What It Really Takes to Afford Life in Colorado in 2025

Have you felt like all you have been doing lately is working, and your money isn't going as far as it used to? Well, you are not alone in feeling like that. In 2025, it seems like everything is just plain expensive, and I feel like it will never get better.

The Rising Cost of Life in Colorado and Across the U.S.

As a Colorado resident, I know that it isn't cheap to live here. It also looks like it isn't cheap to live pretty much anywhere in the United States anymore, either. High prices on housing, increased prices for auto insurance, and don't even get me started on the price of groceries.

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While many are living paycheck to paycheck, you can't help but wonder, what would it take to live comfortably in Colorado? We have that answer for you. Thanks to SmartAsset, we now know how much money you would need to make to live comfortably in the state of Colorado.

READ MORE: How Much Money Do You Need To Live in CO's Wealthiest Neighborhood?

According to SmartAsset, an income for a single person to live comfortably in the state of Colorado would need to be at least $105,955 a year. For a family of four, you would need to nearly triple that amount at $273,728.

Breaking down the salary to live comfortably in Colorado equates to $50.93 per hour at a standard 40-hour work week. If both parents were to work in a four-person household, each parent would need to make an hourly rate of $65.80.

The Salary Gap: Where Are These High‑Paying Jobs?

The real question I have is, where are all of these $50 to $65 an hour jobs at, and what type of jobs are they? It boggles my mind that someone would need to earn that much money per hour just to live comfortably in the state of Colorado.

READ MORE: Average Colorado Worker Makes $39.10 an Hour in 2025

However, Colorado isn't even at the top of the list. In the continental United States, the highest income needed to live comfortably for a single person is $120,141 per year. The state that needs that much money to just live life is Massachusetts, and it came in second place.

The state holding the number one position is Hawaii. Of course, everything is so much more expensive in Hawaii as it is an island and pretty isolated. The annual salary to live comfortably in Hawaii is $124,467. Broken down into an hourly rate at 40 hours per week, a single adult would need to make an astonishing $58.93 per hour.

See the full ranking of all 50 states and how much money you would need to make annually in each state at smartasset.com.