Charlottesville Denver-Aurora-Centennial

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Verdict
Unfavorable
Cost Index: 99.1 → 105.8
Rent Delta: +$265/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $8K higher median salary

Cons of Moving

  • - 7% higher cost of living
  • - $265/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - Higher violent crime rate
  • - Higher student-teacher ratios
  • - More expensive childcare
  • - More environmental violations

Moving from Charlottesville to Denver-Aurora-Centennial shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 99.1 to 105.8 (100 = US average), so a Charlottesville salary needs to be multiplied by 1.07 to hold the same purchasing power in Denver-Aurora-Centennial. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $1,824/month in Charlottesville to $2,089/month in Denver-Aurora-Centennial - a higher monthly bill of $265, or $3,180/year. That rent delta alone is often the single biggest line item when relocating.

Wages tell the other half. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics report a median salary of $70,567 in Charlottesville versus $78,519 in Denver-Aurora-Centennial - a raw gap of $7,952 higher. The Denver-Aurora-Centennial labor market has 1,580,940 tracked jobs against 96,390 in Charlottesville, shaping how easy it is to find a comparable role. Combine that with the cost-of-living shift above and you get the real purchasing-power delta, sometimes a "higher salary" is actually a pay cut once rent and RPP are applied.

Safety, schools, and childcare round out the move. FBI UCR violent crime rates near Charlottesville and Denver-Aurora-Centennial are 223 and 481 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 13.9:1 at origin versus 16.6:1 at destination. DOL center-based infant care costs $10,407/year in Charlottesville versus $12,821/year in Denver-Aurora-Centennial. Our composite verdict - Unfavorable - weighs all seven federal sources; the dimension table below lets you override that with your personal priorities.

Dimension
Charlottesville
Denver-Aurora-Centennial
Winner
💰 Cost of Living
RPP 99.1
RPP 105.8
Charlottesville
🏠 Rent (2BR)
$1,824/mo
$2,089/mo
Charlottesville
💼 Wages
$70,567
$78,519
Denver-Aurora-Centennial
🔒 Crime
223 per 100K
481 per 100K
Charlottesville
🎓 Schools
13.9:1
16.6:1
Charlottesville
👶 Childcare
$10,407/yr
$12,821/yr
Charlottesville
🌿 Environment
1855 violations
5332 violations
Charlottesville

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Charlottesville to see what you'd need to earn in Denver-Aurora-Centennial to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Denver-Aurora-Centennial
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Denver-Aurora-Centennial more expensive than Charlottesville?
Denver-Aurora-Centennial has an RPP of 105.8 compared to Charlottesville's 99.1 (100 = national average). Denver-Aurora-Centennial is more expensive overall. The 2BR rent in Denver-Aurora-Centennial is $2,089/mo vs $1,824/mo in Charlottesville.
What are salaries like in Denver-Aurora-Centennial compared to Charlottesville?
The median salary in Denver-Aurora-Centennial is $78,519 compared to $70,567 in Charlottesville. That's a +$7,952 difference.
Is Denver-Aurora-Centennial safer than Charlottesville?
The violent crime rate near Denver-Aurora-Centennial is 481 per 100K vs 223 per 100K near Charlottesville (state-level data). Charlottesville has a lower crime rate.
How much would I need to earn in Denver-Aurora-Centennial to match my Charlottesville salary?
To maintain the same purchasing power, multiply your Charlottesville salary by 1.07. For example, a $75,000 salary in Charlottesville would need to be $80,020 in Denver-Aurora-Centennial. Use the salary calculator above for your exact figure.
What does the "Unfavorable" verdict mean?
The verdict is computed from 7 dimensions, cost of living, rent, wages, crime, schools, childcare, and environment, using federal data. "Unfavorable" means the origin clearly wins on most dimensions. Individual priorities may shift the balance, weigh the dimensions that matter most to you.

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Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026

Data Sources

  • Cost of Living: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities
  • Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR)
  • Wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES)
  • Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) - state level
  • Schools: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
  • Childcare: Department of Labor (DOL) - state level
  • Environment: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)