City comparison
Denver, CO versus Colorado Springs, CO is a real move, not a trivia matchup. This comparison uses the same 2026 neighborhood report data we publish on each city page — typical rent, median household income, crime indexes, school composites, and typical weather — so you can see which city actually fits how you live, work, and spend. Typical rents sit near $1,831 a month in Denver and $1,750 in Colorado Springs, and median household income lands at $94,718 versus $72,400. Open either city's full report when you want the block-level detail behind these headlines.
Denver takes job market, while Colorado Springs takes affordability, safety, and weather. The widest gap is crime index, where Colorado Springs leads by 77% — the kind of spread you feel in a monthly budget or a nightly walk, not just on a chart. Read the category rows as a filter: if cheaper housing would change your life more than a stronger job market, weight rent first. If you are moving with kids, weight schools and crime. If you picked a city after one good weekend, use the weather and income rows to test whether that weekend survives a full year.
Numbers below are citywide, not a guarantee about the street you will actually live on. Two ZIP codes in Denver can feel further apart than Denver and Colorado Springs do on paper. Use this page to pick a city, then use the Denver and Colorado Springs reports to pick a neighborhood — and visit in the season you like least before you sign anything.
Denver, CO
Colorado Springs, CO
Rent
4% cheaper
Colorado Springs rent is 4% cheaper than Denver
Denver
$1,831/mo
Colorado Springs
Winner$1,750/mo
Typical rent runs $1,750 a month in Colorado Springs versus $1,831 in Denver, so Colorado Springs is 4% cheaper. The monthly spread is about $81, or $972 a year — noticeable, but rent alone should not pick the city. Use this as a tie-breaker after you compare income, schools, and crime, unless you are already stretching every dollar.
Median income
31% higher
Denver's median income is 31% higher than Colorado Springs
Denver
Winner$94,718
Colorado Springs
$72,400
Median household income is $94,718 in Denver versus $72,400 in Colorado Springs, so typical pay runs 31% higher in Denver — about $22,318 more household income a year. Higher median income usually signals a stronger local job market and better negotiating leverage on salary. Remote workers should weigh this against cost of living rather than treating it as a direct personal benefit. For people who will actually work in town, Denver is the stronger labor market on paper. Colorado Springs can still win if housing is cheap enough to offset the weaker median or if your specific role already pays well there.
Crime index
77% lower crime
Colorado Springs's crime index is 77% lower than Denver
Denver
137 (100 = avg)
Colorado Springs
Winner32 (100 = avg)
Colorado Springs's crime index is 32 versus 137 in Denver (100 = national average), so citywide crime runs 77% lower in Colorado Springs. That gap is meaningful day-to-day — it affects whether you feel comfortable walking at night, leaving your car on the street, or letting kids play outside unsupervised. Indexes still compress a lot of reality: a calmer city has blocks you would skip, and a higher-crime city has streets that feel neighborly at 10 p.m. On the everyday test of walking from the car to the door, Colorado Springs is the easier city. Denver can still work if you pick the right pocket — just budget more diligence before you sign a lease.
School scores
Neck and neck
Denver and Colorado Springs are about even on school scores.
Denver
A- · 84/100
Colorado Springs
A- · 84/100
School composites are effectively even (A- in Denver, A- in Colorado Springs). For families with kids this is a warning if you assumed one city was obviously better — at this range the campus, not the city name, decides it. Tour the zoned elementary you would actually use.
Typical weather
16% more comfortable
Colorado Springs weather is 16% more comfortable than Denver
Denver
78°F typical
Colorado Springs
Winner73°F typical
Colorado Springs scores 16% more comfortable on this page's weather index, which rewards temperatures closer to a livable outdoor day. Typical temperatures sit around 78°F in Denver and 73°F in Colorado Springs. Denver reads as warm weather most of the year; Colorado Springs reads as warm weather most of the year. Climate affects quality of life more than most people anticipate when planning a move. Consider how much time you spend outdoors and whether extreme heat or cold impacts your mood or productivity. Colorado Springs is the better default if you want year-round outdoor access. Denver can still be right if you love that climate on purpose — beach heat, dry heat, or a real winter — but you cannot return a city's weather.
Fit check
Career-focused movers who want salary upside and professional growth
Denver is the better city for career-focused movers who want salary upside and professional growth. Median household income is 31% higher here ($94,718). Start with Denver if your next chapter is about building earnings, and make weather or nightlife a secondary screen.
Fit check
Outdoor enthusiasts and people who need year-round access to nature for their wellbeing
Colorado Springs is the clearer landing pad if housing cost is what keeps you up at night. Typical rent is 4% cheaper here at about $1,750 a month. Choose Colorado Springs if you are stretching a salary, starting over, or want slack for travel and debt instead of a flashier skyline.
Pick Colorado Springs if you are an outdoor enthusiast or you need year-round access to nature for your wellbeing. Typical conditions (73°F) beat Denver on this page's weather index by 16%. Denver may pay more or cost less, but Colorado Springs is the city where the forecast fights you less.
Colorado Springs is the better fit for families with young children and retirees who prioritize peace of mind over urban energy. The crime index is 77% lower than Denver (32 vs a 100 national average). That gap shows up in how freely you walk at night and how much attention you spend on the car and the deadbolt.
Bottom line
If safety is your priority, Colorado Springs is the clear choice.
If the job market matters more to you, Denver pulls ahead.
For most movers comparing these two cities, Colorado Springs offers the better overall package.
Common questions
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