County housing intelligence
Colorado Housing Market by County
Colorado is not one housing market. Across 64 counties, the median county home value is $358,350 and the median county rent is $1,110/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
$358,350
Median of county medians, less distorted by the largest metros.
County median rent
$1,110/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, Eagle 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, Broomfield County, Eagle County lead on rent, while Baca County, Conejos County, Sedgwick County show where monthly lease costs are lowest.
Decision lens
Crowley County, Kiowa County, Prowers 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
$106,700
- 2. Baca County
$122,000
- 3. Bent County
$137,900
- 4. Sedgwick County
$142,700
- 5. Kiowa County
$148,600
Best buy affordability
Lowest home-value-to-income ratios. Better than price alone.
- 1. Crowley County
2.2x home-value-to-income
- 2. Kiowa County
2.6x home-value-to-income
- 3. Prowers County
2.6x home-value-to-income
- 4. Sedgwick County
2.7x home-value-to-income
- 5. Bent County
2.8x home-value-to-income
Cheapest to rent
Lowest median gross rent among counties with ACS rent data.
- 1. Baca County
$490/mo
- 2. Conejos County
$724/mo
- 3. Sedgwick County
$728/mo
- 4. Huerfano County
$739/mo
- 5. Prowers County
$741/mo
Lowest rent burden
Where typical renters spend the smallest share of income on rent.
- 1. Dolores County
16.0% rent burden
- 2. Cheyenne County
20.0% rent burden
- 3. Washington County
20.0% rent burden
- 4. Baca County
21.0% rent burden
- 5. San Juan County
22.0% rent burden
Lowest tax-rate signal
Lowest effective property-tax rates in the state data.
- 1. Jackson County
0.21% effective tax rate
- 2. Gilpin County
0.23% effective tax rate
- 3. Dolores County
0.24% effective tax rate
- 4. Las Animas County
0.24% 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. Dolores County
$1,222/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 2. Jackson County
$953/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 3. Lake County
$503/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 4. Chaffee County
$470/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 5. Ouray County
$448/mo cheaper to own than rent
Income-backed value
Higher-income counties that still hold a reasonable value-to-income profile.
- 1. Douglas County
$145,737 income, 4.6x value-to-income
- 2. Elbert County
$129,477 income, 5.1x value-to-income
- 3. Cheyenne County
$67,768 income, 2.8x value-to-income
- 4. Broomfield County
$121,025 income, 5.2x value-to-income
- 5. Prowers County
$57,601 income, 2.6x 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 $106,700 home value, $47,563 income | Low purchase prices can still feel tight when local wages are also low. |
| Affordable homes, higher tax rate | Crowley County $106,700 home value, 0.49% tax rate | A low home price can be offset by the annual property-tax bill. |
| Renter pressure | Costilla County $857/mo rent, 40.00% rent burden | Monthly rent alone does not show whether renters can comfortably absorb the cost. |
| Expensive, but income-supported | Pitkin County $1,131,200 home value, $100,318 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 | $106,700 | $976/mo | $47,563 | 2.2x | 0.49% |
| Kiowa County | $148,600 | $869/mo | $56,389 | 2.6x | 0.58% |
| Prowers County | $150,900 | $741/mo | $57,601 | 2.6x | 0.33% |
| Sedgwick County | $142,700 | $728/mo | $52,833 | 2.7x | 0.47% |
| Bent County | $137,900 | $854/mo | $49,194 | 2.8x | 0.39% |
| Cheyenne County | $187,100 | $862/mo | $67,768 | 2.8x | 0.46% |
| Otero County | $160,700 | $796/mo | $54,897 | 2.9x | 0.32% |
| Baca County | $122,000 | $490/mo | $40,380 | 3.0x | 0.41% |
| Dolores County | $231,900 | $1,688/mo | $70,490 | 3.3x | 0.24% |
| Conejos County | $162,100 | $724/mo | $47,209 | 3.4x | 0.40% |
| Rio Blanco County | $243,400 | $924/mo | $72,620 | 3.4x | 0.34% |
| Washington County | $218,300 | $991/mo | $65,164 | 3.4x | 0.41% |
| Rio Grande County | $215,400 | $782/mo | $62,166 | 3.5x | 0.41% |
| Yuma County | $215,600 | $897/mo | $60,051 | 3.6x | 0.48% |
| Kit Carson County | $221,400 | $916/mo | $59,810 | 3.7x | 0.52% |
| Moffat County | $262,500 | $1,051/mo | $70,975 | 3.7x | 0.43% |
| Saguache County | $200,000 | $746/mo | $54,283 | 3.7x | 0.34% |
| Morgan County | $299,300 | $1,092/mo | $75,407 | 4.0x | 0.53% |
| Logan County | $228,100 | $1,027/mo | $55,074 | 4.1x | 0.47% |
| Phillips County | $255,300 | $947/mo | $60,372 | 4.2x | 0.49% |
| Alamosa County | $218,800 | $904/mo | $51,445 | 4.3x | 0.44% |
| Lake County | $401,300 | $1,599/mo | $93,655 | 4.3x | 0.38% |
| Las Animas County | $214,500 | $875/mo | $50,408 | 4.3x | 0.24% |
| Lincoln County | $232,100 | $854/mo | $54,257 | 4.3x | 0.38% |
| Pueblo County | $271,800 | $1,059/mo | $62,250 | 4.4x | 0.51% |
| Douglas County | $674,000 | $2,095/mo | $145,737 | 4.6x | 0.55% |
| Fremont County | $282,100 | $1,036/mo | $61,027 | 4.6x | 0.38% |
| Costilla County | $171,300 | $857/mo | $36,519 | 4.7x | 0.31% |
| Weld County | $444,500 | $1,469/mo | $93,287 | 4.8x | 0.50% |
| Custer County | $358,800 | $1,021/mo | $72,700 | 4.9x | 0.36% |
| El Paso County | $431,000 | $1,609/mo | $87,470 | 4.9x | 0.41% |
| Huerfano County | $256,700 | $739/mo | $52,139 | 4.9x | 0.28% |
| Mesa County | $349,400 | $1,154/mo | $71,485 | 4.9x | 0.39% |
| Montezuma County | $308,100 | $974/mo | $63,005 | 4.9x | 0.30% |
| Adams County | $458,400 | $1,713/mo | $91,387 | 5.0x | 0.60% |
| Elbert County | $664,600 | $1,436/mo | $129,477 | 5.1x | 0.45% |
| Park County | $489,300 | $1,942/mo | $95,450 | 5.1x | 0.34% |
| Broomfield County | $631,600 | $2,074/mo | $121,025 | 5.2x | 0.62% |
| Arapahoe County | $526,000 | $1,812/mo | $97,215 | 5.4x | 0.53% |
| Montrose County | $357,900 | $1,120/mo | $66,072 | 5.4x | 0.36% |
| Delta County | $318,000 | $1,080/mo | $58,330 | 5.5x | 0.31% |
| San Juan County | $406,900 | $1,076/mo | $73,889 | 5.5x | 0.29% |
| Teller County | $445,000 | $1,746/mo | $80,666 | 5.5x | 0.36% |
| Jefferson County | $604,400 | $1,792/mo | $107,800 | 5.6x | 0.47% |
| Garfield County | $490,600 | $1,515/mo | $86,172 | 5.7x | 0.43% |
| Gilpin County | $512,600 | $1,340/mo | $88,654 | 5.8x | 0.23% |
| Larimer County | $532,200 | $1,677/mo | $91,364 | 5.8x | 0.50% |
| Archuleta County | $451,400 | $1,409/mo | $76,524 | 5.9x | 0.34% |
| Clear Creek County | $572,800 | $1,230/mo | $96,667 | 5.9x | 0.38% |
| Grand County | $507,200 | $1,451/mo | $84,558 | 6.0x | 0.35% |
| Jackson County | $250,000 | $1,484/mo | $41,809 | 6.0x | 0.21% |
| Denver County | $586,700 | $1,770/mo | $91,681 | 6.4x | 0.44% |
| La Plata County | $549,100 | $1,409/mo | $85,296 | 6.4x | 0.26% |
| Hinsdale County | $438,800 | $1,099/mo | $64,327 | 6.8x | 0.29% |
| Boulder County | $713,900 | $1,893/mo | $102,772 | 6.9x | 0.54% |
| Routt County | $756,200 | $1,845/mo | $104,803 | 7.2x | 0.33% |
| Gunnison County | $597,200 | $1,191/mo | $77,358 | 7.7x | 0.28% |
| San Miguel County | $613,100 | $1,173/mo | $80,117 | 7.7x | 0.26% |
| Eagle County | $814,700 | $2,032/mo | $103,174 | 7.9x | 0.41% |
| Mineral County | $413,000 | $903/mo | $52,455 | 7.9x | 0.35% |
| Ouray County | $670,100 | $1,398/mo | $84,556 | 7.9x | 0.28% |
| Summit County | $850,700 | $1,851/mo | $106,255 | 8.0x | 0.31% |
| Chaffee County | $598,500 | $1,514/mo | $70,909 | 8.4x | 0.28% |
| Pitkin County | $1,131,200 | $1,880/mo | $100,318 | 11.3x | 0.39% |
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.