Housing decision brief
Jackson County, CO Housing Market
Jackson County screens as a below-state purchase price, rent that needs comparison, a higher tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
22nd lowest home value out of 64 Colorado counties with data | 45th lowest rent out of 64
Median home value
$250,000
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$1,484/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$531/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
6.0x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
29.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$953/mo
Median owner cost screens below median rent.
Data confidence
2 notes
Home-value estimate has a $104,968 ACS margin of error.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$250,000 median home value is 30% below Colorado county median
Rent burden below pressure line
29.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Owning screens cheaper than renting
Median owner costs are $953/mo below median rent before individual mortgage terms.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 88.3 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Lower income base
$41,809 median income is 41% below Colorado county median
Tax rate needs attention
0.21% effective property-tax rate is No Colorado county median comparison available
Health context
Health score is 27.1 out of 100, so affordability should be weighed against local health indicators.
Crime data coverage
Crime data coverage is partial. Treat zero or low crime rates as incomplete until you check the source coverage.
Wide home-value margin
The ACS margin of error on home value is $104,968, so exact rankings should be read as directional.
Best Fit For
- Households weighing ownership against renting
- Long-term owners who care about disaster-risk exposure
- Remote earners or cash buyers looking below the state price line
Poor Fit For
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- Anyone treating reported crime rates as complete without source context
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Jackson County is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $250,000 | $358,350 | $281,900 | 30% favorable30% below Colorado county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $1,484 | $1,110 | $1,163 | 34% pressure34% above Colorado county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $531 | $1,007 | $1,672 | 47% favorable47% below Colorado county median |
Median household income | $41,809 | $71,230 | $74,755 | 41% pressure41% below Colorado county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.21% | 0.00% | 1.02% | Needs dataNo Colorado county median comparison available |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 29.00% | 29.00% | N/A | Near state median29.00% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
-$17,551
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$19,052
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Jackson County offers cost-burdened rental housing at a median of $1,484/month , about 42.6% of the typical household income here.
Rent vs own
At $1,484/month rent versus $531/month in owner costs, owning is roughly $953/month cheaper , a 64% difference.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $59,360/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $22,757/year. With a median household income of $41,809, the median income falls short of the rent-affordability threshold. Notably, 29.0% of renter households in Jackson County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Within Colorado, Jackson County is more affordable than Archuleta County by roughly 5% ($1,484/mo vs $1,409/mo).
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dolores County, CO | $231,900 | $1,688/mo | Same-state comparison near $231,900 home value and $1,688/mo rent. |
| Logan County, CO | $228,100 | $1,027/mo | Same-state comparison near $228,100 home value and $1,027/mo rent. |
| Jeff Davis County, TX | $234,400 | $1,314/mo | Out-of-state peer near $234,400 home value and $1,314/mo rent. |
| Pueblo County, CO | $271,800 | $1,059/mo | Same-state comparison near $271,800 home value and $1,059/mo rent. |
| Alamosa County, CO | $218,800 | $904/mo | Same-state comparison near $218,800 home value and $904/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Home-value estimate has a $104,968 ACS margin of error.
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Jackson County
Is Jackson County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Jackson County?
How much income do you need for housing in Jackson County?
What should I double-check before moving to Jackson County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.