Median rent is 6% lower in Denver ($1,831/mo vs $1,954/mo). Buying is cheaper in Denver, where the median home runs $616,000 versus $737,100. Households earn more in Washington ($109,870 vs $94,718 a year).
City A
Denver, CO
City B
Washington, DC
How much would you need to earn in Washington, DC 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
Washington
District of Columbia
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 Denver at $1,831/mo compared to $1,954/mo in Washington (6% gap). Median home values are within 16% of each other: $616,000 in Denver and $737,100 in Washington.
1BR Fair Market Rent
2BR Fair Market Rent
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
Washington
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Washington has cleaner air on average: 24.0 AQI (Good) compared to 27.0 AQI (Good) in the other city. Lower AQI means cleaner, healthier air.
Pick Washington if you prioritize higher median household income ($109,870/yr).
Is Denver cheaper than Washington?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in Denver vs Washington?
Median rent is $1,831/mo in Denver, CO and $1,954/mo in Washington, DC. Denver, CO has the lower rent by about 6%.
Which has higher salaries — Denver or Washington?
Median household income is $94,718 in Denver, CO and $109,870 in Washington, DC. Washington, DC has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Which city has better air quality?
Washington, DC has better air quality on average: 24.0 AQI versus 27.0 AQI. Both are EPA AirNow annual averages; lower is better.
Which has lower taxes — Denver or Washington?
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
What salary do I need in Washington to match my Denver income?
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: December 1, 2026 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology
