Moving to District of Columbia from Colorado
What to Expect
Considering a move from Colorado to District of Columbia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Colorado to District of Columbia, you would find that District of Columbia is 27.6% more expensive than Colorado. A $75,000 salary in Colorado would need to be roughly $95,700 in District of Columbia to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Colorado and District of Columbia.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $95,700
To maintain the same standard of living in District of Columbia
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 20.8% more
Groceries
pay 25.2% more
Transportation
pay 19.9% more
Housing
pay 27.6% more
Childcare
pay 98.3% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 39.8% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in District of Columbia compared to Colorado.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Colorado performs better than District of Columbia across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
District of Columbia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Colorado leads in diabetes rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Colorado performs better than District of Columbia across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Colorado performs better than District of Columbia across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
Colorado generally does better on employment & economy, though District of Columbia leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Colorado generally does better on family life, though District of Columbia leads in bachelor's degree or higher.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Denver | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 48°/21°F (9°/-6°C) | 48°/28°F (9°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/43°F (22°/6°C) | 75°/51°F (24°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/55°F (29°/13°C) | 85°/62°F (29°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 53°/26°F (12°/-3°C) | 57°/35°F (14°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Denver | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44°/17°F (6.7°/-8.1°C) | 42°/24°F (5.8°/-4.5°C) |
| Feb | 46°/19°F (7.9°/-7.3°C) | 46°/26°F (8.0°/-3.3°C) |
| Mar | 54°/26°F (12.4°/-3.1°C) | 56°/33°F (13.1°/0.5°C) |
| Apr | 62°/33°F (16.4°/0.7°C) | 67°/42°F (19.3°/5.6°C) |
| May | 71°/43°F (21.9°/5.9°C) | 75°/51°F (23.9°/10.7°C) |
| Jun | 82°/52°F (28.0°/11.3°C) | 84°/61°F (28.8°/16.1°C) |
| Jul | 89°/59°F (31.9°/14.9°C) | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.6°C) |
| Aug | 87°/58°F (30.7°/14.4°C) | 87°/64°F (30.3°/17.9°C) |
| Sep | 78°/48°F (25.8°/9.1°C) | 79°/56°F (26.3°/13.5°C) |
| Oct | 65°/37°F (18.5°/2.6°C) | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.6°C) |
| Nov | 52°/24°F (11.2°/-4.2°C) | 58°/35°F (14.2°/1.8°C) |
| Dec | 43°/17°F (6.0°/-8.3°C) | 46°/27°F (7.8°/-2.7°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in District of Columbia than Colorado?
On average District of Columbia is around 28% pricier than Colorado, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to District of Columbia?
Budget about $23,925 for 3 months in District of Columbia (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is District of Columbia safe?
Colorado performs better than District of Columbia across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in District of Columbia compared to Colorado?
District of Columbia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Colorado leads in diabetes rate.
What's the weather like in District of Columbia compared to Colorado?
The average high temperature in Washington is 66°F, compared to 65°F in Denver. Washington receives around 41.5 in of rainfall per year, while Denver gets 14.3 in.
