State relocation profile · Federal data
Colorado
Colorado sits in the dearer third of BEA RPP states, rent, wages, safety, schools and childcare below.
- 103.1
- Cost index (US=100)
- $1,428
- 2BR rent / mo
- $76,492
- Median salary
- 44.5
- Life Score
The verdict
As of June 2026, Colorado ranks #38 of 51 scored US states on the composite Life Score (44.5/100, F), with its strongest marks in environment and wages.
- #38 of 51
- Life Score among scored states
- 44.5
- Life Score · F
- 103.1
- Cost of living (US=100)
- $76,492
- Median annual salary (BLS)
Weakest dimension: safety (8/100). State-level figures are a benchmark, individual metros can diverge sharply, so weigh each dimension against your own priorities.
According to PlainRelocate's state Life Score composite (BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, and EPA inputs), Colorado ranks #38 of 51 scored US states by Life Score (highest score = #1). Cost-of-living index 103.1 (100 = national average), median 2-bedroom rent $1,428/mo, median salary $76,492; Life Score 44.5/100 (F), strongest in environment and wages.
Signature: BEA RPP 103.1 ranks #39 of 51 states for higher prices (dearer third of the corpus).
Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP 103.1 lands in the dearer third of US states (cuts at 93.3 / 100.7). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent averages $1,428/mo statewide, against a BLS median salary of $76,492.
Composite Life Score 44.5/100 (F) puts Colorado in the bottom third (#38 of 51).
Metro book is mid-sized (7 MSAs); state averages still hide corridor-level rent and wage gaps.
Life Score plate
Sheet CO · Colorado 44.5/100 · F · #38 of 51
LIFE-F · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · RPP-DEAR · LEAD-ENVIRO · BOOK-FULL
- LIFE-F Life Score F
- RANK-LOWER #38/51
- PHOTO-FINISH ±0.5 pts
- RPP-DEAR RPP 103.1
- LEAD-ENVIRO Lead · environment
- BOOK-FULL 7/7 dims
Nearest Life Score peer: Tennessee (+ 0.5 pts)
Instrument codes from this state’s Life Score grade, corpus rank, peer gap, BEA RPP posture, lead dimension, and dimension book, not a moving recommendation.
Life Score neighbourhood around Colorado
Lowest/highest poles plus states nearest Colorado on composite Life Score. Full ladder: /rankings/.
Colorado childcare costs
DOL state-average center rates for Colorado (infant $12,821/yr leads the book).
Colorado Life Score breakdown
Colorado composites to 44.5/100 (F) across 7 of 7 dimensions; corpus place #38 of 51.
Colorado - Life Score dimensions
Percentile vs all US states (100 = best in the nation for that dimension)
- Environment
Environment
88 /100
- Wages
Wages
74 /100
- Schools
Schools
74 /100
- Rent 32
Rent
32 /100
- Childcare 27
Childcare
27 /100
- Cost of living 24
Cost of living
24 /100
- Safety 8
Safety
8 /100
What this shows Colorado's strongest dimensions are environment and wages; its weakest among scored dims is safety at 8/100. Each dimension is a federal-data percentile; the composite folds 7 of 7 into one comparable figure.
States near Colorado on cost or Life Score
Nearest neighbors to Colorado on BEA RPP or composite Life Score, a different lens than the in-state metro list below.
Similar cost of living (BEA RPP)
Metros in Colorado
Explore detailed relocation data for 7 metropolitan areas in Colorado. Colorado contains 7 metropolitan statistical areas in our dataset - Boulder, Colorado Springs, Denver-Aurora-Centennial and more - each with its own rent, wage and crime profile that can diverge sharply from the statewide average.
Boulder metro · Compare metros · Cost vs quality · Methodology
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026
Colorado cost figures follow BEA Regional Price Parities and HUD Fair Market Rents; Colorado wages and safety follow BLS OEWS and FBI UCR. Research use only, verify at the agency source before you move.