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Living in Colorado · 2026

Is $48,000 enough to live in Colorado?

Single adult · CO · 2026 tax brackets · Real cost-of-living data

Statewide verdict:Manageable

Monthly take-home

$3,214

Avg monthly expenses

$2,879

Avg monthly surplus

$335

Savings potential

~10%

After-tax take-home in Colorado

Gross salary$48,000
Federal income tax− $3,654
State income tax− $2,112
Social Security− $2,976
Medicare− $696
Annual take-home$38,562
Effective tax rate19.66%

How $48,000 feels in Colorado cities

Rent: HUD FMR 2026 · Food: USDA Low-Cost Plan × COL · Transport/Utilities/Healthcare: BLS CES × COL

Denver

COL index: 1.39× national avg

Manageable
Rent (1BR)
$1,900
Food
$528
Transport
$243
Utilities
$229
Healthcare
$278
Total: $3,178/mo
Surplus: $36/mo
Rent burden: 59.1% — Unaffordable (> 50%)
Full Denver analysis →

Colorado Springs

COL index: 1.14× national avg

Comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,400
Food
$449
Transport
$199
Utilities
$188
Healthcare
$228
Total: $2,464/mo
Surplus: $750/mo
Rent burden: 43.6% — High (35–50%)
Full Colorado Springs analysis →

Aurora

COL index: 1.08× national avg

Comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,400
Food
$493
Transport
$189
Utilities
$178
Healthcare
$216
Total: $2,476/mo
Surplus: $738/mo
Rent burden: 43.6% — High (35–50%)
Full Aurora analysis →

Fort Collins

COL index: 1.18× national avg

Comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,600
Food
$475
Transport
$207
Utilities
$195
Healthcare
$236
Total: $2,713/mo
Surplus: $501/mo
Rent burden: 49.8% — High (35–50%)
Full Fort Collins analysis →

Lakewood

COL index: 1.28× national avg

Manageable
Rent (1BR)
$1,800
Food
$506
Transport
$224
Utilities
$211
Healthcare
$256
Total: $2,997/mo
Surplus: $217/mo
Rent burden: 56.0% — Unaffordable (> 50%)
Full Lakewood analysis →

Boulder

COL index: 1.43× national avg

Very tight
Rent (1BR)
$2,100
Food
$572
Transport
$250
Utilities
$236
Healthcare
$286
Total: $3,444/mo
Surplus: $-230/mo
Rent burden: 65.3% — Unaffordable (> 50%)
Full Boulder analysis →

50 / 30 / 20 Budget Planner

Based on your monthly take-home of $3,214 ($38,568/yr)

Needs 50%Wants 30%Savings 20%
Needs50%

$1,607

per month

  • ›Rent / mortgage
  • ›Groceries
  • ›Utilities
  • ›Insurance
  • ›Minimum debt payments
  • ›Transportation
Wants30%

$964

per month

  • ›Dining out
  • ›Streaming services
  • ›Gym
  • ›Hobbies
  • ›Travel
  • ›Shopping
Savings20%

$643

per month

  • ›Emergency fund
  • ›401(k) / IRA
  • ›Investments
  • ›Down payment fund
  • ›Debt payoff (extra)

Needs / year

$19,284

Wants / year

$11,570

Savings / year

$7,714

Salary Intelligence

Financial pressure in Denver

Rent alone would take 59% of take-home income. This salary creates significant financial pressure in this city — a $76,000 annual income or lower rent is needed to reach affordability.

Lifestyle score: 1.4/10 (Difficult)

Lifestyle Assessment

A $48,000 salary can cover essential living costs for a single adult in Denver, Colorado, but leaves little room for savings (~1% of take-home). Lifestyle is rated difficult, with careful budgeting required to avoid month-to-month shortfalls.

Purchasing Power

Denver's above-average cost of living (index: 1.39) means $48,000 provides the purchasing power of roughly $34,532 in an average-cost US city, or $40,748 in Austin. Moving to a lower-cost state could effectively increase your take-home by thousands.

State & National Benchmark

$48,000 is 5% below the Colorado individual median of $50,700. Consider negotiating a higher salary or exploring higher-paying roles in this state.

State individual median

$50,700

-5%

State household median

$87,598

-45%

Tax reduction strategies

Maximize 401(k) Contributions — Up to $5,170 in federal tax (22% bracket)
Contribute to a Traditional IRA — Up to $1,540 in federal tax (22% bracket)

$48,000 vs. Colorado income benchmarks

Individual median (Colorado)

$50,700

-5% vs. this salary

Household median (Colorado)

$87,598

-45% vs. this salary

Source: US Census Bureau ACS 2023

Related salary insights

Explore other salary levels in Colorado

$40,000$60,000$100,000$150,000$200,000$300,000
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Reviewed by

Finance Editor

CPA, 10+ years in personal finance

Data Sources

Data updated monthly using government datasets.