Buying a home in Denver, Colorado

How much homes cost in Denver

The Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) asks owners how much they think their home would sell for. The median of those answers is a useful benchmark, but it is not a sale price: it covers every owner-occupied home, including homes bought long ago. Our page on Colorado home prices explains the method in detail.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 1-Year Estimates 2024, table B25077. Denver is a consolidated city and county, so the city and county figures are identical. The 2025 estimates are scheduled for October 29, 2026.

Are Denver prices rising?

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) tracks repeat sales of the same single-family homes. Its purchase-only, seasonally adjusted index for the Denver–Aurora–Centennial metro area, published August 25, 2026, shows:

Source: FHFA House Price Index, quarterly purchase-only files. Changes calculated by Payotte from the published index values.

Prices in the Denver area slipped about 1% over the past year, after a gain of about an eighth over five years.

Closing costs at the median price

On top of the price, buyers and sellers pay closing costs: lender fees, the appraisal, the survey, escrow and recording fees, and title insurance. Several of these depend on the loan and on the providers you choose, so there is no single official figure. For the rules, who usually pays each item and a worked example, see our guide to closing costs in Colorado.

One local line is published. The Denver Clerk and Recorder lists a $43 flat fee per document for recording and a documentary fee of $0.10 per $1,000 on real estate grants and conveyances, with no documentary fee under $500. On a $636,400 purchase, the documentary fee is about $64. The fee schedule lists no separate transfer tax; our Colorado transfer tax page explains what state law says.

Property tax in Denver

The Denver Assessor does not set tax rates or collect payments: taxing authorities set mill levies each December. For the 2025 tax year, payable in 2026, the Assessor lists these assessment rates and levies, which include the Urban Drainage District:

Source: Denver Assessor’s Office, Frequently Asked Questions. The 2026 levies will be set in December 2026.

The formula is: actual value (less any exempted amount) × assessment rate × mill levy. The Assessor says Colorado reappraises in odd-numbered years, so 2025 values were based on sales between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2024.

A worked example

Take a home with an actual value equal to the Denver median, $636,400, and no exemptions:

• Local government: $636,400 × 6.25% × 0.027328 = $1,087
• Schools: $636,400 × 7.05% × 0.052274 = $2,345
• Total: about $3,432 a year, or about $286 a month.

Your bill is based on the Assessor’s value for your home, which can differ from the ACS median. Our Colorado property tax guide explains the 2026 rates, exemptions, deadlines and appeals. To see how property tax can be paid through your monthly mortgage payment, read our guide to escrow accounts.

Help for Denver buyers

The City of Denver sponsors metroDPA, which offers down payment help to buyers with income up to $216,000 and a credit score above 640, as an interest-free second mortgage with no monthly payments. The city also runs an income-restricted Affordable Homeownership Program. Details are in our guide to first-time buyer programs in Colorado.

Flood and other hazards

Denver publishes flood maps and says flood insurance is required for a primary building with a federally backed mortgage in a flood map zone with an “A” designation. See natural hazards and insurance in Colorado for flood, wildfire, hail and the Colorado FAIR Plan.

Colorado guides for Denver buyers

• Closing costs in Colorado
• Transfer tax in Colorado
• Property tax in Colorado
• Seller disclosure in Colorado
• Using a real estate attorney in Colorado
• Foreclosure in Colorado
• First-time buyer programs in Colorado
• Natural hazards and insurance in Colorado
• How to verify a license in Colorado
• The steps of buying a home