Rents are 4% below what Erie'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 $2,776 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: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
December. Asking rents in Erie usually run 2.1% below trend in December and 1.2% above it in May, about $92 a month apart at today's median. Based on 5 years of data.
Rent in Erie is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in February 2021.
Rent in Erie changed +6.2% over the year to September 2026. Across the 60 Colorado cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +1.4%.
Rent has risen 8 months in a row, and rose in 9 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($173,349) is $4,334 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 4-bedroom ($3,920).
Lafayette, 5 miles away, rents for 21% less ($2,193/mo), about $7,000 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Erie. 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
Erie, CO is majority owner-occupied, has a large share of families with children, has a median income above the national average, 69.6% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Erie, CO has changed in 5 years
Rent in Erie, CO has increased 27.9% since 2021, going from about $2,170 per month to roughly $2,776 today. Census figures show median household income at $173,349 today, compared with $140,409 five years earlier. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 4.4 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. Headcount in the area went from 29,367 to 33,808 between 2021 and 2024, a 15.1% change. About 12.4% of households rent today, against 14.1% in 2021. Educational attainment has shifted as well, with the share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher climbed from 64.6% to 69.6%. The combined trend lines point to a market that has changed measurably from where it stood in early 2021.
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At $2,776/mo, how Erie rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Erie rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Erie. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Erie
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Erie is $2,776/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,810/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,520/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $2,030/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $3,430/mo.
At 19% of local median household income ($173,349/yr), Erie ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 6.2% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Is rent going up or down in Erie?
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How does Erie rent compare to other cities in Colorado?
Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Erie?
At $2,776/mo, rent takes ~19% of Erie's median household income ($173,349/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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