Can You Afford to Live in Aurora, CO?
Aurora occupies an interesting position in the Denver metro: it's the second-largest city in Colorado, home to a major hospital complex (University of Colorado Health Sciences Center), a significant military presence at Buckley Space Force Base, and one of the most affordable entry points into the Denver job market. For people who've done the Denver apartment search and stared down $2,200 for a one-bedroom, Aurora's $1,600 equivalent is not a small difference.
Colorado's income tax dropped to a flat 4.4% in 2024, making it one of the more competitive states in the West for take-home pay. The Denver metro's job market — aerospace, healthcare, defense, financial services, and tech — is accessible from Aurora by car or by light rail lines connecting Aurora to downtown Denver in 40–50 minutes.
What Aurora offers is the Denver lifestyle at a discount: the mountains are the same distance away. Denver International Airport is actually closer from Aurora than from most Denver neighborhoods. The Anschutz Medical Campus — the joint CU/Children's Hospital/University Hospital complex — is directly in Aurora.
The tradeoff is urban density. Aurora lacks the walkable neighborhood character of Denver's Capitol Hill, LoDo, or LoHi. The city is more suburban in texture. For households that value financial progress over urban cool, those are acceptable trade-offs.
Modestly above the national average. Budget carefully, but this is manageable on a solid mid-range income.
Minimum Salary
$42,000
barely getting by
Comfortable Salary
$70,000
recommended floor
Median Home Price
$420,000
6× comfortable salary
1BR Rent
$1,600/mo
27% of comfortable income
Hassan's story
aerospace systems analyst at a defense contractor near Buckley · chose Aurora over central Denver to be close to work and cut housing costs
“Hassan's offer near Buckley came with $85,000. Denver's Stapleton and Lowry neighborhoods — 20 minutes from the office — priced two-bedrooms at $2,100. Aurora's Gateway Park area, 10 minutes from Buckley, had the same size unit for $1,650. He'd come from Maryland, where the combined state and county rate was 7.75%; Colorado's flat 4.4% was a real difference. He sent his parents a first-month budget showing $800 more per month in savings than his Maryland situation. 'Defense pays the same in Colorado as it does on the East Coast. The overhead is just lower.'”
Cost of Living in Aurora
| Expense | Monthly |
|---|---|
| 1-Bedroom Rent | $1,600/mo |
| 2-Bedroom Rent | $2,050/mo |
| Groceries | $395/mo |
| Transportation | $560/mo |
| Utilities | $155/mo |
| Healthcare | $340/mo |
| Median Home Price | $420,000 |
| State Income Tax | 4.4% flat |
Can You Afford Aurora?
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Monthly Expenses — Pre-filled for Aurora averages
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Typical Monthly Budget in Aurora
Based on a single person earning $70,000 annually ($5,833/month gross).
Who Aurora Is — and Isn't — Affordable For
Good fit for
- •Defense and aerospace professionals near Buckley Space Force Base
- •University of Colorado Health Sciences / Anschutz Medical Campus employees
- •Denver metro workers who want to be in the job market at lower housing cost
- •DIA-adjacent workers for whom Aurora's eastern Denver position is a commute advantage
Harder for
- •People who prioritize walkable, neighborhood-dense urban living
- •Anyone expecting Denver's Capitol Hill or LoHi character in Aurora — it's more suburban
- •Those who need light rail for a reliable downtown Denver commute without a car
Pros and Cons of Living in Aurora
Pros
Cons
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Aurora cheaper than Denver?
Can you commute from Aurora to downtown Denver?
What is Aurora's largest employer?
The Bottom Line on Aurora
Aurora is the practical choice for people whose work is in the eastern Denver metro — Anschutz, Buckley, DIA, or the suburban employment corridors along I-225. The housing savings versus central Denver are real, Colorado's tax structure is favorable, and the mountains are the same distance away. If walkable urban neighborhood character is important to you, be honest about the trade. If financial progress and proximity to your specific employer are the priority, Aurora delivers.
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