Colorado · Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area

Buying a home in Highlands Ranch, Colorado

In Highlands Ranch, the median value of owner-occupied homes is $712,700, Douglas County's effective property tax rate is 0.55%, a purchase mortgage carried a median $4,858 in total loan costs in 2025, and median gross rent is $2,531 a month.

Data as of : Census ACS 2020-2024, Census Vintage 2024, HMDA 2025, HUD FY 2027. Sources

Highlands Ranch home costs, fact by fact

About Highlands Ranch

Highlands Ranch is an unincorporated community of 102,257 residents in Douglas County, part of the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area (19th in the country). A share of 78.1% of homes are owner-occupied, and median gross rent is $2,531 per month.

Reading the Highlands Ranch figures

At $712,700, Highlands Ranch has a higher owner estimate than the $567,600 posted statewide. Boulder tops the Colorado comparison with $1,039,500. Centennial follows with $658,100, then Arvada with $632,600, so this city sits in the upper part of the list rather than at its edge. Ownership is the norm: 78.1% of homes are owner-occupied, a share between Arvada (75.3%) and Centennial (80.6%), while Denver is down at 48.8%.

Renting is where the city stands out, at $2,531 a month, against $2,018 in Boulder. Centennial renters report $2,148. The Denver metro reference from HUD is $2,169, below the local median, which suggests that rents here run ahead of the regional figure.

Douglas County's tax picture is $3,947 a year, which corresponds to 0.55% where typical county homes are worth $713,600, almost matching the city's own estimate. On borrowing, 2025 costs look lighter than elsewhere: $4,858 typical over 5,982 loans, with the central band falling between $3,400 and $11,374.

Calculate for Colorado

If you buy

Colorado state transfer tax

Documentary fee (C.R.S. 39-13-102): $0.01 per $100 of consideration, or major fraction of $100; nothing if $500 or less. Change the price: the amount is recalculated instantly.

Price$567,600
State transfer tax$56.76
Share of the price0.01% of the price
Who paysSet by the purchase contract

Default price: the Colorado median value of owner-occupied homes, $567,600 (Census ACS 2025). Rule: Price divided by $100, times $0.01, counting a major fraction of $100 as a full unit. No fee when consideration is $500 or less. Who pays: The statute puts the fee on whoever offers the deed for recording and does not pick a side; the contract (CBS1 splits closing costs) and closing statement decide. Not included: county and city transfer taxes, recording fees, title insurance and lender charges. Colorado transfer tax guide · all 50 states.

If you sell

Capital gain and the federal tax on it

Same federal rule in every state: Section 121 of the Internal Revenue Code excludes up to $250,000 of gain on a main home ($500,000 for a married couple filing jointly).

Capital gain$350,000
Section 121 exclusion$250,000 (limit $250,000)
Taxable gain$100,000
Type of gainLong-term (owned over 1 year), 15% chosen
Federal tax on the gain$15,000

Section 121 excludes $250,000; the rest is taxable.

Gain = sale price minus your adjusted basis (purchase price, buying costs and improvements); selling expenses reduce it (IRS Publication 523). Long-term rates for sales in 2026, by taxable income including the gain (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 4.03): 0% up to $49,450 single or $98,900 married filing jointly, 15% up to $545,500 single or $613,700 jointly, 20% above. Not included: Colorado state income tax on the gain (not computed), the net investment income tax, depreciation recapture on a rental or home office, and the reduced exclusion for an early sale. Agent commissions are negotiated and never set by law. Capital gains on a home sale.

Questions about buying a home in Highlands Ranch

How much is property tax in Highlands Ranch?

Homeowners in Douglas County pay a median $3,947 a year in property tax, 0.55% of the county median home value of $713,600 (Census ACS 2020-2024). Your bill depends on your assessed value and local rates.

What are closing costs on a mortgage in Highlands Ranch?

Home-purchase mortgages in Douglas County carried median total loan costs of $4,858 in 2025; half of the 5,982 loans fell between $3,400 and $11,374 (HMDA). Total loan costs are the lender and settlement-service charges of the Closing Disclosure; transfer taxes and prepaid items come on top.

Is there a transfer tax when you buy a home in Highlands Ranch?

Colorado has no transfer tax by that name but charges a state documentary fee of one cent per $100 of the price, which is $62.50 on a $625,000 home. The Colorado Constitution bars new or increased real property transfer tax rates.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Highlands Ranch?

It depends on your mortgage rate, down payment and how long you stay. As a benchmark, the median value of owner-occupied homes in Highlands Ranch ($712,700) equals 23.5 years of the median gross rent ($2,531 a month), both from Census ACS 2020-2024.

What natural hazards affect home insurance in Highlands Ranch?

Across Colorado, the main hazards for home insurance are wildfire, hail and flood, and the insurer of last resort is Colorado FAIR Plan. The Colorado FAIR Plan, created in 2023 (House Bill 23-1288), limits residential coverage to $750,000, pays actual cash value rather than replacement cost, and requires three declinations from standard insurers.

Run your own numbers: rent vs buy calculator · closing costs calculator.

Colorado rules that apply in Highlands Ranch

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Sources

Colorado · All states · Federal guides