City comparison
Denver, CO versus Irving, TX 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 $2,089 a month in Denver and $1,931 in Irving, and median household income lands at $85,853 versus $76,686. Open either city's full report when you want the block-level detail behind these headlines.
Denver takes job market and weather, while Irving takes affordability and safety. The widest gap is typical weather, where Denver leads by 63% — 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 Irving do on paper. Use this page to pick a city, then use the Denver and Irving reports to pick a neighborhood — and visit in the season you like least before you sign anything.
Denver, CO
Irving, TX
Rent
8% cheaper
Irving rent is 8% cheaper than Denver
Denver
$2,089/mo
Irving
Winner$1,931/mo
Typical rent runs $1,931 a month in Irving versus $2,089 in Denver, so Irving is 8% cheaper. The monthly spread is about $158, or $1,896 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
12% higher
Denver's median income is 12% higher than Irving
Denver
Winner$85,853
Irving
$76,686
Median household income is $85,853 in Denver versus $76,686 in Irving, so typical pay runs 12% higher in Denver — about $9,167 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. Irving can still win if housing is cheap enough to offset the weaker median or if your specific role already pays well there.
Crime index
20% lower crime
Irving's crime index is 20% lower than Denver
Denver
137 (100 = avg)
Irving
Winner109 (100 = avg)
Irving's crime index is 109 versus 137 in Denver (100 = national average), so citywide crime runs 20% lower in Irving. 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, Irving 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 Irving are about even on school scores.
Denver
A- · 84/100
Irving
A- · 84/100
School composites are effectively even (A- in Denver, A- in Irving). 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
63% more comfortable
Denver weather is 63% more comfortable than Irving
Denver
Winner82°F typical
Irving
93°F typical
Denver scores 63% more comfortable on this page's weather index, which rewards temperatures closer to a livable outdoor day. Typical temperatures sit around 82°F in Denver and 93°F in Irving. Denver reads as hot, long summers; Irving reads as hot, long summers. 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. Denver is the better default if you want year-round outdoor access. Irving 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 plus year-round outdoor access
It is also a match for career-focused movers who want salary upside and year-round outdoor access. Median household income runs 12% higher ($85,853), and typical weather is the more comfortable of the two — around 82°F. That pairing is for people who will work hard and then actually use the evenings.
Fit check
Families with young children and retirees who prioritize peace of mind over urban energy
Irving is the clearer landing pad if housing cost is what keeps you up at night. Typical rent is 8% cheaper here at about $1,931 a month. Choose Irving if you are stretching a salary, starting over, or want slack for travel and debt instead of a flashier skyline.
Irving is the better fit for families with young children and retirees who prioritize peace of mind over urban energy. The crime index is 20% lower than Denver (109 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 weather is your priority, Denver is the clear choice.
If safety matters more to you, Irving pulls ahead.
For most movers comparing these two cities, Irving offers the better overall package.
Common questions
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