What it's like to live in Aurora
Aurora is a large city in Colorado with a growing population, hospitals with strong quality ratings, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Aurora deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, crime rates above the national average, and commute times longer than most cities.
The good
- Growing population
- Strong hospital ratings
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Crime above national average
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
- High rent burden for renters
How Aurora compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Aurora
Based on Aurora's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,670
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $73,400 a year
- 58% of Aurora renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$93,820
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $46,910
- Homes cost 5.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 30% above US
$1,835/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,835 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices are steep, with a median around $469,100. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $469,100 · 58% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.1% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.1%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 132% above US
763 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is a real factor here, with violent rates significantly above the national average. That doesn't make the whole city a write-off, but it does mean specific neighborhoods deserve real research before signing a lease.
Property crime 2488/100k · Aurora Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 10% above US
29 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 28.6 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 17% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 87°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 18°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
4 hospitals
There are 4 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 4.7 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
34% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 34% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
95 public schools inside the boundary
There are 95 public schools inside the boundary and 12 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument (63 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Aurora's strongest points are a growing population and hospitals with strong quality ratings; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,835/mo) equals 25% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (17% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
Other places near Aurora
All Colorado guides →Moving to Four Square Mile →
9 mi away · pop. 23,024
Rent $1,833/mo · Income $80,903
Compare with Aurora →Moving to Cherry Creek →
10 mi away · pop. 10,721
Rent $2,093/mo · Income $153,776
Compare with Aurora →Moving to Centennial →
11 mi away · pop. 108,201
Rent $2,148/mo · Income $131,928
Compare with Aurora →Not sure Aurora is the one?
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