September 2026 report · Denver, CO

Denver, CO Relocation Calculator

Thinking about moving to the Denver, CO area? See what a household needs to cover its bills here, and how much income is left over or falls short each month. The figures are for the area around Denver City Hall (ZIP code 80202).

Chamber of Commerce: Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce

TrueCOLA U.S. Relocation Calculator

in Denver, CO

Figures for the area around Denver City Hall.

Monthly Surplus/Shortfall by housing path

Select one

Each month, after taxes and required costs Surplus

+$515.16

Two adults, renter, in Denver, CO, September 2026

Gross income: $10,679.16the whole bar
Modeled taxes: $2,086.95federal, payroll, state
Housing: $1,878.50rent
Healthcare: $1,346.00health insurance
Everyday essentials: $4,852.55food, transportation, more
Left over: $515.16surplus

Published comparison with the U.S.

+$2,489.82

a month, same household

Take-home pay

$8,592.21

per month, published

Monthly expenses in Denver

Two adults, renter, September 2026.

$8,077.05required costs a month

Housing

$1,878.50

Rent, current asking rent · 23.26% of costs

Healthcare

$1,346.00

Health insurance, two average marketplace premiums before subsidy · 16.66% of costs

Everyday essentials

$4,852.55

the nine lines below · 60.08% of costs

Everyday essentials

Food & beverages $1,710.2721.17% of costs

Transportation $1,622.1320.08% of costs

Apparel $356.184.41% of costs

Recreation $327.194.05% of costs

Utilities $316.593.92% of costs

Other goods & services $185.672.30% of costs

Education $146.601.82% of costs

Telephone $127.471.58% of costs

Internet $60.450.75% of costs

Compare with where you live now

Type the ZIP code where you live now. Until then, this compares with the U.S.

Try

Now · the U.S.

-$1,974.66

Here · Denver

+$515.16

+$2,489.82a month. The local household benchmark is higher.

Local take-home pay differs by +$2,440.08; required costs differ by -$49.74. The margin difference is the pay difference minus the cost difference. Your own pay and taxes may change differently when you move.

What changes between the two places, by line
	Now	Here
Take-home pay	$6,152.13	$8,592.21
Housing	$1,932.72	$1,878.50
Healthcare	$1,471.01	$1,346.00
Everyday essentials	$4,723.07	$4,852.55
Required costs	$8,126.79	$8,077.05

Every household in Denver

Renter. 1 of 7 households have a surplus here. Select one to switch the dashboard.

Where Denver stands

Two adults, renter. The scale runs from the largest shortfall (red) to the largest surplus (green).

All 50 states 0 of 50 with a surplus

U.S. -$1,974.66 Denver +$515.16

Lowest -$3,464.82
West Virginia Highest -$623.64
North Dakota

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“In September 2026, the monthly margin for two adults (renter) in Denver, CO is +$515.16 after modeled taxes and required costs. This is an area benchmark; a ZIP lookup uses the area with most of its homes when the ZIP spans multiple areas.”

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Figures from the September 2026 report. Rent data: Data Provided by Zillow Group.

Denver beside Colorado and the nation

Two adults, renter, September 2026.

Denver +$515.16
Colorado state -$1,058.33
United States nation -$1,974.66

Rent data: Data Provided by Zillow Group.

The figures on this page are for the area that holds Denver City Hall. To see another part of the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area, enter its ZIP code in the By ZIP Code calculator.

More ways to compare

How the calculator works

Select a household type. The calculator shows that household’s published figures from the September 2026 report: gross monthly income, modeled taxes, net monthly income, required costs for housing, healthcare, and other essentials, and the monthly surplus or shortfall that remains. The margin is net income minus required costs. The margin is not an inflation rate and does not replace the CPI.

To evaluate a move, look up where you live now and note its surplus or shortfall, then look up the place you are considering. Because every place is calculated the same way, the two results can be compared directly.

To see an estimate based on your own income, move the slider to your gross monthly pay. That calculation runs only in your browser, is labeled as your estimate, and is never sent or saved. The published figures use the renter track; the calculator also shows three homeowner tracks for every place.

The basket is a market-price standard: current asking rent and unsubsidized average marketplace premiums. It can run above what a settled household pays, and the methodology states this.

For full details, see the methodology page. Rent data: Data Provided by Zillow Group.