Rents are 11% below what Denver's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $1,881 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: September 25, 2026
What the numbers show
December. Asking rents in Denver usually run 1.4% below trend in December and 1.4% above it in July, about $53 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Denver is 3.6% below its high of $1,951 in March 2024, at $1,881 as of August 2026.
Rent in Denver changed -0.4% over the year to August 2026. Across the 59 Colorado cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +1.4%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Denver rose 20.9% while median household income rose 38.1% ($68,592 to $94,718). Income kept ahead of rent.
Rent in Denver is 14.7% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 36.8% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 3 months in a row, and rose in 4 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($94,718) is $2,368 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($2,243); a 3-bedroom is $2,928.
The priciest of 27 ZIP codes in Denver, 80207 ($2,583/mo), costs 1.8 times the cheapest, 80246 ($1,416/mo).
Glendale, 2 miles away, rents for 20% less ($1,513/mo), about $4,400 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Denver. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Denver, CO is roughly split between renters and owners, skews toward younger working-age adults, has a median income above the national average, 56.5% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Denver, CO has changed in 5 years
Compared with 2021, rent in Denver, CO has climbed by $239 per month, settling near $1,881 after starting the period at $1,642. On the earnings side, the typical household in Denver, CO now reports about $94,718, up from $78,177 in 2021. Income growth outran rent by about 6.6 percentage points, easing the affordability math somewhat compared with 2021. Headcount in the area went from 706,799 to 718,877 between 2021 and 2024, a 1.7% change. Educational attainment has shifted as well, with the share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher climbed from 52.5% to 56.5%. For context, the 2021 to 2026 window covers an unusually volatile run for US rents nationally, and Denver, CO reflects that arc in its own way.
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Can you afford rent in Denver on your salary?
At $1,881/mo, how Denver rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Denver rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Denver. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Denver
Last updated: September 25, 2026
The median rent in Denver is $1,881/mo as of September 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,714/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,243/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,874/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $2,928/mo.
At 24% of local median household income ($94,718/yr), Denver ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have decreased 0.4% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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At $1,881/mo, rent takes ~24% of Denver's median household income ($94,718/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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