Residential comparison · 13 facts
Denver, CO vs Philadelphia, PA
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Denver needs about $89,000 in Philadelphia to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Philadelphia, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $81,000 in Denver.
A few differences
- Denver is lower on property tax rate (0.5% vs 0.95%).
- Philadelphia is lower on sales tax (8% vs 8.8%).
- Denver is lower on groceries index (102 vs 104).
Denver vs Philadelphia · facet by facet
| Facet | Denver, CO | Philadelphia, PA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $560,000 | $230,000 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $2,150/mo | $1,900/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.5% | 0.95% |
| State & local income tax | 2.89% | 6.82% |
| Sales tax | 8.8% | 8% |
| Cost of living index | 112 | 101 |
| Groceries index | 102 | 104 |
| Utilities | $160/mo | $175/mo |
| Median household income | $85,000 | $57,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 5.4% |
| Crime index | 50/100 | 60/100 |
| School rating | 6.5/10 | 5.5/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 245 days | 207 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Denver, CO · Philadelphia, PA
Questions & answers
- Is Denver cheaper than Philadelphia?
- Philadelphia has the lower day-to-day cost index (101 vs 112 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Philadelphia equals $85,000 in Denver?
- A household earning $85,000 in Denver needs about $89,000 in Philadelphia to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Philadelphia lifestyle costs about $81,000 in Denver.