Moving to Colorado from Ohio

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Ohio to Colorado — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Ohio to Colorado, you would find that Colorado is 20.0% more expensive than Ohio. A $75,000 salary in Ohio would need to be roughly $95,860 in Colorado to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Denver averages 65°F vs 76°F in Columbus, making it significantly cooler.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Ohio to Colorado.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $95,860

To maintain the same standard of living in Colorado

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 21.6% more

Groceries

pay 13.9% more

Transportation

pay 0.1% more

Housing

pay 45.6% more

Childcare

pay 13.8% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 25.1% more

See full cost of living breakdown

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Cost of living by city

Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).

On average, cities in Colorado cost about 32% more than cities in Ohio.

Ohio

Colorado

Compare cities head-to-head

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Ohio to Colorado.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

OH
284
CO
463
Property crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

OH
1676
CO
2814

Ohio performs better than Colorado across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rateUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

OH
6.2%
CO
7.3%
Adult obesity rateCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

OH
39.5%
CO
26.3%

Colorado generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Ohio leads in uninsured rate.

What about housing?

Median home valueUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

OH
$199,200
CO
$502,200
Median rentUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

OH
$988
CO
$1,693

Ohio performs better than Colorado across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet accessUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

OH
89.0%
CO
92.9%
Average commuteUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

OH
24 min
CO
26 min

Ohio generally does better on infrastructure, though Colorado leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rateBureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

OH
4.0%
CO
3.6%
GDP per capitaBureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

OH
$60,669
CO
$74,650

Colorado performs significantly better than Ohio across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyOECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

OH
75.3 yrs
CO
78.3 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higherUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

OH
21%
CO
30%

Colorado performs significantly better than Ohio across all family life metrics.

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.

ColumbusRain: 46.8 in/yr (1188 mm)
76°/55°F

Avg. annual high / low

DenverRain: 14.3 in/yr (363 mm)
65°/36°F

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsColumbusDenver
Jan–Mar63°/41°F (17°/5°C)48°/21°F (9°/-6°C)
Apr–Jun84°/62°F (29°/16°C)72°/43°F (22°/6°C)
Jul–Sep90°/71°F (32°/21°C)85°/55°F (29°/13°C)
Oct–Dec68°/47°F (20°/8°C)53°/26°F (12°/-3°C)
View all months
MonthColumbusDenver
Jan58°/37°F (14.2°/2.7°C)44°/17°F (6.7°/-8.1°C)
Feb62°/40°F (16.7°/4.5°C)46°/19°F (7.9°/-7.3°C)
Mar69°/46°F (20.8°/7.8°C)54°/26°F (12.4°/-3.1°C)
Apr77°/53°F (24.8°/11.4°C)62°/33°F (16.4°/0.7°C)
May84°/62°F (28.9°/16.6°C)71°/43°F (21.9°/5.9°C)
Jun90°/70°F (32.2°/20.9°C)82°/52°F (28.0°/11.3°C)
Jul92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C)89°/59°F (31.9°/14.9°C)
Aug91°/72°F (33.0°/22.4°C)87°/58°F (30.7°/14.4°C)
Sep86°/67°F (30.2°/19.3°C)78°/48°F (25.8°/9.1°C)
Oct77°/56°F (25.2°/13.1°C)65°/37°F (18.5°/2.6°C)
Nov68°/46°F (20.2°/7.8°C)52°/24°F (11.2°/-4.2°C)
Dec59°/39°F (15.2°/3.8°C)43°/17°F (6.0°/-8.3°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Colorado than Ohio?

No — Colorado is on average about 28% more expensive than Ohio. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Colorado?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $23,965 in Colorado on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).

Is Colorado safe?

Ohio performs better than Colorado across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Colorado compared to Ohio?

Colorado generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Ohio leads in uninsured rate.

What's the weather like in Colorado compared to Ohio?

The average high temperature in Denver is 65°F, compared to 76°F in Columbus. Denver receives around 14.3 in of rainfall per year, while Columbus gets 46.8 in.

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