Where Do I Move?

What salary do you need to live in Lakewood, CO?

For a single person: about $80,500/year before taxes to live comfortably. That's the gross income whose CO-taxed take-home covers roughly $1,746 rent plus everyday essentials, with a 20% cushion for savings. Figures include 2025 federal tax, FICA, and an effective 3.5% Colorado income tax.

What jobs here actually pay: the typical Lakewood worker earns about $62,320/year (BLS OEWS, all occupations) — below the $64,500 a single person needs to cover local essentials, so a median local job alone runs 3% short.

Single person — est. essentials $4,322/mo

Tight

take-home covers $4,322/mo

$64,500/yr

Comfortable

take-home covers $5,186/mo

$80,500/yr

Thriving

take-home covers $6,483/mo

$104,000/yr

2-person household — est. essentials $5,611/mo

Tight

take-home covers $5,611/mo

$81,500/yr

Comfortable

take-home covers $6,733/mo

$99,000/yr

Thriving

take-home covers $8,417/mo

$125,500/yr

3-person household — est. essentials $6,763/mo

Tight

take-home covers $6,763/mo

$99,500/yr

Comfortable

take-home covers $8,116/mo

$121,000/yr

Thriving

take-home covers $10,145/mo

$156,500/yr

4-person household — est. essentials $7,570/mo

Tight

take-home covers $7,570/mo

$112,500/yr

Comfortable

take-home covers $9,084/mo

$137,500/yr

Thriving

take-home covers $11,355/mo

$178,500/yr

How we calculate this

Essentials = typical rent ($1,746) + a national non-housing baseline by household size ($2,450 for one person) + Colorado's combined sales tax on the taxable share of that spending. We then solve for the gross salary whose after-tax take-home hits each tier, including municipal income tax where the city levies one. These assume adults sharing a home. A household with young children also pays childcare, which in most cities is the largest line after rent — run a search with your own household to price it. Property taxes aren't modeled — see the methodology.

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