Moving to Colorado from Oregon

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What to Expect

Considering a move from Oregon to Colorado? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Oregon to Colorado, you would find that Colorado is 13.2% more expensive than Oregon. A $75,000 salary in Oregon would need to be roughly $86,610 in Colorado to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Oregon and Colorado.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $86,610

To maintain the same standard of living in Colorado

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 11.1% more

Groceries

pay 7.1% more

Transportation

pay 6.3% more

Housing

pay 17.9% more

Childcare

pay 24.1% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 9.2% 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 10% more than cities in Oregon.

Oregon

Bend66%

Colorado

Compare cities head-to-head

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Colorado compared to Oregon.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

OR
323
CO
463
Property crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

OR
2566
CO
2814

Oregon 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

OR
6.1%
CO
7.3%
Adult obesity rateCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

OR
31.9%
CO
26.3%

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

What about housing?

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

typical price of a home

OR
$454,200
CO
$502,200
Median rentUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

OR
$1,450
CO
$1,693

Oregon generally does better on what about housing?, though Colorado leads in homeownership rate.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet accessUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

OR
91.8%
CO
92.9%
Average commuteUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

OR
23 min
CO
26 min

Oregon 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

OR
5.1%
CO
3.6%
GDP per capitaBureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

OR
$61,622
CO
$74,650

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyOECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

OR
78.8 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

OR
26%
CO
30%

Oregon generally does better on family life, though Colorado 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.

SalemRain: 39.7 in/yr (1008 mm)
64°/42°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsSalemDenver
Jan–Mar52°/36°F (11°/2°C)48°/21°F (9°/-6°C)
Apr–Jun68°/45°F (20°/7°C)72°/43°F (22°/6°C)
Jul–Sep80°/51°F (27°/11°C)85°/55°F (29°/13°C)
Oct–Dec54°/38°F (12°/3°C)53°/26°F (12°/-3°C)
View all months
MonthSalemDenver
Jan48°/35°F (8.7°/1.5°C)44°/17°F (6.7°/-8.1°C)
Feb52°/35°F (10.9°/1.4°C)46°/19°F (7.9°/-7.3°C)
Mar56°/37°F (13.6°/2.9°C)54°/26°F (12.4°/-3.1°C)
Apr61°/40°F (16.2°/4.2°C)62°/33°F (16.4°/0.7°C)
May68°/45°F (19.9°/7.1°C)71°/43°F (21.9°/5.9°C)
Jun74°/49°F (23.3°/9.6°C)82°/52°F (28.0°/11.3°C)
Jul82°/53°F (27.8°/11.7°C)89°/59°F (31.9°/14.9°C)
Aug82°/53°F (28.0°/11.6°C)87°/58°F (30.7°/14.4°C)
Sep77°/48°F (24.9°/9.1°C)78°/48°F (25.8°/9.1°C)
Oct64°/42°F (17.8°/5.7°C)65°/37°F (18.5°/2.6°C)
Nov53°/38°F (11.4°/3.6°C)52°/24°F (11.2°/-4.2°C)
Dec46°/34°F (7.9°/1.1°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 Oregon?

On average Colorado is around 15% pricier than Oregon, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to Colorado?

Budget about $21,652 for 3 months in Colorado (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Colorado safe?

Oregon performs better than Colorado across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Colorado compared to Oregon?

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

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

The average high temperature in Denver is 65°F, compared to 64°F in Salem. Denver receives around 14.3 in of rainfall per year, while Salem gets 39.7 in.

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