Colorado vs Arizona
In $100,000 in Colorado
$96,993
The same income in Arizona
$99,305
$100,000 has $2,312 more purchasing power in Arizona.
Figures are in national-average dollars: what the income buys once each state's prices are accounted for (US = 100). Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024, released February 19, 2026. How it's calculated
Salary needed in Arizona
$97,672
to match $100,000 in Colorado, before tax.
We compare it with your current income after local prices.
Enter an offer greater than zero, or leave this field blank.
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Where the difference comes fromPrice components
Where the difference comes from
Price level by component, 100 = US average. The Difference column compares the destination price level with the origin; higher means the destination is more expensive.
| Component | Colorado | Arizona | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 103.1 | 100.7 | −2.3% |
| Housing rents | 127.4 | 106.8 | −16.2% |
| Goods | 98.7 | 95.4 | −3.3% |
| Utilities | 85.0 | 92.3 | +8.6% |
| Other services | 99.6 | 102.8 | +3.2% |
BEA Regional Price Parities · SARPP · 2024 · rel. February 19, 2026 · Official data
Housing reality checkRent, homes & property tax
Housing reality check
ACS median gross rent, home value, and real estate taxes paid — statewide context beyond the index.
US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates · ACS5 · 2024 · rel. December 2025 · Official data
Tax at a glanceIncome & sales tax
Tax at a glance
Hand-curated, tax year 2026 · verified 2026-07-20
Top marginal and average combined rates do not estimate a household's total tax liability.
| Tax | Colorado | Arizona |
|---|---|---|
| Income tax (top rate) | 4.40% | 2.50% |
| Sales tax (combined avg) | 7.89% | 8.52% |
Tax Foundation (income & sales) · Tax · 2026 · rel. tax year 2026 · Manually maintained · verified 2026-07-20
Who comes out ahead in Arizona?
The answer depends on your situation. Each card compares statewide medians for one situation; the state named is the one the numbers favor.
An unchanged income buys about 2.4% more in Arizona than in Colorado. On $100,000 that is $2,312 of national-average purchasing power a year.
Median gross rent is $1,761 in Colorado and $1,543 in Arizona, $218 a month ($2,616 a year) less in Arizona. Renters spend a median 31.4% and 30.8% of income on rent.
The median home is worth $539,400 in Colorado (5.6× median household income) and $394,500 in Arizona (4.9×). Median property taxes equal 0.48% and 0.48% of the median home value.
Median household income is $95,470 in Colorado and $79,964 in Arizona. After adjusting for prices, that is $92,599 and $79,408: local pay goes further in Colorado.
Unemployment is 3.9% in Colorado and 4.9% in Arizona (July 2026). Colorado has the tighter labor market by 1.0 points. Pay for specific jobs is compared below.
Colorado and Arizona head to head
Statewide figures the calculator above does not show. “Edge” (bold on small screens) marks the state with the lower cost or higher income on that row; rows without a clear better direction are left blank.
| Measure | Colorado | Arizona | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income | |||
| Median household income | $95,470 | $79,964 | Colorado |
| Adjusted for local prices | $92,599 | $79,408 | Colorado |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownership rate | 66.2% | 67.4% | |
| Rent as % of renter income | 31.4% | 30.8% | Arizona |
| Owner costs as % of income | 18.7% | 16.7% | Arizona |
| Home value ÷ household income | 5.6× | 4.9× | Arizona |
| Home price change, 2020–2025 · FHFA index | +38.1% | +53.1% | |
| Taxes | |||
| Top income tax rate | 4.40% (flat) | 2.50% (flat) | Arizona |
| Combined sales tax (avg) | 7.89% | 8.52% | Colorado |
| Median property tax paid | $2,602 | $1,879 | Arizona |
| Property tax ÷ home value | 0.48% | 0.48% | |
| Jobs | |||
| Unemployment (July 2026) | 3.9% | 4.9% | Colorado |
| Minimum wage | $15.16/hr | $15.15/hr | |
| Everyday costs | |||
| Median rent, 2 bedrooms | $1,782/mo | $1,541/mo | Arizona |
| Average electric bill (2024) | $101/mo | $160/mo | Colorado |
| Electricity price | 14.9¢/kWh | 14.9¢/kWh | Arizona |
| Health care spending per person (2025) | $9,528 | $9,228 | |
| All consumer spending per person (2025) | $68,438 | $58,361 | |
| People | |||
| Population change since July 2020 | +3.9% | +6.1% | |
| Net moves from other states | +10,528 | +252,762 | |
| Median age | 37.7 | 39.0 | |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 45.7% | 33.3% | |
| No health insurance | 7.7% | 10.5% | Colorado |
| Average commute | 25.2 min | 25.4 min | Colorado |
| Crime (2025, per 100,000 residents) | |||
| Violent crime | 421.7 | 377.9 | Arizona |
| Property crime | 2,143.6 | 1,513.5 | Arizona |
| Murder | 3.6 | 4.5 | Colorado |
| Climate (1991–2020 averages) | |||
| Average temperature | 46.2°F | 61.1°F | |
| July average high | 83.5°F | 95.2°F | |
| January average low | 13.7°F | 30.6°F | |
| Precipitation | 18.0 in | 11.6 in | |
Sources: Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates, FHFA house price index via FRED, BLS LAUS, Tax Foundation 2026, US DOL minimum wage, EIA, BEA consumer spending, Census population estimates, FBI crime estimates, and NOAA statewide climate. Median property tax covers owner-occupied homes. Spending is in current dollars and reflects both prices and incomes.
Who is moving between Colorado and Arizona
In 2024, about 10,284 people living in Arizona had lived in Colorado a year earlier, and about 9,762 made the opposite move. The difference (+522 for Arizona) is within the survey's margin of error, so the flow is roughly balanced.
Census State-to-State Migration Flows (ACS 1-year, 2024). ± values are 90% margins of error. Colorado and Arizona profiles list each state's largest sources and destinations. What the biggest moves trade →
Salary in Arizona that matches your Colorado pay
Pre-tax salary needed in Arizona to keep the same purchasing power, using the all-items price levels (103.1 and 100.7).
| Salary in Colorado | Equivalent in Arizona | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $39,069 | −$931 |
| $60,000 | $58,603 | −$1,397 |
| $80,000 | $78,138 | −$1,862 |
| $100,000 | $97,672 | −$2,328 |
| $150,000 | $146,508 | −$3,492 |
| $200,000 | $195,344 | −$4,656 |
What the same job pays in Colorado and Arizona
BLS median annual wages (May 2025), then the same wages adjusted for each state's price level. The last column names the state where the job's median pay buys more.
| Occupation | Colorado | Arizona | CO adjusted | AZ adjusted | Goes further in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | $100,260 | $99,500 | $97,245 | $98,808 | Arizona |
| Software Developers | $138,390 | $129,690 | $134,229 | $128,788 | Colorado |
| Elementary School Teachers | $63,410 | $56,590 | $61,503 | $56,197 | Colorado |
| Electricians | $62,230 | $61,060 | $60,359 | $60,636 | Arizona |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $61,500 | $58,080 | $59,651 | $57,676 | Colorado |
| Accountants and Auditors | $97,030 | $79,970 | $94,113 | $79,414 | Colorado |
| Police & Sheriff’s Patrol Officers | $97,350 | $78,880 | $94,423 | $78,332 | Colorado |
| Pharmacists | $156,030 | $146,930 | $151,339 | $145,909 | Colorado |
| Dental Hygienists | $109,580 | $101,010 | $106,285 | $100,308 | Colorado |
| Welders, Cutters, Solderers & Brazers | $58,590 | $55,600 | $56,828 | $55,214 | Colorado |
Prices inside each state
A statewide price level averages cities and rural areas. The BEA also publishes price levels for metro areas; here is the range in each state.
Colorado vs Arizona: the read
The bottom line
Compare a $100,000 income in Colorado and Arizona: its purchasing power is $96,993 and $99,305, respectively, in national-average terms — a gain of $2,312. Arizona is the cheaper of the two, running at 100.7 on the price index versus 103.1.
Where the difference comes from
The widest gap on the index is housing rents: Colorado sits at 127.4 and Arizona at 106.8 (100 = national), and Arizona has the edge there. Rent is also the largest item in most household budgets, so this gap does the most to separate the two states' overall price levels.
Housing
Median rent runs $1,761 in Colorado against $1,543 in Arizona, and the typical home $539,400 versus $394,500. Arizona is the more affordable place to buy.
Taxes
On tax, Colorado has 4.40% top income tax and a combined sales tax of 7.89%; Arizona has 2.50% top income tax and 8.52%. Those headline rates are useful screening facts, but they do not calculate either household's total liability.
Full profiles: Colorado · Arizona. Every figure here is sourced on the pages linked above.
Colorado vs Arizona: common questions
Is it cheaper to live in Colorado or Arizona?
Arizona is cheaper overall. Its price level is 100.7 against 103.1 in Colorado (US = 100), so the same basket of goods and services costs about 2.3% less there. The difference is usually largest for rent.
What salary in Arizona matches $100,000 in Colorado?
About $97,672, before tax. That is $100,000 × 100.7 ÷ 103.1. Income tax, your actual rent or mortgage, and commuting costs can all shift the break-even point.
Which state has lower taxes, Colorado or Arizona?
Colorado has a flat income tax with a top rate of 4.40% and an average combined sales tax of 7.89%. Arizona has a flat income tax with a top rate of 2.50% and 8.52%. Median real estate taxes paid by owners are $2,602 and $1,879 a year. Which state costs a household less depends on its income, spending, and whether it owns a home.
Do people earn more in Colorado or Arizona?
Median household income is $95,470 in Colorado and $79,964 in Arizona. Adjusted for prices, that is $92,599 and $79,408 in national-average dollars, so households in Colorado have more purchasing power at the median.
Are more people moving from Colorado to Arizona or the other way?
In 2024, about 10,284 people moved from Colorado to Arizona and about 9,762 moved from Arizona to Colorado, according to Census state-to-state migration estimates. The difference is within the margin of error, so the two flows are roughly balanced.
Comparing a different pair? Use the full tool →