County housing intelligence
Colorado Housing Market by County
Colorado is not one housing market. Across 64 counties, the median county home value is $390,250 and the median county rent is $1,156/mo. The useful question is not whether Colorado is cheap. It is which county fits your income, tax tolerance, and buy-versus-rent plan.
County median home value
$390,250
Median of county medians, less distorted by the largest metros.
County median rent
$1,156/mo
Gross rent includes rent plus utilities where Census reports it.
Counties compared
64
Every county with available ACS housing data in this state.
Fast answers
Start with the housing question.
Market brief
The state-level housing signal
These benchmarks use the median county in the state, not one metro-weighted average. That makes the brief better for county comparison and rural-to-urban screening.
Purchase price
State county median vs national benchmark
Rent
State county median vs national benchmark
Owner cost
State county median vs national benchmark
Income base
State county median vs national benchmark
Tax rate
State county median vs national benchmark
The Colorado Pattern
These are the signals a statewide average hides. Start here before choosing counties to compare.
Price geography
Pitkin County, Summit County, Routt County sit at the top of the purchase market, while Crowley County, Baca County, Bent County anchor the lower-cost end.
Rent reality
Douglas County, Park County, Broomfield County lead on rent, while Baca County, Conejos County, Sedgwick County show where monthly lease costs are lowest.
Decision lens
Crowley County, Cheyenne County, Baca County screen best for purchase affordability when home values are measured against local household income.
Best Counties by Housing Goal
Different households need different rankings. Price alone is not enough, so these groups compare rent, income, owner costs, and tax exposure.
Cheapest to buy
Lowest median home values. Useful for purchase-price screening.
- 1. Crowley County
$116,200
- 2. Baca County
$122,900
- 3. Bent County
$146,900
- 4. Sedgwick County
$149,000
- 5. Prowers County
$160,600
Best buy affordability
Lowest home-value-to-income ratios. Better than price alone.
- 1. Crowley County
2.4x home-value-to-income
- 2. Cheyenne County
2.6x home-value-to-income
- 3. Baca County
2.7x home-value-to-income
- 4. Kiowa County
2.8x home-value-to-income
- 5. Sedgwick County
2.8x home-value-to-income
Cheapest to rent
Lowest median gross rent among counties with ACS rent data.
- 1. Baca County
$592/mo
- 2. Conejos County
$748/mo
- 3. Sedgwick County
$774/mo
- 4. Kiowa County
$800/mo
- 5. Prowers County
$808/mo
Lowest rent burden
Where typical renters spend the smallest share of income on rent.
- 1. Dolores County
17.7% rent burden
- 2. Kiowa County
19.3% rent burden
- 3. Cheyenne County
21.3% rent burden
- 4. Hinsdale County
22.6% rent burden
- 5. Washington County
22.9% rent burden
Lowest tax-rate signal
Lowest effective property-tax rates in the state data.
- 1. Jackson County
0.17% effective tax rate
- 2. Las Animas County
0.23% effective tax rate
- 3. Gilpin County
0.23% effective tax rate
- 4. La Plata County
0.26% effective tax rate
- 5. San Miguel County
0.26% effective tax rate
Owner-cost advantage
Counties where median owner costs are furthest below median rent.
- 1. Jackson County
$1,095/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 2. Ouray County
$680/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 3. Park County
$514/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 4. Dolores County
$494/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 5. Chaffee County
$469/mo cheaper to own than rent
Income-backed value
Higher-income counties that still hold a reasonable value-to-income profile.
- 1. Douglas County
$149,594 income, 4.8x value-to-income
- 2. Cheyenne County
$70,865 income, 2.6x value-to-income
- 3. Elbert County
$132,685 income, 5.3x value-to-income
- 4. Broomfield County
$123,874 income, 5.4x value-to-income
- 5. Kiowa County
$58,618 income, 2.8x value-to-income
Tradeoffs to Check
The best page is not the one that crowns a winner. It is the one that shows where a county can surprise you after the headline price looks attractive.
| Signal | County | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Cheap price, weaker income base | Crowley County $116,200 home value, $48,826 income | Low purchase prices can still feel tight when local wages are also low. |
| Affordable homes, higher tax rate | Crowley County $116,200 home value, 0.45% tax rate | A low home price can be offset by the annual property-tax bill. |
| Renter pressure | Eagle County $2,019/mo rent, 38.20% rent burden | Monthly rent alone does not show whether renters can comfortably absorb the cost. |
| Expensive, but income-supported | Pitkin County $1,139,100 home value, $102,645 income | Some high-price counties also have stronger incomes, so affordability depends on both sides of the equation. |
Lowest home values
Best value-to-income
Compare Every Colorado County
Sorted by home-value-to-income ratio so the first rows are not just cheap counties, but counties where purchase prices look smaller relative to local income.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Income | Value/Income | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crowley County | $116,200 | $984/mo | $48,826 | 2.4x | 0.45% |
| Cheyenne County | $187,500 | $926/mo | $70,865 | 2.6x | 0.47% |
| Baca County | $122,900 | $592/mo | $46,215 | 2.7x | 0.44% |
| Kiowa County | $161,500 | $800/mo | $58,618 | 2.8x | 0.58% |
| Sedgwick County | $149,000 | $774/mo | $52,386 | 2.8x | 0.45% |
| Bent County | $146,900 | $1,162/mo | $50,179 | 2.9x | 0.35% |
| Prowers County | $160,600 | $808/mo | $53,508 | 3.0x | 0.30% |
| Otero County | $168,900 | $839/mo | $54,037 | 3.1x | 0.31% |
| Kit Carson County | $239,500 | $973/mo | $70,259 | 3.4x | 0.49% |
| Washington County | $226,200 | $947/mo | $67,167 | 3.4x | 0.39% |
| Yuma County | $211,700 | $942/mo | $60,545 | 3.5x | 0.47% |
| Rio Grande County | $239,500 | $945/mo | $64,411 | 3.7x | 0.39% |
| Conejos County | $193,400 | $748/mo | $50,978 | 3.8x | 0.40% |
| Dolores County | $247,600 | $986/mo | $64,907 | 3.8x | 0.27% |
| Lincoln County | $246,500 | $868/mo | $62,861 | 3.9x | 0.44% |
| Moffat County | $289,500 | $1,039/mo | $73,849 | 3.9x | 0.40% |
| Phillips County | $258,200 | $999/mo | $64,674 | 4.0x | 0.56% |
| Rio Blanco County | $274,400 | $919/mo | $65,473 | 4.2x | 0.33% |
| Saguache County | $212,600 | $828/mo | $50,082 | 4.2x | 0.32% |
| Alamosa County | $239,100 | $907/mo | $55,397 | 4.3x | 0.43% |
| Las Animas County | $237,600 | $891/mo | $52,074 | 4.6x | 0.23% |
| Morgan County | $338,600 | $1,025/mo | $73,278 | 4.6x | 0.52% |
| Pueblo County | $291,300 | $1,111/mo | $64,010 | 4.6x | 0.50% |
| Huerfano County | $247,800 | $838/mo | $52,526 | 4.7x | 0.28% |
| Logan County | $245,300 | $1,013/mo | $51,829 | 4.7x | 0.46% |
| Douglas County | $713,600 | $2,193/mo | $149,594 | 4.8x | 0.55% |
| Lake County | $466,100 | $1,397/mo | $96,575 | 4.8x | 0.42% |
| Weld County | $471,700 | $1,539/mo | $97,097 | 4.9x | 0.52% |
| Costilla County | $184,700 | $927/mo | $36,861 | 5.0x | 0.32% |
| Jackson County | $239,600 | $1,701/mo | $47,667 | 5.0x | 0.17% |
| Adams County | $484,200 | $1,781/mo | $94,571 | 5.1x | 0.61% |
| El Paso County | $461,000 | $1,696/mo | $90,363 | 5.1x | 0.41% |
| Mesa County | $378,600 | $1,182/mo | $73,658 | 5.1x | 0.38% |
| Montezuma County | $331,400 | $942/mo | $65,244 | 5.1x | 0.29% |
| Park County | $532,100 | $2,161/mo | $103,670 | 5.1x | 0.33% |
| Fremont County | $324,000 | $1,070/mo | $62,664 | 5.2x | 0.36% |
| Elbert County | $709,800 | $1,311/mo | $132,685 | 5.3x | 0.45% |
| Broomfield County | $664,500 | $2,126/mo | $123,874 | 5.4x | 0.60% |
| Custer County | $392,100 | $1,069/mo | $72,674 | 5.4x | 0.39% |
| Montrose County | $388,400 | $1,188/mo | $72,120 | 5.4x | 0.36% |
| Arapahoe County | $561,200 | $1,891/mo | $101,087 | 5.6x | 0.52% |
| San Juan County | $432,500 | $992/mo | $77,824 | 5.6x | 0.32% |
| Teller County | $479,900 | $1,880/mo | $85,361 | 5.6x | 0.35% |
| Archuleta County | $478,100 | $1,432/mo | $83,065 | 5.8x | 0.35% |
| Garfield County | $527,800 | $1,637/mo | $91,131 | 5.8x | 0.42% |
| Hinsdale County | $437,900 | $1,171/mo | $75,972 | 5.8x | 0.31% |
| Jefferson County | $637,600 | $1,861/mo | $110,656 | 5.8x | 0.48% |
| Delta County | $343,200 | $1,121/mo | $57,774 | 5.9x | 0.31% |
| Gilpin County | $573,900 | $1,658/mo | $95,361 | 6.0x | 0.23% |
| Larimer County | $569,100 | $1,716/mo | $93,765 | 6.1x | 0.50% |
| Clear Creek County | $608,500 | $1,467/mo | $94,577 | 6.4x | 0.39% |
| Denver County | $616,000 | $1,831/mo | $94,718 | 6.5x | 0.45% |
| Grand County | $601,500 | $1,493/mo | $88,612 | 6.8x | 0.34% |
| La Plata County | $591,500 | $1,504/mo | $86,056 | 6.9x | 0.26% |
| Boulder County | $756,300 | $1,966/mo | $103,994 | 7.3x | 0.53% |
| Gunnison County | $621,800 | $1,252/mo | $84,527 | 7.4x | 0.29% |
| Mineral County | $430,500 | $928/mo | $56,250 | 7.7x | 0.35% |
| Chaffee County | $665,700 | $1,611/mo | $84,132 | 7.9x | 0.29% |
| Routt County | $854,700 | $1,917/mo | $106,489 | 8.0x | 0.32% |
| Eagle County | $839,500 | $2,019/mo | $104,096 | 8.1x | 0.42% |
| Ouray County | $739,800 | $1,786/mo | $91,020 | 8.1x | 0.28% |
| Summit County | $939,900 | $1,928/mo | $109,773 | 8.6x | 0.32% |
| San Miguel County | $720,700 | $1,149/mo | $79,024 | 9.1x | 0.26% |
| Pitkin County | $1,139,100 | $2,004/mo | $102,645 | 11.1x | 0.36% |
Questions This Page Answers
Each answer is generated from the current county dataset, so it changes when the underlying ACS data changes.
What is the typical home value in Colorado by county?
What is the typical rent in Colorado by county?
Which Colorado counties are most affordable to buy in?
Why do cheap counties still need a closer look?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.