What it's like to live in Windsor
Windsor is a small city in Colorado with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, a highly educated workforce, and a population that has grown fast since 2020. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Windsor deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Fast-growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Air quality concerns
- High rent burden for renters
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 47" per year
How Windsor compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Windsor
Based on Windsor's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,586
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $71,720 a year
- 60% of Windsor renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$120,800
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $60,400
- Homes cost 4.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 27% above US
$1,793/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,793 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 $604,000. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $604,000 · 60% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 12% below US
3.8% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.8%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 88% below US
41 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 507/100k · Windsor Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
26 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 26.4 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; 20% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 86°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 14°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 54% above US
56% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
11 public schools inside the boundary
There are 11 public schools inside the boundary. 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 Rocky Mountain National Park (42 miles away).
Bottom line
Windsor's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,793/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (20% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget and anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Windsor
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