Jefferson County · Colorado · West · 719k residents
Denver, CO: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on Denver: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, with the Colorado median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: Curated city row; coverage varies by fact.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,602/wk. Colorado's corporate income tax rate is 4.4%. Commercial electricity averages 11.7¢/kWh.
Compare Denver side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$1,602/wk
Corporate income tax
4.4%
Bachelor's degree or higher
56.5%
Commercial electricity
11.7¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast Denver's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
45/100
Steady
Ranks Denver's residential building-permit and jobs growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| Median home value | $560,000 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $350 |
| Property tax rate | 0.5% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $1,650/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $2,150/mo |
| State & local income tax | 2.89% |
| Sales tax | 8.8% |
| Corporate income tax | 4.4% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $1,602/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 56.5% |
| Commercial electricity | 11.7¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | 43.4/1k |
| Wage: Software developer | $137,610 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $101,130 |
| Wage: General manager | $142,330 |
| Wage: Customer service | $48,590 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $44,480 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $63,900 |
| Wage: Electrician | $63,150 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $38,470 |
| Cost of living index | 112 |
| Groceries index | 102 |
| Utilities | $160/mo |
| Transit pass | $88/mo |
| Gas price | $3.20/gal |
| Healthcare index | 102 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,550/mo |
| Median household income | $85,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% |
| Population | 719k |
| Crime index | 50/100 |
| School rating | 6.5/10 |
| Walkability | 61/100 |
| Disaster risk | 95/100 |
| Avg. commute | 26 min |
| Sunny days / year | 245 days |
| July high | 91°F |
| January low | 21°F |
| Annual snowfall | 41 in |
| Home price YoY | -3.9% |
| Home price MoM | -0.6% |
| Rent YoY | -1.8% |
| Rent MoM | -0.2% |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | -0.4% |
| Building permits YoY | +18.4% |
| Ocean coast | 820 mi |
| Big lake | 203 mi |
| Mountains | 33 mi |
| Major airport | 22 mi |
| Ski resort | 31 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Wheat Ridge, CO · 32k
- Lakewood, CO · 157k
- Arvada, CO · 123k
- Golden, CO · 20k
- Sherrelwood, CO · 19k
Similar size
- Colorado Springs, CO · 488k
- Aurora, CO · 394k
- Fort Collins, CO · 170k
- Thornton, CO · 144k
- Westminster, CO · 115k
Real listings in Denver
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- Is Denver a good place to run a business?
- Colorado's corporate income tax rate is 4.4%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,602/wk; commercial electricity averages 11.7¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- What is the cost of living in Denver, CO?
- Denver indexes at 112 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $2,150/mo and a median home value of $560,000.
- How much does a house cost in Denver?
- The median home value in Denver is $560,000 (compiled estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Denver?
- A two-bedroom in Denver rents for about $2,150/mo.