Is $80,000 a good salary in Colorado?

$80,000 in Colorado provides a monthly take-home of approximately $5,117 after taxes. Across major Colorado cities, this salary is rated very comfortable, with an average monthly surplus of $2,238.

What is the cost of living on $80,000 in Colorado?

The average monthly living cost across major Colorado cities is approximately $2,879 for a single adult (rent, food, transport, utilities, healthcare). On $80,000 take-home pay of $5,117/month, you would have roughly $2,238/month remaining.

Living in Colorado · 2026

Is $80,000 enough to live in Colorado?

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

Statewide verdict:Very comfortable

Monthly take-home

$5,117

Avg monthly expenses

$2,879

Avg monthly surplus

$2,238

Savings potential

~44%

After-tax take-home in Colorado

Gross salary$80,000

Federal income tax− $8,954

State income tax− $3,520

Social Security− $4,960

Medicare− $1,160

Annual take-home$61,406

Effective tax rate23.24%

How $80,000 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

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,900

Food

$528

Transport

$243

Utilities

$229

Healthcare

$278

Total: $3,178/mo

Surplus: $1,939/mo

Rent burden: 37.1% — High (35–50%)

Full Denver analysis →

Colorado Springs

COL index: 1.14× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,400

Food

$449

Transport

$199

Utilities

$188

Healthcare

$228

Total: $2,464/mo

Surplus: $2,653/mo

Rent burden: 27.4% — Manageable (25–35%)

Full Colorado Springs analysis →

Aurora

COL index: 1.08× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,400

Food

$493

Transport

$189

Utilities

$178

Healthcare

$216

Total: $2,476/mo

Surplus: $2,641/mo

Rent burden: 27.4% — Manageable (25–35%)

Full Aurora analysis →

Fort Collins

COL index: 1.18× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,600

Food

$475

Transport

$207

Utilities

$195

Healthcare

$236

Total: $2,713/mo

Surplus: $2,404/mo

Rent burden: 31.3% — Manageable (25–35%)

Full Fort Collins analysis →

Lakewood

COL index: 1.28× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,800

Food

$506

Transport

$224

Utilities

$211

Healthcare

$256

Total: $2,997/mo

Surplus: $2,120/mo

Rent burden: 35.2% — High (35–50%)

Full Lakewood analysis →

Boulder

COL index: 1.43× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$2,100

Food

$572

Transport

$250

Utilities

$236

Healthcare

$286

Total: $3,444/mo

Surplus: $1,673/mo

Rent burden: 41.0% — High (35–50%)

Full Boulder analysis →

50 / 30 / 20 Budget Planner

Based on your monthly take-home of $5,117 ($61,404/yr)

Needs 50%Wants 30%Savings 20%

Needs50%

$2,559

per month

›Rent / mortgage
›Groceries
›Utilities
›Insurance
›Minimum debt payments
›Transportation

Wants30%

$1,535

per month

›Dining out
›Streaming services
›Gym
›Hobbies
›Travel
›Shopping

Savings20%

$1,023

per month

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

Needs / year

$30,702

Wants / year

$18,421

Savings / year

$12,281

Salary Intelligence

Below comfortable level in Denver

Rent would consume 37% of take-home income — above the 35% stress threshold. A higher salary or lower-cost housing is needed for financial stability in this city.

Lifestyle score: 5.7/10 (Good)

Lifestyle Assessment

A $80,000 salary comfortably supports a good single lifestyle in Denver, Colorado, with approximately $1,939/month (~38% of take-home) available for savings — meeting or exceeding the recommended 20% savings rate.

Purchasing Power

Denver's above-average cost of living (index: 1.39) means $80,000 provides the purchasing power of roughly $57,554 in an average-cost US city, or $67,914 in Austin. Moving to a lower-cost state could effectively increase your take-home by thousands.

State & National Benchmark

$80,000 is 58% above the Colorado individual median of $50,700 and 43% above the US national individual median of $56,000. This is a top-quartile income in this state.

State individual median

$50,700

+58%

State household median

$87,598

-9%

Tax reduction strategies

Maximize 401(k) Contributions — Up to $5,170 in federal tax (22% bracket)

401(k) Age 50+ Catch-Up Contribution — Up to $2,775 additional tax savings (37% bracket)

$80,000 vs. Colorado income benchmarks

Individual median (Colorado)

$50,700

+58% vs. this salary

Household median (Colorado)

$87,598

-9% 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

Reviewed by

Finance Editor

CPA, 10+ years in personal finance

Data Sources

•Tax calculations: IRS federal tax tables
•Rent data: HUD Fair Market Rents
•Cost-of-living index: C2ER / ACCRA Cost of Living Index

Data updated monthly using government datasets.