Photo: Jguy10218 · CC BY-SA 4.0Even on the area’s higher pay, Highlands Ranch costs more to live in than 85% of U.S. towns
It ranks #117 of 158 in Colorado and #209 of 400 U.S. cities over 100,000 for affordability. Down 1.5% in a year, 30% above the Colorado typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area ($106K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade measures what housing costs against what households in the area earn. Highlands Ranch’s area earns well above the typical U.S. town ($106K against $74K), but homes, rent and taxes here run higher still. Owners keep up better than renters: 20% of owners pay 30% or more of income for housing (typical U.S. town: 20%), against 50% of renters.
In dollars
- $689Ktypical home, 30% above the Colorado typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $2,710a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 6.7 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$106K, Denver-area income
- 29%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 50%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Colorado: 53%Census 2020–24
- 20%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What Highlands Ranch’s housing numbers say
Prices are 8% below their 2022 peak
The typical Highlands Ranch home peaked at $750K in June 2022 and is worth about $689K now. Colorado as a whole is 7% off its own peak. Over five years, Highlands Ranch is still up 6.5%. Price trend ↓
A median income goes further next door
At Highlands Ranch’s median income, the calculator’s budget of about $654K falls short here but covers the typical home in Acres Green ($552K), Littleton ($613K) and Centennial ($627K). Can I afford it? ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; sales and supply are Redfin’s for May 2026; incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Highlands Ranch’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Highlands Ranch is more affordable than 15% of U.S. towns, #117 of 158 in Colorado. Rent pulls the grade down most; property tax holds it up.
Prices here have kept pace with Colorado: up 6.5% in five years, against 6.2% statewide (Zillow).
Up 6.5% in five years
About the same pace as Colorado (6.2%).
Show as a table
| January | Highlands Ranch | Colorado |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $450,000 | $336,000 |
| 2018 | $477,000 | $363,000 |
| 2019 | $498,000 | $386,000 |
| 2020 | $516,000 | $403,000 |
| 2021 | $559,000 | $440,000 |
| 2022 | $674,000 | $519,000 |
| 2023 | $703,000 | $544,000 |
| 2024 | $713,000 | $545,000 |
| 2025 | $723,000 | $551,000 |
| 2026 | $700,000 | $537,000 |
| September 2026 | $689,000 | $529,000 |
A typical Highlands Ranch home worth $441K in October 2016 is worth about $689K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A strong seller's market
Homes are selling faster than new ones are listed: less than two months of supply. Well-priced homes can draw several offers.
Under ~4 months of supply favors sellers; over ~6 favors buyers.
Redfin Data Center, all residential sales, May 2026.
A typical home costs 6.7 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Highlands Ranch’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $253K short of a typical Highlands Ranch home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $2,710 a month here, $1,200 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Highlands Ranch’s typical property tax (0.52% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $2,710
Renters already here pay a median of $2,531.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO MSA): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Property tax runs above the Colorado norm
The median bill is $3,701 (Colorado: $2,602), 0.52% of a home’s value a year, against 0.48% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
Highlands Ranch vs. its neighbors
Of the 5 towns here with a Zillow value, Highlands Ranch has the 4th-lowest.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highlands Ranch | C− | $689K | $713K | 0.52% | $2,710 |
| Littleton | C− | $613K | $631K | 0.53% | $2,080 |
| Lone Tree | D | $870K | $874K | 0.59% | $2,340 |
| Acres Green | C+ | $552K | $581K | 0.45% | $2,340 |
| Centennial | C− | $627K | $658K | 0.55% | $2,350 |
Questions about the cost of living in Highlands Ranch
Is Highlands Ranch expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Highlands Ranch costs more than 85% of U.S. towns: a C− for cost of living, #117 of 158 in Colorado. The typical home costs 6.7 years of the median household income of the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area ($106K).
How much does a house cost in Highlands Ranch?
About $689K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, down 1.5% in a year. The Colorado typical home is $529K.
What salary do you need to live in Highlands Ranch?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $168,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $3,910 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $108,000.
How much is rent in Highlands Ranch?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $2,710 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $2,531 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Highlands Ranch?
The median bill is $3,701 a year, 0.52% of the median home value (Colorado: $2,602, 0.48%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Highlands Ranch going up?
No: down 1.5% in the past year and 6.5% in five years, against 6.2% across Colorado (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Highlands Ranch buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.