Rents are 11% below what Golden'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 $2,100 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 Golden usually run 2.2% below trend in December and 1.3% above it in July, about $74 a month apart at today's median. Based on 8 years of data.
Rent in Golden is 2.1% below its high of $2,145 in March 2025, at $2,100 as of September 2026.
Rent in Golden changed -0.4% over the year to September 2026. Across the 60 Colorado cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +1.4%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Golden rose 32% while median household income rose 36.3% ($72,349 to $98,582). Income kept ahead of rent.
Rent in Golden is 31.3% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent rose in 6 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($98,582) is $2,465 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($2,200); a 3-bedroom is $2,875.
Wheat Ridge, 9 miles away, rents for 10% less ($1,881/mo), about $2,600 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Golden. 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
Golden, CO is majority owner-occupied, skews toward younger working-age adults, has a median income above the national average, 59.1% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Golden, CO has changed in 5 years
Rent in Golden, CO has increased 24.3% since 2021, going from about $1,690 per month to roughly $2,100 today. Census figures show median household income at $98,582 today, compared with $83,976 five years earlier. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 6.9 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 20,041 to 20,417 between 2021 and 2024, a 1.9% change. About 43.2% of households rent today, against 41.2% in 2021. Educational attainment has shifted as well, with the share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher climbed from 55.6% to 59.1%. The combined trend lines point to a market that has changed measurably from where it stood in early 2021.
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At $2,100/mo, how Golden rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Golden rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Golden. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Golden
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Golden is $2,100/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,685/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,200/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,840/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $2,875/mo.
At 26% of local median household income ($98,582/yr), Golden 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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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Golden?
At $2,100/mo, rent takes ~26% of Golden's median household income ($98,582/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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