Cost of living in Highlands Ranch research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Highlands Ranch is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Colorado, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Highlands Ranch is 146, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Highlands Ranch is 1.5x higher than the national average.
Highlands Ranch ranks as the #91 cheapest in Colorado out of 113.
Highlands Ranch ranks as the #5,591 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Highlands Ranch is $704,091.
The median income in Highlands Ranch is $155,847.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Highlands Ranch has an overall cost of living index of 146, which is 1.5x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Colorado, Highlands Ranch has a cost of living index that's 1.3x higher than Colorado's index of 111.
The standard of living in Highlands Ranch ranks as #91 most affordable out of the 113 places we measured in Colorado. By definition, that implies Highlands Ranch ranks as the #22 most expensive place in the Centennial State.
For more reading on life in Highlands Ranch, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Highlands Ranch. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Highlands Ranch is 107.
The Groceries index in Highlands Ranch is 106.
The Health index in Highlands Ranch is 101.
The Housing index in Highlands Ranch is 249.
The Transportation index in Highlands Ranch is 103.
The Utilities index in Highlands Ranch is 83.
| Living Expense | Highlands Ranch | Colorado | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 146 | 111 | 100 | |
| Services | 107 | 102 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 106 | 103 | 100 | |
| Health | 101 | 101 | 100 | |
| Housing | 249 | 134 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 103 | 107 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 83 | 89 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Colorado, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Highlands Ranch is $704,091.
The Median Rent in Highlands Ranch is $2,397.
The Median Income in Highlands Ranch is $155,847.
The Home Value To Income in Highlands Ranch is 4.5x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Highlands Ranch is 0.18x.
| Statistic | Highlands Ranch | Colorado | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $704,091 | $540,183 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $2,397 | $1,693 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $155,847 | $92,470 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 4.5x | 5.8x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.18x | 0.22x | 0.21x |
| Item | Highlands Ranch | Colorado |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.27 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $14.7 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $21.4 | $18 |
| Haircut | $26.81 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $50.45 | $45.56 |
| Item | Highlands Ranch | Colorado |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.23 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.4 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.74 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.3 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $12.87 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.67 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.7 | $3.7 |
| Item | Highlands Ranch | Colorado |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $121.38 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $116.64 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $126.27 | $113.29 |
| Item | Highlands Ranch | Colorado |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.67 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $60.05 | $59.92 |
| Item | Highlands Ranch | Colorado |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $145.02 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $194.36 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Highlands Ranch. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Denver, CO has a cost of living index of 134, 0.9x Highlands Ranch.
Aurora, CO has a cost of living index of 121, 0.8x Highlands Ranch.
Centennial, CO has a cost of living index of 141, 1.0x Highlands Ranch.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Highlands Ranch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver, CO | 713,734 | 134 | 0.9x |
| Aurora, CO | 390,201 | 121 | 0.8x |
| Centennial, CO | 107,386 | 141 | 1.0x |
| Littleton, CO | 45,092 | 134 | 0.9x |
| Englewood, CO | 33,774 | 127 | 0.9x |
| Wheat Ridge, CO | 32,158 | 130 | 0.9x |
| Columbine, CO | 25,681 | 140 | 1.0x |
| Golden, CO | 20,467 | 144 | 1.0x |
| Lone Tree, CO | 14,136 | 164 | 1.1x |
| Berkley, CO | 10,838 | 119 | 0.8x |