← City Comparisons

Denver

Colorado state data

Moderate tax burden · COL index 110

Wins 7 categories

VS

Phoenix

Arizona state data

Moderate tax burden · COL index 102

Wins 5 categories

Data reflects Colorado vs Arizona state-level figures. City-specific data coming soon.

Colorado
Arizona

Taxes

4.4%
Income Tax (top rate)
2.5%
0.48%/yr
Property Tax Rate
0.51%/yr
7.76%
Sales Tax (avg)
8.37%
No
Social Security Tax
Yes
Yes
Estate Tax
Yes
As income
Capital Gains Tax
As income

Housing & Cost of Living

110
COL Index (100=avg)
102
$545K
Median Home Price
$420K
$1,850/mo
Median Rent (2BR/mo)
$1,600/mo
$3K/yr
Home Insurance (avg/yr)
$2K/yr

Crime & Safety

453
Violent Crime / 100K
474
2,859
Property Crime / 100K
2,624

Healthcare

#9 of 50
Healthcare Quality Rank
#34 of 50
78.8 yrs
Life Expectancy
76.3 yrs
7.4%
Uninsured Rate
10.8%
Yes
Medicaid Expansion
Yes

Education

#9 of 50
K-12 Quality Rank
#45 of 50
No
School Choice / Vouchers
Yes

Childcare

$1,600/mo
Avg Infant Care / mo
$1,150/mo

Utilities & Daily Costs

$130/mo
Avg Energy Bill / mo
$145/mo
$530/mo
Avg Groceries / mo
$490/mo
#30 of 50
Road Quality Rank
#28 of 50

Social Policy

A-
Gun Laws Grade
F
D+11.0
2024 Presidential Margin
R+5.0

Category wins

7

Denver

5

Phoenix

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People Also Ask

Is it cheaper to live in Denver or Arizona?

Overall cost of living in Denver, CO is 4.6% higher than in Phoenix, AZ. The average listing price for a home in Denver, CO is $661,458, which is 8.9% higher than Phoenix, AZ. The average cost of groceries in Denver, CO is 0.8% lower than Phoenix, AZ.

Is Phoenix going to be unlivable?

Are people moving to or leaving Denver?

Colorado's total net migration – the number of people coming here versus the number of people leaving – has dropped by over 50% from 2015 to 2025. That means Colorado's population growth has now slowed to its lowest level since 1989, according to the state demographer.

What is the downfall of living in Colorado?

Colorado Is Not a Very Diverse State And unfortunately, this has been one of the downsides of living in Colorado. While the people of Colorado are some of the most open-minded and accepting, it isn't the most diverse place to live.

Explore Colorado in depth →Explore Arizona in depth →

Your Priorities

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Quick Profiles

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Annual Income

$150K

Affects effective income tax rate

$0$500K$5M+

Retirement Savings

$0

Affects pension and SS tax burden

None$500K$10M+

Social Security

None

Annual Social Security benefit

None$150K/yr

My Property Is Worth

$400K

Affects property tax burden

Tax burden ↓$1M$50M+

Home Buying Budget

$400K

Compared to state median home price

Hard to find$250K$5M+

Monthly Rent Budget

Don't care

Compared to state median 2BR rent

Don't care$10K/mo

Job Market

Don't care

State unemployment and job growth

Don't careHot market

Airport Access

Don't care

Direct flight destinations from state hubs

Don't careMust have hub

City vs Country

Mid-size city

% urban population

Deep countryBig city

Sunshine

Don't care

Annual sunny days per state

Don't careMax sunshine

Food Scene

Don't care

Restaurants per 100K residents

Don't careWorld-class

Political Preference

Neutral

State's political lean

LiberalConservative

Gun Laws

Neutral

State gun law grade (Giffords)

Gun Control2A Freedom

Abortion Access

Neutral

State abortion access policy

Pro-ChoiceNeutralPro-Life

Community

None

Congregations per 100K residents

AvoidDon't careSeek

Sports & Entertainment

Don't care

Pro sports teams and major venues

Don't careMust have pro teams

Cannabis Laws

Neutral

State cannabis legality

Prefer LegalNeutralPrefer Prohibition

Retiree Community

Neutral

% population 65+ (Census)

Young areaRetirement-heavy

Dating Market

Neutral

% adults never-married (Census)

Singles sceneFamily community

Safety / Low Crime

Don't care

Violent crime rate per 100K (FBI)

Don't careVery safe

School Quality

Don't care

K-12 rank (Education Week)

Don't careTop-ranked

Healthcare Access

Don't care

Healthcare system rank (Commonwealth Fund)

Don't careTop-ranked

Childcare Affordability

Don't care

Cost of living proxy for childcare affordability

Don't careMust be affordable