Colorado

Living wage in Brighton, Colorado

Most of Brighton is in Adams County, where a full-time job needs to pay at least $56.89 an hour before taxes to take home four times the typical studio rent.

Pay needed, before taxes$56.89/hrAdams County standard
At Brighton's middle rent$60.70/hrstudio rent $1,790 a month
Check a job's pay hereAll the numbers for Adams County

Across the 3 ZIP codes in Brighton with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $1,690 to $2,380 a month. At the middle rent, $1,790, a full-time job would need to pay $60.70 an hour before taxes.

Parts of Brighton are also in Weld County.

ZIP codes in Brighton

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
80601Adams County$1,690/mo$56.89/hr
80602Adams County$2,380/mo$83.84/hr
80603Weld County$1,790/mo$60.70/hr

Questions

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

Under the Four Times Rent standard, a full-time job in Brighton needs to pay at least $56.89 an hour before taxes, about $118,326 a year. That is the figure for Adams County, where the typical studio rent is $1,690 a month.

Does it vary by neighborhood?

Yes. Across the 3 ZIP codes in Brighton with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $1,690 to $2,380 a month. At the middle rent of $1,790, the pay needed would be $60.70 an hour.

How does that compare with the minimum wage?

The minimum wage in Adams County is $15.16 an hour. The Four Times Rent standard there is 3.8 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