Photo: Nyttend · Public domainEven on the area’s higher pay, Westminster costs more to live in than 75% of U.S. towns
It ranks #70 of 158 in Colorado and #133 of 400 U.S. cities over 100,000 for affordability. Down 1.8% in a year, close to 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. Westminster’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: 23% of owners pay 30% or more of income for housing (typical U.S. town: 20%), against 51% of renters.
In dollars
- $511Ktypical home, 3% below the Colorado typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $2,260a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 5.0 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$106K, Denver-area income
- 21%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 51%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Colorado: 53%Census 2020–24
- 23%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
Housing in Westminster, in brief
Prices are 9% below their 2022 peak
The typical Westminster home peaked at $559K in July 2022 and is worth about $511K now. Colorado as a whole is 7% off its own peak. Over five years, Westminster is still up 4.1%. Price trend ↓
Homes haven’t kept up with new residents
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Westminster gained 10,203 residents while 1,381 new homes were permitted: about 7.4 new residents per new home, against 2.5 across Colorado. New homes ↓
Very little new building
Westminster permitted 2,381 new homes over the past 10 years, about 2 a year per 1,000 residents. Across Colorado, the pace in 2025 was 6.9. In 2025, Westminster permitted 171. New homes ↓
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; permits are Census figures through 2025; incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Westminster’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Westminster is more affordable than 25% of U.S. towns, #70 of 158 in Colorado. Home prices pull the grade down most; property tax holds it up.
Prices here have kept pace with Colorado: up 4.1% in five years, against 6.2% statewide (Zillow).
Up 4.1% in five years
About the same pace as Colorado (6.2%).
Show as a table
| January | Westminster | Colorado |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $328,000 | $336,000 |
| 2018 | $356,000 | $363,000 |
| 2019 | $377,000 | $386,000 |
| 2020 | $393,000 | $403,000 |
| 2021 | $432,000 | $440,000 |
| 2022 | $508,000 | $519,000 |
| 2023 | $529,000 | $544,000 |
| 2024 | $534,000 | $545,000 |
| 2025 | $538,000 | $551,000 |
| 2026 | $520,000 | $537,000 |
| September 2026 | $511,000 | $529,000 |
A typical Westminster home worth $319K in October 2016 is worth about $511K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A seller's market
Supply is tight — about 2.1 months of homes for sale at the current pace. Buyers should expect competition on well-priced homes.
Under ~4 months of supply favors sellers; over ~6 favors buyers.
Redfin Data Center, all residential sales, May 2026.
A typical home costs 5.0 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Westminster’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $73K short of a typical Westminster home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $2,260 a month here, $630 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Westminster’s typical property tax (0.49% 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 $2,260
Renters already here pay a median of $1,882, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
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.
171 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 171 new homes in Westminster in 2025, all single-family houses, worth about $55.8 million to build. That's 1.5 per 1,000 residents, slower than across Colorado (6.9). Over the past 10 years, Westminster has permitted 2,381 homes in all.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Westminster gained 10,203 residents while 1,381 new homes were permitted: about 7.4 new residents per new home. Population grew faster than building, so existing homes filled up: a sign of tight supply. Across Colorado: 2.5 new residents per new home.
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 184 | 184 | 0 | $55.4 million |
| 2025 | 171 | 171 | 0 | $55.8 million |
| 2024 | 140 | 69 | 71 | $33.9 million |
| 2023 | 48 | 29 | 19 | $10.2 million |
| 2022 | 21 | 21 | 0 | $5.9 million |
| 2021 | 459 | 147 | 312 | $106.1 million |
| 2020 | 690 | 88 | 602 | $121 million |
| 2019 | 350 | 108 | 242 | $58.4 million |
| 2018 | 182 | 182 | 0 | $49.4 million |
| 2017 | 124 | 124 | 0 | $34 million |
| 2016 | 196 | 196 | 0 | $53.3 million |
| 2015 | 171 | 168 | 3 | $49.7 million |
| 2014 | 34 | 30 | 4 | $10.4 million |
| 2013 | 32 | 32 | 0 | $13.6 million |
| 2012 | 148 | 148 | 0 | $46.8 million |
| 2011 | 96 | 96 | 0 | $32.3 million |
| 2010 | 48 | 40 | 8 | $14.3 million |
| 2009 | 44 | 32 | 12 | $9.4 million |
| 2008 | 88 | 62 | 26 | $27.6 million |
| 2007 | 168 | 146 | 22 | $47.7 million |
| 2006 | 320 | 243 | 77 | $62.5 million |
| 2005 | 343 | 302 | 41 | $60.4 million |
| 2004 | 618 | 477 | 141 | $102.2 million |
| 2003 | 586 | 484 | 102 | $110.3 million |
| 2002 | 836 | 352 | 484 | $110.6 million |
| 2001 | 970 | 353 | 617 | $109.1 million |
| 2000 | 1,032 | 145 | 887 | $94.1 million |
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
Property tax runs above the Colorado norm
The median bill is $2,614 (Colorado: $2,602), 0.49% 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+”.
Westminster vs. its neighbors
Of the 4 towns here with a Zillow value, Westminster has the 2nd-lowest. Twin Lakes and Shaw Heights and Berkley and Sherrelwood have no Zillow value, so they are in the table only.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westminster | C | $511K | $532K | 0.49% | $2,260 |
| Broomfield | C− | $616K | $665K | 0.60% | $2,430 |
| Arvada | C− | $594K | $633K | 0.51% | $2,350 |
| Berkley | C− | — | $468K | 0.63% | $1,950 |
| Twin Lakes | C− | — | $588K | 0.66% | $1,930 |
| Shaw Heights | C− | — | $483K | 0.58% | $2,180 |
| Sherrelwood | C | — | $432K | 0.58% | $1,930 |
| Northglenn | C− | $450K | $462K | 0.68% | $2,110 |
“—” under Zillow: Zillow publishes no value for that town, so it’s left blank rather than mixed with Census figures.
Questions about the cost of living in Westminster
Is Westminster expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Westminster costs more than 75% of U.S. towns: a C for cost of living, #70 of 158 in Colorado. The typical home costs 5.0 years of the median household income of the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area ($106K).
How much does a house cost in Westminster?
About $511K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, down 1.8% in a year. The Colorado typical home is $529K.
What salary do you need to live in Westminster?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $124,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $2,890 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $90,000.
How much is rent in Westminster?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $2,260 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,882 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Westminster?
The median bill is $2,614 a year, 0.49% of the median home value (Colorado: $2,602, 0.48%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Westminster going up?
No: down 1.8% in the past year and 4.1% in five years, against 6.2% across Colorado (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Westminster 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. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits 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.