Jennifer C. Greenfield, University of Denver; Kaitlyn M. Sims, University of Denver; Institute for Humane Studies, and Stefan Chavez-Norgaard, University of Denver
In Colorado, full-time workers need to earn an hourly wage of at least $36.79 to afford $2,000 in monthly rent, which is below the federal fair market rate for a Denver-area two-bedroom unit.
87% of low-income Coloradans spend more than one-third of their pretax income on housing — a common benchmark for housing affordability. High costs of housing, child care and transportation in Colorado are key drivers of a statewide cost of living that is 12% above the national average…