Housing decision brief
Las Animas County, CO Housing Market
Las Animas County screens as a below-state purchase price, below-state rent, 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.
12th lowest home value out of 64 Colorado counties with data | 14th lowest rent out of 64
Median home value
$214,500
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$875/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$894/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
4.3x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
30.0%
At or above the 30% burden threshold.
Rent vs own
$19/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$214,500 median home value is 40% below Colorado county median
Lower rent
$875/mo is 21% below Colorado county median
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 76.4 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Lower income base
$50,408 median income is 29% below Colorado county median
Tax rate needs attention
0.24% effective property-tax rate is No Colorado county median comparison available
Health context
Health score is 36.7 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.
Best Fit For
- 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 Las Animas 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. | $214,500 | $358,350 | $281,900 | 40% favorable40% below Colorado county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $875 | $1,110 | $1,163 | 21% favorable21% below Colorado county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $894 | $1,007 | $1,672 | 11% favorable11% below Colorado county median |
Median household income | $50,408 | $71,230 | $74,755 | 29% pressure29% below Colorado county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.24% | 0.00% | 1.02% | Needs dataNo Colorado county median comparison available |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 30.00% | 29.00% | N/A | Near state median30.00% 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
+$15,408
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$12,094
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Las Animas County offers affordable rental housing at a median of $875/month , about 20.8% of the typical household income here.
Rent vs own
The median rent in Las Animas County is $875/month, while owner costs run $894/month. Renting saves approximately $19/month.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $35,000/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $38,314/year. With a median household income of $50,408, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 30.0% of renter households in Las Animas County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Within Colorado, Las Animas County is less affordable than Phillips County by roughly 8% ($875/mo vs $947/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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alamosa County, CO | $218,800 | $904/mo | Same-state comparison near $218,800 home value and $904/mo rent. |
| Lincoln County, CO | $232,100 | $854/mo | Same-state comparison near $232,100 home value and $854/mo rent. |
| Yuma County, CO | $215,600 | $897/mo | Same-state comparison near $215,600 home value and $897/mo rent. |
| Kit Carson County, CO | $221,400 | $916/mo | Same-state comparison near $221,400 home value and $916/mo rent. |
| Saguache County, CO | $200,000 | $746/mo | Same-state comparison near $200,000 home value and $746/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Las Animas County
Is Las Animas County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Las Animas County?
How much income do you need for housing in Las Animas County?
What should I double-check before moving to Las Animas County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.