Colorado
D+11 · Moderate tax burden · COL index 110
4.4%
Income Tax
453
Violent Crime / 100K
78.8
Life Expectancy
$545K
Median Home
$1,600
Childcare / Mo
State Profile
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Get notified when Colorado tax laws, gun laws, or social policy changes.
Taxes
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Income Tax
Property Tax
~$2,616/yr on median home
Sales Tax
Social Security
Pension / IRA
SS taxed but up to $24K pension deduction
Estate Tax
Inheritance Tax
Capital Gains
Housing & Cost of Living
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Cost of Living Index
National avg = 100
Median Home Price
Median Rent (2BR)
Home Insurance
Near national avg (~$1,900/yr)
Flood Insurance
Homestead Exemption
Home equity protected from creditors
Asset Protection
Crime & Safety
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Violent Crime Rate
Near national avg
Property Crime Rate
Above national avg
Traffic Fatality Rate
Healthcare
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State Healthcare Rank
Top tier
Life Expectancy
Medicaid Expansion
Uninsured Rate
Education
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K-12 Quality Rank
Top 10 nationally
School Choice / Vouchers
Childcare
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Avg Infant Care (Full-Time)
Utilities & Daily Costs
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Avg Monthly Energy Bill
Avg Monthly Groceries
2-person household, moderate spending
Road Quality Rank
Airports & Travel
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Nonstop Destinations
From state's primary airport
Major Hub Airport
Top-25 US airport by passengers
Culture & Lifestyle
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Urban Population
Highly urban — big city feel
Restaurant Density
Religious Congregations
Pro Sports Teams
NFL + NBA + MLB + NHL + MLS
Major Venues
Stadiums, arenas, amphitheaters (10K+ capacity)
Craft Breweries
8/100K residents — Top tier
Craft Distilleries
Strong spirits scene
Live Music
Denver + Boulder craft scene; Red Rocks Amphitheatre is a bucket-list venue; Underground Music Showcase
Transportation
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Car Insurance (Avg Annual)
Traffic Fatality Rate
Broadband Access
Social & Legal
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Abortion Access
No gestational limit; state constitutional right
LGBTQ+ Protections
Marijuana
Minimum Wage
Right to Work
Sports Betting
Casino Gambling
Online Gambling
State Lottery
Commercial casinos limited to Central City, Black Hawk, Cripple Creek. Sports betting launched 2020.
Age of Consent
Sex Education
No state sex ed mandate
Medically Accurate Required
Nude Beaches & Naturist Clubs
Avalon Resort (Loveland) · Valley View Hot Springs (Villa Grove) · Rocky Mountain Naturists
Environment & Climate
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Air Quality (Annual AQI)
Near national avg
Natural Disaster Risk
Primary Hazards
Politics & Gun Laws
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2024 Presidential Vote
Gun Laws
Carry Permit
Purchase Permit Required
Gambling
Hunting & Outdoors
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Colorado's over-the-counter archery elk hunting is world-class. The state has the largest elk herd in North America.
Colorado Parks & Wildlife — Official Season Dates ↗Finding nearby venues...
From r/hunting
Colorado hunting, feeling discouraged : r/Hunting
You can possibly get a deer and elk tag each year. These animals know when hunting season is. They don't act like they do the rest of the ye...
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What is elk hunting on public land really like?
People get lucky every year. It's always possible, The crowding is VERY bad....
reddit.com ↗
Planning a November 2016 Elk Hunt in Colorado
the last limited Elk season ends November 20th, 2016. You can pack an elk out by yourself, a big bull runs around 700lbs. one pick up a deer...
reddit.com ↗
Buying First Hunting Rifle (COLORADO ELK AND DEER)
I'm continuing elk and deer hunting this season in Colorado a 30-06 or 308 not 7mm. All three are great options for elk, but the first two a...
reddit.com ↗
Why we recommend them
If you're hunting elk in Wyoming, whitetail in Kansas, or black bear in West Virginia — Ravin builds the most accurate crossbows on the planet. Rifle-like precision at 500 FPS. We're proud to partner with them.
Jobs & Economy
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Job Market
+2.2% job growth · 3.5% unemployment
Top Industries
Tech Jobs
Top tech job market nationally
Healthcare Jobs
Remote Work
High remote work culture
Median Household Income
Business Climate
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Corporate Income Tax
LLC Formation Fee
LLC Annual Fee
Business Climate Rank
Daily Life
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Gas Price (Regular)
Below avg (-0.15 vs national avg)
Consumer Fireworks
Ground-based only in many areas; fire bans can prohibit all fireworks
Weather & Natural Risks
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Winter Severity
Avg January high: 44°F
Summer Heat
Moderate summers
Annual Rainfall
Tornado Risk
Hurricane Risk
Wildfire Risk
Flood Risk
Natural Hazards
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Venomous Snakes
Spider Hazard
Scorpions
Hurricane Risk
Tornado Risk
Wildfire Risk
Earthquake Risk
Danger score is a composite index. Methodology ↗
Veteran Benefits
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Veteran-Friendly Score
8.2% of state population are veterans
Property Tax Exemption
50% exemption for 100% disabled vets
Military Retirement Pay
Active Duty Pay
VA Facilities Access
Notable Benefits
Explore Colorado counties
Income, housing, poverty, healthcare — ranked by county
See your full cost of living in Colorado
Housing, taxes, childcare, insurance — all estimated.
Compare Similar States
CO vs OR
Colorado vs Oregon
COL 110 vs 110 · 4.4% vs 9.9% income tax
Full comparison →
CO vs VT
Colorado vs Vermont
COL 110 vs 111 · 4.4% vs 8.75% income tax
Full comparison →
CO vs ME
Colorado vs Maine
COL 110 vs 107 · 4.4% vs 7.15% income tax
Full comparison →
CO vs CT
Colorado vs Connecticut
COL 110 vs 114 · 4.4% vs 6.99% income tax
Full comparison →
Trending in Colorado
State Veto Rates: Colorado & California Lead 2025-2026 - MultiState
MultiState · Jun 9
Southern Colorado artists receive Governor’s Creative Leadership Awards - KKTV
KKTV · Jun 10
Colorado candidates for governor outline plans at 'Women Decide' forum - Rocky Mountain PBS
Rocky Mountain PBS · Jun 8
Kirkmeyer betting that budget hawk pitch will fly with Republican voters - Colorado Public Radio
Colorado Public Radio · Jun 9
Women Decide: Colorado Governor's Forum - PBS
PBS · Jun 9
What Residents Say
Is cost of living really as bad as I'm seeing people say?
A single, childless renter in denver will have absolutely no problem living on 100K. It gets hard with multiple people in a household, trying to ......
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Those of you thinking of leaving Colorado because of high ...
I know a lot of us must be considering a move....
reddit.com ↗
Cost of Living Question : r/ColoradoSprings
The average single family house price in Colorado Springs is just under $500,000, Denver is closer to $600,000. In OKC it's $203,000. Food here ......
reddit.com ↗
Is the cost of living really that bad in the Denver area?
I keep hearing this from some people, that you shouldn’t move to Denver if you’re not ready for a huge COL increase. But from everything I’ve ......
reddit.com ↗
Since everyone asked how much it cost to live comfortably ...
After taxes $130K is ~$7,700k a month. If one were to follow the 1/3rd of your income towards housing “rule” that's $2,600 / month. A payment of ......
reddit.com ↗
Is it worth moving from beautiful Colorado to Portland?
The income tax is effectively flat at around 4 and a half percent in CO, while hitting 10% at moderate incomes in OR (and then scaling higher ......
reddit.com ↗
Stay in Charlotte for $105k or move to Denver for $140k ...
Currently making $106k in Charlotte with really great benefits (including 30 day paid vacation) and yearly bonus of 10 to $15k a year (pretax) working ......
reddit.com ↗
It's not cheap to live in Colorado. We studied just how much ...
Since 2007 (in Colorado) median rent has gone up 22%, while wages have increased 1.1%. The overall cost of living has increased by 53%, or 3X ......
reddit.com ↗
If you were resolved to move to a state with a lower cost of ...
Low cost of living(lower DE), moderate state tax, no sales tax, property taxes are absurdly low. COL is pretty low too. Source, currently live ......
reddit.com ↗
Colorado ranks 7th for highest percentage of income that ...
Colorado ranks 7th for highest percentage of income that goes to housing costs: 22.89%....
reddit.com ↗
Stay Current
Get notified when Colorado tax laws, gun laws, or social policy changes.
Colorado Guides
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Data is informational only. Verify with a tax professional, real estate agent, and local sources before making relocation decisions. Crime data: FBI UCR ~2022. Healthcare: Commonwealth Fund / US News ~2023. Education: Education Week ~2023. Housing: Zillow / Census ACS ~2024. Insurance: rate surveys ~2024. Sponsored links marked “Sponsored” may earn a commission. This does not affect our data or rankings.