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The cheapest places to live near Denver are Northglenn, Aurora, Brighton, Thornton and Commerce City, where the median owner-occupied home value runs $462,100 to $534,800, against $643,300 in the city of Denver (U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey). Drive an hour and prices drop further: Greeley at $426,600 and Pueblo at $284,200. Here is the full price ranking of 31 Front Range cities, October 2026 county sale prices from the Colorado Association of REALTORS, and the cheapest way into a home near Denver.
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$462,100 Northglenn median value Cheapest metro city on our list (Census) | $479,500 Aurora median value Cheapest big city next to Denver (Census 2025) |
$510,000 Adams County house median October 2026 sales (Colorado REALTORS) | $357,000 Denver condo median October 2026 sales (Colorado REALTORS) |
What is the cheapest place to live near Denver?
Northglenn has the lowest median home value of the 24 Denver metro cities we track: $462,100 (Census ACS 5-year 2020-2024). Aurora is the cheapest big city that borders Denver at $479,500 (Census ACS 1-year 2025),. Brighton, Thornton and Commerce City round out the top five. All five sit north or east of Denver, in Adams and Arapahoe counties.
The ranking below is home value only, from the same Census table for every city, so the cities compare side by side. Click a city to see its live MLS numbers: homes for sale now, new this week and the median list price, updated every time the page opens.
| Rank | Denver metro city | Median home value | Census survey | Median rent | County |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northglenn | $462,100 | 5-yr 2020-24 | $1,775 | Adams |
| 2 | Aurora | $479,500 | 1-yr 2025 | $1,831 | Arapahoe/Adams |
| 3 | Brighton | $499,500 | 5-yr 2020-24 | $1,779 | Adams |
| 4 | Thornton | $529,700 | 1-yr 2025 | $2,002 | Adams |
| 5 | Commerce City | $534,800 | 1-yr 2025 | $1,903 | Adams |
| 6 | Longmont | $562,400 | 1-yr 2025 | $1,756 | Boulder |
| 7 | Westminster | $571,500 | 1-yr 2025 | $1,967 | Adams/Jefferson |
| 8 | Englewood | $572,900 | 5-yr 2020-24 | $1,668 | Arapahoe |
| 9 | Lakewood | $617,200 | 1-yr 2025 | $1,939 | Jefferson |
| 10 | Wheat Ridge | $623,000 | 5-yr 2020-24 | $1,579 | Jefferson |
| 11 | Littleton | $630,600 | 5-yr 2020-24 | $1,819 | Arapahoe |
| 12 | Denver | $643,300 | 1-yr 2025 | $1,890 | Denver |
| 13 | Arvada | $656,200 | 1-yr 2025 | $1,804 | Jefferson |
| 14 | Castle Rock | $663,800 | 1-yr 2025 | $2,712 | Douglas |
| 15 | Parker | $673,200 | 1-yr 2025 | $2,235 | Douglas |
| 16 | Centennial | $682,300 | 1-yr 2025 | $2,254 | Arapahoe |
| 17 | Broomfield | $682,600 | 1-yr 2025 | $2,245 | Broomfield |
| 18 | Highlands Ranch | $734,000 | 1-yr 2025 | $2,842 | Douglas |
| 19 | Erie | $736,500 | 5-yr 2020-24 | $2,805 | Boulder/Weld |
| 20 | Golden | $837,700 | 5-yr 2020-24 | $1,953 | Jefferson |
| 21 | Lone Tree | $874,100 | 5-yr 2020-24 | $2,139 | Douglas |
| 22 | Louisville | $883,900 | 5-yr 2020-24 | $2,166 | Boulder |
| 23 | Castle Pines | $895,500 | 5-yr 2020-24 | $2,211 | Douglas |
| 24 | Boulder | $1,014,700 | 1-yr 2025 | $2,099 | Boulder |
Median value of owner-occupied homes and median gross rent, U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey table DP04. Cities with 65,000+ people use the 1-year 2025 survey; smaller cities use the 5-year 2020-2024 survey, the newest Census publishes for them.
What are the cheapest Front Range cities outside the Denver metro?
Look past the metro and the price drops fast. Pueblo is the cheapest city on the Front Range at a $284,200 median value, less than half of Denver's. Greeley ($426,600) and Colorado Springs ($465,500) both come in under every Denver suburb except Northglenn.
| Rank | Front Range city | Median home value | Census survey | Median rent | County |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pueblo | $284,200 | 1-yr 2025 | $1,227 | Pueblo |
| 2 | Greeley | $426,600 | 1-yr 2025 | $1,587 | Weld |
| 3 | Colorado Springs | $465,500 | 1-yr 2025 | $1,691 | El Paso |
| 4 | Loveland | $520,200 | 1-yr 2025 | $1,889 | Larimer |
| 5 | Fort Collins | $596,600 | 1-yr 2025 | $1,833 | Larimer |
| 6 | Windsor | $604,000 | 5-yr 2020-24 | $1,793 | Weld |
| 7 | Monument | $636,700 | 5-yr 2020-24 | $1,929 | El Paso |
See today's homes in Pueblo, Greeley, Colorado Springs, Loveland and Fort Collins.
What did homes sell for near Denver in October 2026?
Census values are owner estimates. For actual sale prices, the Colorado Association of REALTORS publishes county medians every month. Here is October 2026, cheapest county first:
| County | Single-family median, Oct 2026 | Townhouse/condo median, Oct 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Pueblo County | $295,000 | $255,500 |
| El Paso County (Colorado Springs) | $479,000 | $335,000 |
| Weld County (Greeley) | $495,000 | $364,995 |
| Adams County (Thornton, Northglenn, Brighton) | $510,000 | $375,000 |
| Arapahoe County (Aurora, Englewood) | $559,000 | $360,000 |
| Larimer County (Fort Collins, Loveland) | $593,150 | $414,995 |
| Broomfield County | $700,000 | $475,000 |
| Denver County | $704,000 | $357,000 |
| Jefferson County (Lakewood, Arvada) | $705,000 | $365,000 |
| Douglas County (Parker, Castle Rock) | $707,000 | $429,595 |
| Boulder County | $835,000 | $533,750 |
Colorado Association of REALTORS, Local Market Update for October 2026, county reports. County medians mix every city in the county.
Two things jump out. Adams County is the cheapest place to buy a single-family house in the Denver metro at $510,000, a flat 0.0% change from October 2025. And a Denver County condo or townhouse ($357,000) sold for less than half the price of a Denver house ($704,000) in October, which makes an attached home inside the city cheaper than a house in any suburb.
What is the cheapest way to buy a home near Denver?
- Buy a condo or townhome. Attached homes sold for $357,000 to $375,000 in Denver, Arapahoe, Adams and Jefferson counties in October 2026. Read the HOA budget first; see our Colorado HOA fees guide and Denver condo market 2026.
- Go north or east. Northglenn, Thornton, Brighton and Commerce City carry the lowest house prices in the metro. Our Aurora homes under $400K and Denver homes under $400K pages show every one for sale today.
- Use down payment help. CHFA and local programs cut the cash you need at closing. Start with the Colorado affordable homes hub, the Denver affordable homes guide and financing options.
- Ask for seller help. With prices flat, ask the seller to pay part of your closing costs. See seller concessions in Colorado.
- Run the payment, not the price. Plug the price into the Colorado mortgage calculator with today's Colorado mortgage rates.
Is it cheaper to live in Denver or the suburbs?
For a house, the north and east suburbs win: the Adams County median house sold for $194,000 less than the Denver County median in October 2026 ($510,000 vs. $704,000). For a condo, Denver itself is one of the cheapest spots in the metro. Rent tells the same story: Englewood ($1,668), Wheat Ridge ($1,579) and Longmont ($1,756) carry lower median rents than Denver ($1,890), while Castle Rock ($2,712) and Highlands Ranch ($2,842) run highest. Our cost of living in Denver page covers taxes, utilities and the rest of the monthly budget.
How this affects you
Buyers. A $462,100 Northglenn home or a $357,000 Denver condo is a different monthly payment than a $643,300 Denver house. Pick the payment you want first, then the city. Start with can I afford a home now and the first-time buyer guide.
Sellers. Buyers priced out of Denver are shopping Aurora, Thornton and Northglenn hardest. If you own in a lower-priced city, your buyer pool is the biggest in the metro. Get a free home value report to see where you stand.
Homeowners. Property tax follows assessed value, but mill levies differ by city and district, so compare the actual tax bill on each home. Read Colorado property taxes 2026 before you compare towns.
The Colorado market. County house medians moved from down 3.0% (Weld) to up 2.2% (Broomfield) year over year in October 2026, so prices are flat, not falling. More on that in is the Denver housing market crashing and the Denver real estate statistics page.
What to watch out for (what not to do)
- Do not shop by price alone. A cheaper home with a metro district or a big HOA dues bill costs more each month than a pricier one without. Ask for both numbers.
- Do not compare a Census value to a list price. Census medians are owner estimates; REALTOR medians are sale prices. Compare like with like.
- Do not forget the commute. Pueblo and Greeley are an hour or more from downtown Denver; add fuel, tolls and time to the budget.
- Do not skip the inspection on a bargain. The cheapest homes are the oldest; scope the sewer line (see sewer scope in Denver).
- Do not buy without insurance quotes. Hail and wildfire areas raise premiums; read the Colorado FAIR Plan guide.
Aurora homes under $400K
These homes are pulled live from the MLS every time you open this page. Want the same list for Northglenn, Thornton or Brighton? Call us and we will build your search.
