Housing and tax tradeoff: Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado comes out ahead here on rent burden and rent. This only compares rent burden, rent, home price, and estimated state tax burden; it is not a total cost-of-living ranking.
Demand-Backed Comparison
Compare Chicago vs Denver on cost, climate, safety, and daily life
People have logged this comparison 132 times on WhyThere. The cards open full city pages. The charts and matrix below are the fast side-by-side read on housing, climate, walkability, safety, schools, parks, and day-to-day tradeoffs.
ChicagoDenver
What Stands Out
A quick read on this comparison
Deterministic summaries based on the data in view.
Biggest tradeoff: Chicago, Illinois
Chicago, Illinois is the sharpest split in this comparison: strong on daily convenience, weaker on safety.
Potential dealbreaker: Chicago, Illinois
Chicago, Illinois needs a closer look before you get too attached, especially on rent burden.
Comparison Matrix
| City | ||
|---|---|---|
| Route | ||
| General Info | ||
| Population | 2,664,452 | 729,019 |
| Population Density | 12.0k /sq mi | 4.6k /sq mi |
| Center Elevation | 587 ft(179 m) | 5,279 ft(1,609 m) |
| Housing & Wealth | ||
| Median Home | $304,487 | $524,675 |
| Median Rent | $2,191 | $1,833 |
| Median Income | $71,673 | $85,853 |
| Rent Burden | 37% | 26% |
| Climate & Risks | ||
| Days with 5+ Hours of Sun | 280 days/yr | 338 days/yr |
| Avg. High | 59°F | 65°F |
| Avg. Low | 44°F | 37°F |
| Comfort Score | 47/100Mixed | 37/100Challenging |
| Temp Swing | 48°F | 50°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 44"(112 cm) | 16"(41 cm) |
| Annual Snowfall | 28"(71 cm) | 41"(104 cm) |
| Air Quality | Typical: 442024 modeled avg · 19 days > 100 | Typical: 512024 modeled avg · 30 days > 100 |
| Infrastructure & Lifestyle | ||
| Transit Score | 100 | 79 |
| Safety Score | 30 / 100 | 48 / 100 |
| School Rating | 7.3/10 | 5.9/10 |
| Flood Risk (FEMA) | minimalMinimal Risk | minimalMinimal Risk |
| Central Tract Wildfire Risk | minimalMinimal | minimalMinimal |
| Internet Access | Fiber: 33%Cable: 99% | Fiber: 53%Cable: 99% |
| Demographics | ||
| Median Age | 35.3 years | 34.9 years |
| College Educated | 42% | 54% |
| Remote Workers | 16% | 21% |
| Nature Access | ||
| Local Nature & Reserves | Finding... | Finding... |
| Scouting & Local Help | ||
Plan a first lookWays to plan a first visit or connect with a relevant local partner. | Featured Local Partner ADYour logo Partner spot available For organizations that can help someone land in Chicago | Featured Local Partner ADYour logo Partner spot available For organizations that can help someone land in Denver |
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