Denver's median home price sits at $570,000, 36% above the $420,000 national median. On a $78,000 median household income, that puts the price-to-income ratio at 7.3x, or 7.3 years of gross pay for the purchase price alone.
Denver's 0.55% property tax rate runs below the 1.1% national average. That's $261/month on the median home here, not a rounding error against the mortgage payment.
Between the $3,454/month mortgage payment and Colorado's state income tax, your real housing cost calculation needs your after-tax number, not your gross salary.
Beyond housing, Denver's cost of living index sits at 108 (national average = 100), running above the national baseline for groceries, transportation, and everyday services.
Denver's median home price runs 28% higher than nearby Colorado Springs: $445,000 there versus $570,000 here.