Colorado

Living wage in Aurora, Colorado

Most of Aurora is in Arapahoe County, where a full-time job needs to pay at least $56.51 an hour before taxes to take home four times the typical studio rent.

Pay needed, before taxes$56.51/hrArapahoe County standard
At Aurora's middle rent$58.80/hrstudio rent $1,740 a month
Check a job's pay hereAll the numbers for Arapahoe County

Across the 17 ZIP codes in Aurora with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $1,480 to $2,330 a month. At the middle rent, $1,740, a full-time job would need to pay $58.80 an hour before taxes.

Parts of Aurora are also in Adams County.

ZIP codes in Aurora

What the standard would be at each ZIP code's own studio rent. The calculator and the official standard use the county figure.

ZIPCountyStudio rentPay needed
80010Adams County$1,480/mo$48.88/hr
80011Arapahoe County$1,620/mo$54.22/hr
80012Arapahoe County$1,710/mo$57.65/hr
80013Arapahoe County$1,950/mo$66.92/hr
80014Arapahoe County$1,820/mo$61.85/hr
80015Arapahoe County$2,090/mo$72.43/hr
80016Arapahoe County$2,010/mo$69.28/hr
80017Arapahoe County$1,680/mo$56.51/hr
80018Arapahoe County$2,330/mo$81.87/hr
80019Adams County$1,480/mo$48.88/hr
80040Adams County$1,660/mo$55.74/hr
80041Arapahoe County$1,740/mo$58.80/hr
80042Adams County$1,660/mo$55.74/hr
80044Arapahoe County$1,740/mo$58.80/hr
80045Adams County$1,920/mo$65.73/hr
80046Arapahoe County$1,740/mo$58.80/hr
80047Arapahoe County$1,740/mo$58.80/hr

Questions

How much do you need to make to live in Aurora, Colorado?

Under the Four Times Rent standard, a full-time job in Aurora needs to pay at least $56.51 an hour before taxes, about $117,533 a year. That is the figure for Arapahoe County, where the typical studio rent is $1,680 a month.

Does it vary by neighborhood?

Yes. Across the 17 ZIP codes in Aurora with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $1,480 to $2,330 a month. At the middle rent of $1,740, the pay needed would be $58.80 an hour.

How does that compare with the minimum wage?

The minimum wage in Arapahoe County is $15.16 an hour. The Four Times Rent standard there is 3.7 times that.

The Four Times Rent standard: a month of full-time work (160 hours) should take home at least four times the typical rent on a studio apartment in the county where the work is done. Rents: HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents. Taxes: 2026 federal and state income taxes plus Social Security and Medicare, for a single filer. Why four times rent? · Method and data downloads