Median rent is 18% lower in Fort Worth ($1,509/mo vs $1,831/mo). Buying is cheaper in Fort Worth, where the median home runs $303,000 versus $616,000. Households earn more in Denver ($94,718 vs $79,507 a year).
City A
Denver, CO
City B
Fort Worth, TX
How much would you need to earn in Fort Worth, TX to maintain your standard of living from Denver, CO?
A cost-of-living index isn't available for one of these cities yet, so we can't compute an equivalent salary.
Based on BEA Regional Price Parity (cost index) for each metro area. This estimates overall purchasing power; it does not account for taxes or take-home pay differences.
Metric
Denver
Colorado
Fort Worth
Texas
Population
Median Household Income
Annual
Median Gross Rent
Per month
Median Home Value
Cost of Living Index
US avg = 100
1BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
2BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
3BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
Air Quality Index
Lower = cleaner
Top State Income Tax
Top marginal rate
State Sales Tax
Statewide base rate
Median Age
Years
✓ = better value · Sources: Census ACS, BEA, HUD Fair Market Rents, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation
Median rent is modestly lower in Fort Worth at $1,509/mo compared to $1,831/mo in Denver (18% gap). Home buyers face a steeper market in Denver: the median home is $616,000 versus $303,000 in Fort Worth — 51% more expensive.
Metric
Denver
Fort Worth
Software Developer
Registered Nurse
Elementary Teacher
Electrician
Accountant
Higher wage highlighted · BLS OEWS 2023 (metro-level data)
State tax data is not yet available for these cities.
Denver
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Fort Worth
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Air quality data is available for Denver (avg AQI 27.0) but not yet for Fort Worth.
Pick Denver if you prioritize higher median household income ($94,718/yr).
Pick Fort Worth if you prioritize cheaper rent ($1,509/mo median).
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
Median rent is $1,831/mo in Denver, CO and $1,509/mo in Fort Worth, TX. Fort Worth, TX has the lower rent by about 18%.
Median household income is $94,718 in Denver, CO and $79,507 in Fort Worth, TX. Denver, CO has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Air quality data is not yet available for one or both cities.
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: June 1, 2026 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology
