Best places to live in Colorado
Cities and suburbs in Colorado with 25,000+ people, scored against each other: affordability on a $75k salary after taxes and rent (35%), violent crime (30%), schools (20%) and job growth (15%).
| # | City | Score | Rent | Home | Schools |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Windsor, CO | 79/100 | $1,793/mo | $604k | 9/10 |
| 2 | Loveland, CO | 75/100 | $1,730/mo | $479k | 7.9/10 |
| 3 | Fort Collins, CO | 72/100 | $1,690/mo | $578k | 9.4/10 |
| 4 | Wheat Ridge, CO | 69/100 | $1,579/mo | $623k | 8.7/10 |
| 5 | Castle Rock, CO | 65/100 | $2,000/mo | $653k | 9.5/10 |
| 6 | Littleton, CO | 65/100 | $1,819/mo | $631k | 9.5/10 |
| 7 | Highlands Ranch, CO | 59/100 | $2,531/mo | $713k | 9.5/10 |
| 8 | Greeley, CO | 56/100 | $1,388/mo | $403k | 3.3/10 |
| 9 | Parker, CO | 55/100 | $2,096/mo | $646k | 9.5/10 |
| 10 | Grand Junction, CO | 52/100 | $1,142/mo | $390k | 6/10 |
| 11 | Broomfield, CO | 50/100 | $2,126/mo | $665k | 6.7/10 |
| 12 | Brighton, CO | 48/100 | $1,779/mo | $500k | 5.4/10 |
| 13 | Lakewood, CO | 47/100 | $1,806/mo | $574k | 8.7/10 |
| 14 | Centennial, CO | 47/100 | $2,148/mo | $658k | 9/10 |
| 15 | Thornton, CO | 46/100 | $1,895/mo | $518k | 6.7/10 |
| 16 | Arvada, CO | 46/100 | $1,888/mo | $633k | 8.7/10 |
| 17 | Englewood, CO | 45/100 | $1,668/mo | $573k | 3.1/10 |
| 18 | Colorado Springs, CO | 44/100 | $1,648/mo | $453k | 6.3/10 |
| 19 | Longmont, CO | 43/100 | $1,816/mo | $573k | 7.9/10 |
| 20 | Lafayette, CO | 42/100 | $2,121/mo | $687k | 9.5/10 |
| 21 | Erie, CO | 41/100 | $2,805/mo | $737k | 7.9/10 |
| 22 | Pueblo, CO | 40/100 | $1,082/mo | $247k | 4.1/10 |
| 23 | Boulder, CO | 39/100 | $2,018/mo | $1.04M | 9.5/10 |
| 24 | Westminster, CO | 38/100 | $1,882/mo | $532k | 1.9/10 |
| 25 | Denver, CO | 34/100 | $1,831/mo | $616k | 3.8/10 |
Rent, income and home values: U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Taxes: 2026 federal and state rates for a single filer.
Compare the top 4