When searching for the cheapest places to live in Colorado, it’s all about balancing lifestyle and expenses.
Think of it as having your pint of New Belgium Fat Tire and a basket of Rocky Mountain oysters and eating them, too.
To determine the most affordable places to live in Colorado, we used Saturday Night Science to research home prices, rents, and overall living costs. Spending less on housing gives you more money to do the fun stuff the Centennial State offers, like whitewater rafting down the Rio Grande or soaking in the hot springs in Glenwood Springs.
Now, let’s highlight the places in Colorado where living costs are manageable.
About 19.9 percent of Colorado workers now work from home, the 2nd-highest share in the country — our state-by-state commute breakdown shows what that flip did to carpooling.
$52,315 median income · $642 median rent · #1 home prices in Colorado
Located in
Otero County, ColoradoLa Junta may not have any big cities around (Pueblo, 70 miles to the west is the closest), but you’d be surprised how much great stuff there is to do here.
History buffs have Bent’s Old Fort and the Koshare Indian Museum, while hikers can choose between Picket Wire Canyonlands and the exquisite Vogel Canyon.
Note that all of the above activities are pretty cheap (or free), but that’s just the start of your savings in La Junta. The median rent here is a crazy low $642, the lowest anywhere in Colorado.
The median home price in La Junta is also the lowest statewide, with a typical house selling for $158,563. The overall cost of living score in La Junta is 84, compared to the national average of 100 and Colorado’s average of 110.
If you want a high quality of life for an unbeatable price, La Junta might just be your jam.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$53,188 median income · $858 median rent · #2 home prices in Colorado
Located in
Prowers County, ColoradoYou don’t have to live on ramen noodles and the McDonald’s dollar menu to live in our second most affordable city in Colorado for 2026: Lamar. This city in Prowers County is our second most affordable city for home ownership in line with median income.
Once a city with an agricultural-based economy, this Colorado city has gravitated towards the traditional with most jobs, now, in the trucking industry, medical profession, and fast food. But if you’re looking for a little moonlighting cash, we suggest mountain bike mechanic. We hear they’re in high demand in the southwestern corner of this Rocky Mountain mecca.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$56,597 median income · $1,687 median rent · #14 home prices in Colorado
Located in
Adams County, ColoradoFederal Heights is the third most affordable place in CO. Housing costs are competitive within the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood metro area, with a median home value of $399,108. Located within striking distance of Denver, Federal Heights has an overall cost of living that is 17.5% lower than the state average.
If you’re looking for cheap things to do in Federal Heights, you should check out Camenisch Park and Water World to fill up the weekend.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$54,247 median income · $984 median rent · #10 home prices in Colorado
Located in
Montezuma County, ColoradoCortez is a contender for the most affordable place to live in Colorado. With a median home value of $339,964 and a median rent of just $984, the cost of living in this small town is significantly lower than other cities in the state. Additionally, the overall cost of living in Cortez is rated at 95 making it an attractive option for anyone on a budget.
Cortez offers stunning natural scenery, with nearby Mesa Verde National Park and the San Juan Mountains both just a short drive away. And with a population of just 8,976, residents enjoy a close-knit community feel where neighbors look out for one another. Cortez is an excellent choice for anyone looking to live comfortably and affordably in beautiful Colorado.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$52,273 median income · $910 median rent · #3 home prices in Colorado
Located in
Las Animas County, ColoradoYou don’t have to win the lottery to live in this affordable Colorado city. And if you’re looking for a strong side hustle to offset your bills, our fifth most affordable city in Colorado for 2026, Trinidad, is crushing the cannabis industry.
Trinidad is experiencing a new found $4.4 million in tax revenue from $44 million in annual sales of the recreational drug, representing over 5% of the states total sales. No wonder you’re the 13th most affordable city in terms of home ownership to median income.
Trinidad, you are every real estate agents dream.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$49,688 median income · $837 median rent · #8 home prices in Colorado
Located in
Alamosa County, ColoradoAlamosa is a great option for those looking for an affordable place to live in Colorado. With a median rent of just $837, it is one of the most cost-effective places to live in the state. Additionally, the overall cost of living in Alamosa is rated at 97, which is well below the national average.
The city is known in the area for a thriving community and serves as the commercial center of the San Luis Valley. With a population of just 9,879, it offers a small-town feel with easy access to outdoor recreation opportunities like skiing, hiking, and fishing. Plus, with Adams State University located here, there are plenty of cultural events and activities to enjoy.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$56,664 median income · $1,082 median rent · #5 home prices in Colorado
Located in
Pueblo County, ColoradoPueblo is one of the most affordable places to live in Colorado. As the county seat and largest city in Pueblo County, it offers a variety of amenities and services. With a population of over 111,561, it’s also a hub of activity and an important part of the Front Range Urban Corridor. Whether you’re into outdoor recreation or cultural experiences, Pueblo has something for everyone. Plus, with an unemployment rate of 4.96, residents can enjoy both affordability and economic stability.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$43,283 median income · $1,031 median rent · #4 home prices in Colorado
Located in
Logan County, ColoradoIf your city has a Walmart Supercenter, you can bet you are living where it’s affordable; and we might add, convenient.
This is only ‘one’ of the reasons our eighth most affordable city in Colorado, Sterling, has made the list. But not the only reason for this northeastern Colorado town to crush our snackability scale. Major employers like Northeastern Junior College, the RE-1 Valley School, Sykes computer software company, and the Sterling Correctional Facility help to keep Sterling’s median household income competitive.
You truly are a ‘Colorado Treasure,’ Sterling.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$45,250 median income · $990 median rent · #11 home prices in Colorado
Located in
Delta County, ColoradoThe City of Delta is the Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Delta County, Colorado, United States. The population was 8,915 at the 2010 census, up from 6,400 at the 2000 census. The United States Forest Service headquarters of the Grand Mesa, Gunnison, and Uncompahgre National Forests are located in Delta.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$72,636 median income · $1,045 median rent · #7 home prices in Colorado
Located in
Moffat County, ColoradoCraig is small city located in northwest Colorado. This little city in Moffat County is our tenth most affordable city in Colorado for 2026. This little piece of Colorado heaven scored an 8/10 on our snackability scale with an 8/10 for jobs that offset their cost of living.
Not only does Craig’s solid household median income trickle down to their consistently strong economy, but they are known as the “Elk Hunting Capital of the World”. The economically savvy residents of Craig know how to fill up their freezers without a hefty grocery bill. However, if hunting is not your shtick but affordability is, maybe a river guide on their Yampa River might be a way to earn some extra cash.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Colorado’s statewide median.
Colorado statewide median: $541,842
Colorado statewide median: $95,470
On the map
Where your money goes furthest in Colorado
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we determined the most affordable places to live in the Centennial State for 2026
Determining affordability for places in Colorado boils down to how much it costs to live here.
You need to understand your costs relative to what people in the rest of the state are paying.
With that logic in mind, we derived several cost of living statistics from the latest Census American Community Survey 2020-2024 for Colorado using Saturday Night Science. We indexed the cost of living statistics across the following categories:
- Housing
- Transportation
- Services
- Groceries
- Healthcare
- Utilities
These are then weighted together to produce an overall cost of living index where 100 is the United States average. Anything below 100 is relatively affordable. Anything over 100 is relatively expensive.
We applied the biggest weight to housing as it typically accounts for 25% or more of your budget. Additionally, housing costs are the highest variant cost across a state. We then compare these cost of living metrics for each place in Colorado to figure out which is the least expensive.
The “Cost of Living Index” allows you to rank all of the 76 places in Colorado that have more than 5,000 people from least expensive to most expensive. Any ties went to the larger city.
The place in Colorado with the lowest cost of living according to the data is La Junta.
We updated this article for 2026. This report reflects our eleventh time ranking the cheapest places to live in Colorado. The median Colorado home is 37 years old — old enough that it pays to compare home warranty plans before something expensive breaks.
The full plate
Cheapest Places To Live In Colorado
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | Cost Of Living Index | Median Income | Home Prices | Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | La Junta | 7,140 | 91 | $52,315 | $158,563 | $642 |
| 2 | Lamar | 7,611 | 93 | $53,188 | $180,906 | $858 |
| 3 | Federal Heights | 14,125 | 94 | $56,597 | $399,108 | $1,687 |
| 4 | Cortez | 8,976 | 95 | $54,247 | $339,964 | $984 |
| 5 | Trinidad | 8,286 | 96 | $52,273 | $230,018 | $910 |
| 6 | Alamosa | 9,879 | 97 | $49,688 | $314,612 | $837 |
| 7 | Pueblo | 111,561 | 99 | $56,664 | $283,603 | $1,082 |
| 8 | Sterling | 13,172 | 100 | $43,283 | $244,759 | $1,031 |
| 9 | Delta | 9,421 | 104 | $45,250 | $368,018 | $990 |
| 10 | Craig | 8,991 | 105 | $72,636 | $304,797 | $1,045 |
| 11 | Fort Morgan | 11,605 | 106 | $64,158 | $328,288 | $1,067 |
| 12 | Brush | 5,306 | 106 | $73,382 | $298,242 | $692 |
| 13 | Montrose | 21,044 | 113 | $70,386 | $467,131 | $1,197 |
| 14 | Grand Junction | 68,142 | 114 | $70,080 | $422,320 | $1,142 |
| 15 | Evans | 22,396 | 114 | $75,563 | $394,719 | $1,582 |
| 16 | Gunnison | 6,766 | 114 | $62,189 | $620,585 | $1,230 |
| 17 | Lochbuie | 8,609 | 115 | $97,009 | $464,474 | $2,429 |
| 18 | Sheridan | 6,005 | 115 | $60,608 | $436,932 | $1,622 |
| 19 | Greeley | 110,806 | 116 | $69,881 | $420,464 | $1,388 |
| 20 | Fruita | 13,691 | 116 | $87,184 | $480,864 | $1,472 |
| 21 | Rifle | 10,570 | 116 | $80,000 | $497,317 | $1,308 |
| 22 | Fountain | 29,300 | 118 | $86,242 | $394,609 | $1,745 |
| 23 | Fort Lupton | 8,897 | 118 | $80,889 | $464,448 | $1,251 |
| 24 | Milliken | 8,871 | 120 | $107,500 | $450,807 | $2,102 |
| 25 | Eaton | 5,867 | 120 | $106,294 | $466,373 | $1,707 |
| 26 | Colorado Springs | 487,887 | 122 | $84,818 | $449,452 | $1,648 |
| 27 | Dacono | 6,530 | 124 | $104,559 | $502,451 | $1,827 |
| 28 | Mead | 5,919 | 124 | $125,357 | $556,278 | $1,275 |
| 29 | Brighton | 42,059 | 125 | $107,679 | $498,701 | $1,779 |
| 30 | Salida | 5,861 | 125 | $70,045 | $700,439 | $1,292 |
| 31 | Northglenn | 38,014 | 126 | $84,030 | $463,886 | $1,775 |
| 32 | Aurora | 394,432 | 127 | $88,368 | $463,081 | $1,835 |
| 33 | Commerce City | 66,445 | 127 | $111,972 | $490,702 | $1,880 |
| 34 | Thornton | 144,187 | 128 | $103,088 | $502,945 | $1,895 |
| 35 | Loveland | 78,410 | 128 | $84,604 | $500,792 | $1,730 |
| 36 | Woodland Park | 7,949 | 129 | $99,238 | $534,082 | $2,007 |
| 37 | Englewood | 34,129 | 130 | $86,800 | $516,657 | $1,668 |
| 38 | Westminster | 115,484 | 132 | $100,272 | $527,654 | $1,882 |
| 39 | Berthoud | 12,411 | 132 | $119,385 | $606,280 | $1,795 |
| 40 | Severance | 10,130 | 132 | $124,572 | $495,599 | $2,569 |
| 41 | Firestone | 18,049 | 133 | $120,150 | $570,742 | $2,009 |
| 42 | Wellington | 11,798 | 133 | $107,017 | $470,775 | $2,473 |
| 43 | Estes Park | 5,844 | 133 | $85,956 | $684,046 | $1,511 |
| 44 | Fort Collins | 170,229 | 135 | $85,070 | $563,815 | $1,690 |
| 45 | Longmont | 99,406 | 135 | $90,671 | $556,720 | $1,816 |
| 46 | Frederick | 16,651 | 135 | $129,460 | $544,142 | $2,381 |
| 47 | Gypsum | 8,941 | 135 | $115,564 | $699,183 | $2,183 |
| 48 | Lakewood | 156,583 | 136 | $89,792 | $573,913 | $1,806 |
| 49 | Wheat Ridge | 32,070 | 136 | $90,564 | $606,404 | $1,579 |
| 50 | Glenwood Springs | 10,241 | 136 | $91,481 | $869,621 | $1,867 |
| 51 | Windsor | 37,914 | 137 | $127,028 | $577,243 | $1,793 |
| 52 | Durango | 19,411 | 138 | $78,602 | $747,772 | $1,636 |
| 53 | Monument | 11,735 | 138 | $128,816 | $755,938 | $1,929 |
| 54 | Arvada | 122,634 | 139 | $117,348 | $616,566 | $1,888 |
| 55 | Littleton | 44,710 | 139 | $98,839 | $634,610 | $1,819 |
| 56 | Broomfield | 76,304 | 141 | $123,874 | $632,201 | $2,126 |
| 57 | Parker | 61,783 | 141 | $133,369 | $688,178 | $2,096 |
| 58 | Denver | 718,877 | 142 | $94,718 | $539,666 | $1,831 |
| 59 | Castle Rock | 79,123 | 142 | $145,197 | $672,107 | $2,000 |
| 60 | Lafayette | 30,602 | 144 | $119,040 | $676,851 | $2,121 |
| 61 | Centennial | 108,201 | 145 | $131,928 | $649,086 | $2,148 |
| 62 | Steamboat Springs | 13,433 | 149 | $104,964 | $1,310,883 | $2,017 |
| 63 | Avon | 5,972 | 153 | $89,027 | $1,258,435 | $2,192 |
| 64 | Golden | 20,417 | 154 | $98,582 | $863,815 | $1,953 |
| 65 | Erie | 33,808 | 155 | $173,349 | $725,091 | $2,805 |
| 66 | Aspen | 6,756 | 156 | $74,033 | $3,535,613 | $2,081 |
| 67 | Eagle | 7,442 | 157 | $110,398 | $1,028,575 | $1,820 |
| 68 | Superior | 13,305 | 162 | $159,434 | $833,348 | $2,457 |
| 69 | Timnath | 8,941 | 162 | $178,257 | $675,535 | $2,206 |
| 70 | Carbondale | 6,637 | 163 | $108,324 | $1,437,953 | $2,167 |
| 71 | Louisville | 20,786 | 164 | $147,319 | $837,473 | $2,166 |
| 72 | Castle Pines | 13,388 | 164 | $191,229 | $895,088 | $2,211 |
| 73 | Lone Tree | 14,147 | 170 | $123,741 | $894,853 | $2,139 |
| 74 | Boulder | 106,433 | 176 | $87,493 | $964,531 | $2,018 |
| 75 | Greenwood Village | 15,420 | 201 | $149,029 | $1,414,364 | $2,123 |
| 76 | Cherry Hills Village | 6,354 | 315 | $250,001 | $3,182,803 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, cost-of-living data. 76 places with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Colorado Affordability Summary
This is an accurate list of the most affordable places to live in Colorado for 2026, if you’re looking at the cost of living numbers in Colorado.
The cheapest cities in Colorado are La Junta, Lamar, Federal Heights, Cortez, Trinidad, Alamosa, Pueblo, Sterling, Delta, and Craig. Not sold on Colorado? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Most Affordable Places To Live In Colorado FAQs
What is the cheapest place to live in Colorado?
La Junta is the cheapest place to live in Colorado for 2026. It posts the lowest Cost of Living Index of the 76 places we analyzed; Lamar and Federal Heights are next.
How cheap is housing in La Junta?
The median home value in La Junta is $158,563, versus $541,842 statewide, and the median rent is $642. Housing carries the biggest weight in our cost of living index, and it is the main reason La Junta takes the top spot.
What are the most affordable places to live in Colorado?
The most affordable places to live in Colorado are La Junta, Lamar, and Federal Heights. We ranked all 76 places with more than 5,000 residents on housing, transportation, services, groceries, healthcare, and utilities costs; the full top ten is in the table above.
What is the most expensive place to live in Colorado?
Cherry Hills Village is the most expensive place to live in Colorado. It ranks last of the 76 places we scored on the Cost of Living Index, and the other priciest spots are listed next to the summary above.
How do you measure the cost of living in Colorado?
We index cost of living data from the Census American Community Survey across housing, transportation, services, groceries, healthcare, and utilities, with housing weighted heaviest since it eats the biggest share of a budget. A score of 100 is the national average; anything under 100 counts as affordable.
