Residential comparison · 13 facts
Denver, CO vs San Francisco, CA
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 $116,500 in San Francisco to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from San Francisco, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $53,500 in Denver.
A few differences
- Denver is lower on property tax rate (0.5% vs 0.75%).
- San Francisco is lower on sales tax (8.63% vs 8.8%).
- Denver is lower on groceries index (102 vs 118).
Denver vs San Francisco · facet by facet
| Facet | Denver, CO | San Francisco, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $560,000 | $1,300,000 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $2,150/mo | $4,300/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.5% | 0.75% |
| State & local income tax | 2.89% | 2.09% |
| Sales tax | 8.8% | 8.63% |
| Cost of living index | 112 | 178 |
| Groceries index | 102 | 118 |
| Utilities | $160/mo | $240/mo |
| Median household income | $85,000 | $127,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 4% |
| Crime index | 50/100 | 46/100 |
| School rating | 6.5/10 | 7.0/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 245 days | 259 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 · San Francisco, CA
Questions & answers
- Is Denver cheaper than San Francisco?
- Denver has the lower day-to-day cost index (112 vs 178 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in San Francisco equals $85,000 in Denver?
- A household earning $85,000 in Denver needs about $116,500 in San Francisco to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of San Francisco lifestyle costs about $53,500 in Denver.