | $863,001 | $1,904 |
| 74 | Lone Tree | 13,993 | 145 | $121,066 | $927,299 | $1,891 |
| 75 | Greenwood Village | 15,537 | 183 | $139,144 | $1,340,649 | $2,027 |