State ranking · HUD FMR + Census ACS

Colorado: County Rent Burden

How much of household income goes to rent in each Colorado county, FY 2026.

23.2%
State avg 2BR burden
3
Counties over 30% (of 64)
0
Severely burdened (>50%)

What rent burden reveals about Colorado

Rent burden measures the share of household income going to rent. The federal standard, used by HUD and the Census Bureau, flags any household paying more than 30% of gross income on rent as "cost-burdened" and any household above 50% as "severely cost-burdened." This page calculates county-level burden by dividing HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rents — 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom — by Census-reported median household income for each county in Colorado. Across the 64 counties with complete data, the weighted average 2-bedroom burden is 23.2%, compared with a national average of 21.7% — meaning Colorado sits 1.5 percentage points higher than the US benchmark.

The distribution matters more than the state average. In Colorado, 3 of 64 counties (5%) have a 2-bedroom burden above 30%, and 0 counties cross the severe-burden threshold of 50%. The most burdened county is Crowley County at 32.5%, where the FY 2026 2-bedroom FMR of $1,289 eats that share of the local median income of $47,563. Because HUD's FMR sits at the 40th percentile of gross rents, this calculation understates the reality faced by renters paying market-rate: many higher-quality units in each county rent well above FMR, pushing actual burden rates even higher than the numbers shown below.

Burden data has direct policy stakes. High-burden counties see stronger demand for Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers (which cap tenant contribution at 30% of adjusted income and cover the gap up to FMR) and for Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) units, both of which rely on HUD's FMR as the foundational input. High burden also correlates with longer waitlists for public housing and greater housing instability — eviction filings, doubling up, and homelessness all rise in counties above the 50% threshold. Pair this page with the cheapest-counties ranking and year-over-year rent growth to see which Colorado counties are getting more affordable, which are tightening fastest, and where the burden gap between Colorado and the rest of the country is widening or narrowing.

State Avg Burden
23.2%
National Avg
21.7%
Counties > 30%
3
of 64
Severely Burdened
0
> 50% of income

All Counties by Rent Burden

# County 1 BR Rent 2 BR Rent 1 BR Burden 2 BR Burden
1 Crowley County $982 $1,289 24.8% 32.5%
2 Costilla County $742 $973 24.4% 32%
3 Mineral County $1,024 $1,343 23.4% 30.7%
4 Baca County $771 $973 22.9% 28.9%
5 Jackson County $754 $989 21.6% 28.4%
6 Gilpin County $1,754 $2,089 23.7% 28.3%
7 Summit County $1,880 $2,467 21.2% 27.9%
8 Eagle County $1,813 $2,379 21.1% 27.7%
9 Las Animas County $880 $1,155 20.9% 27.5%
10 Adams County $1,754 $2,089 23% 27.4%
11 Denver County $1,754 $2,089 23% 27.3%
12 Pitkin County $2,020 $2,214 24.2% 26.5%
13 Park County $1,754 $2,089 22.1% 26.3%
14 Clear Creek County $1,754 $2,089 21.8% 25.9%
15 Arapahoe County $1,754 $2,089 21.7% 25.8%
16 Bent County $777 $1,019 19% 24.9%
17 Boulder County $1,795 $2,124 21% 24.8%
18 Chaffee County $1,117 $1,466 18.9% 24.8%
19 Conejos County $865 $973 22% 24.7%
20 San Miguel County $1,254 $1,645 18.8% 24.6%
21 Fremont County $948 $1,244 18.6% 24.5%
22 Pueblo County $967 $1,269 18.6% 24.5%
23 Kiowa County $873 $1,146 18.6% 24.4%
24 Logan County $839 $1,101 18.3% 24%
25 El Paso County $1,464 $1,735 20.1% 23.8%
26 Alamosa County $833 $999 19.4% 23.3%
27 Huerfano County $811 $1,013 18.7% 23.3%
28 Jefferson County $1,754 $2,089 19.5% 23.3%
29 Routt County $1,845 $2,022 21.1% 23.2%
30 Delta County $865 $1,114 17.8% 22.9%
31 Larimer County $1,537 $1,732 20.2% 22.7%
32 Lincoln County $774 $1,016 17.1% 22.5%
33 Montezuma County $906 $1,180 17.3% 22.5%
34 Garfield County $1,223 $1,605 17% 22.4%
35 La Plata County $1,211 $1,589 17% 22.4%
36 Teller County $1,362 $1,493 20.3% 22.2%
37 Sedgwick County $759 $973 17.2% 22.1%
38 Kit Carson County $833 $1,093 16.7% 21.9%
39 Ouray County $1,245 $1,526 17.7% 21.7%
40 Saguache County $797 $975 17.6% 21.6%
41 Hinsdale County $873 $1,145 16.3% 21.4%
42 Otero County $742 $973 16.2% 21.3%
43 Montrose County $890 $1,168 16.2% 21.2%
44 Yuma County $809 $1,061 16.2% 21.2%
45 Rio Grande County $976 $1,094 18.8% 21.1%
46 Archuleta County $1,141 $1,337 17.9% 21%
47 Mesa County $986 $1,249 16.6% 21%
48 Phillips County $803 $1,054 16% 21%
49 Grand County $1,318 $1,475 18.7% 20.9%
50 Broomfield County $1,754 $2,089 17.4% 20.7%
51 Gunnison County $1,149 $1,334 17.8% 20.7%
52 Washington County $856 $1,114 15.8% 20.5%
53 Prowers County $888 $973 18.5% 20.3%
54 Weld County $1,238 $1,563 15.9% 20.1%
55 San Juan County $1,119 $1,227 18.2% 19.9%
56 Moffat County $887 $1,164 15% 19.7%
57 Elbert County $1,754 $2,089 16.3% 19.4%
58 Dolores County $1,017 $1,115 17.3% 19%
59 Cheyenne County $796 $1,044 14.1% 18.5%
60 Morgan County $884 $1,160 14.1% 18.5%
61 Custer County $856 $1,112 14.1% 18.4%
62 Douglas County $1,754 $2,089 14.4% 17.2%
63 Lake County $1,024 $1,343 13.1% 17.2%
64 Rio Blanco County $769 $1,009 12.7% 16.7%
National burden rankings → All Colorado rents → Cheapest counties →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the rent burden in Colorado? ▼
The average 2-bedroom rent burden in Colorado is 23.2% of household income. 3 of 64 counties exceed the 30% affordability threshold.
Which counties in Colorado are most rent burdened? ▼
The most rent-burdened county is Crowley County at 32.5% of income. No counties exceed the 50% severe burden threshold.
How does Colorado compare to the national average? ▼
Colorado's average rent burden is 23.2% vs the national average of 21.7%. That's 1.5 percentage points higher than average.

Data sources: HUD FY 2026 Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau median household income. Rent burden = (annual FMR ÷ median income) × 100.

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.