Is Colorado’s cost of living higher than the national average?

Coloradosun · May 01, 2026 · 225 words · By Cassis Tingley

open_in_new Read the original article: https://coloradosun.com/2026/05/01/is-colorados-cost-of-living-higher-than-the-n…

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9 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

info Single Source 7

check_circle Corroborated 1

help Insufficient Evidence 1

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“The minimum income that Colorado residents need to afford basic necessities is among the highest in the nation.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The web search results provide general information about Colorado's minimum wage (e.g., $14.42/hour) and local variations, but none of the sources directly compare Colorado's required minimum income to the national average to confirm it is 'among the highest in the nation.'

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web search NEUTRAL — Colorado's state minimum wage rate is $14.42 per hour. This is greater than the Federal Minimum Wage of $7.25. You are entitled to be paid the higher state minimum wage.
https://www.minimum-wage.org/colorado

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web search NEUTRAL — Quora is a place to gain and share knowledge. It's a platform to ask questions and connect with people who contribute unique insights and quality answers. This empowers people to learn from each other…
https://www.quora.com/

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web search NEUTRAL — Colorado has varying minimum wage requirements depending on the locality. Effective in 2019, a Colorado statute allowed local governments to set their own minimum wage requirements. Here are all the m…
https://www.employerpass.com/colorado-minimum-wage

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“Colorado’s living hourly wage was $26 an hour for a single person with no kids in early 2026, and $65.47 for a single person with two kids, the MIT Living Wage Calculator shows.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The specific figures ($26/hour for single, $65.47/hour for two kids) and the date (early 2026) are reported in a single web search result ('Is Colorado's cost of living higher than the national average?:...'). While the web search confirms the existence of the MIT Living Wage Calculator and its purpose, it does not provide enough independent corroboration to verify these specific future-dated figures.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A living wage is the minimum income required for a worker to meet their basic needs. This is not the same as a subsistence wage, which refers to a biological minimum, or a solidarity wage, which refer…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_wage

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Real wages are wages adjusted for inflation, or equivalently wages in terms of the amount of goods and services that can be bought. This term is used in contrast to nominal wages or unadjusted wages. …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_wages

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A wage is the price of labor. Examples of wage payments include compensatory payments such as minimum wage, prevailing wage, and yearly bonuses, and remunerative payments such as prizes and tip payout…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wage

+ 3 more evidence sources

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“Those figures rank 10th and 8th in the country, respectively.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The claim that these figures rank 10th and 8th nationally is presented immediately following the specific wage figures in a single web search result. No other independent source corroborates these national rankings.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 Colorado gubernatorial election will be held November 3, 2026, to elect the governor of Colorado. Incumbent Democratic Governor Jared Polis is ineligible to seek re-election to a third consec…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Colorado_gubernatorial_el…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Colorado is a landlocked state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, and part of the Southwestern United States, sharing the Four Corners regio…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Colorado Springs is a home rule city that is the county seat of, and the most populous city in, El Paso County, Colorado, United States. The city had a population of 478,961 at the 2020 census, a 15.0…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_Springs,_Colorado

+ 3 more evidence sources

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“The state minimum wage is $15.16.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The web search results provide general information about Colorado's minimum wage and local variations, but none of the sources explicitly state that the state minimum wage is $15.16. One source mentions the state minimum wage rate is $14.42 per hour.

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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“Minimum living wages are calculated based on the cost of essentials including housing, medical care, childcare and food.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results describe the calculation of a living wage based on essential costs, including food, housing, and childcare, confirming the components listed in the claim.

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web search NEUTRAL — Living Wage: Based on the cost of basic needs. A "what it costs" measure. Minimum Wage: A legal minimum.Food Costs: Based on the USDA's Low-Cost Food Plan. Childcare Costs: Based on data from the Depa…
https://tools.kkjtech.com/mit-living-wage-calculator.html

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web search NEUTRAL — We developed the Living Wage Calculator to help individuals, communities, employers, and others estimate the local wage rate that a full-time worker requires to cover the costs of their family’s basic…
https://livingwage.mit.edu/

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web search NEUTRAL — How Is a Living Wage Calculated? The Anker & Anker methodology starts with the cost of a basic but decent life for a reference-size family. This includes food, housing, essential needs, and a small ma…
https://www.rewardify.co.in/post/living-wages-beyond-the-pay…

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“The median rent in the U.S. was $1,487 per month in 2024, the most recent year for which U.S. census data was available.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The claim regarding the median rent in the U.S. being $1,487 in 2024 is not directly supported by the provided evidence. The web search results only provide general information about median/mean calculations or state information, not specific national rent data for 2024.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Georgia ( JOR-jə) is a state in the Southeastern, South Atlantic, and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the northwest, North Carolina and South Carolina to the northeas…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_(U.S._state)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geog…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._state

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic consisting of 50 states and a federal c…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States

+ 3 more evidence sources

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“Colorado’s median rent at that time was $1,491 excluding Denver, where the median rent was $1,750.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The specific figures for Colorado's median rent ($1,491 excluding Denver) and Denver's median rent ($1,750) are presented together in a single web search result. While other sources discuss Denver's rent, they do not corroborate these exact numbers and context.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Denver ( DEN-vər) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Officially a consolidated city and county, it is located in the South Platte River valley on the western edge o…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denver

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Denver International Airport (IATA: DEN, ICAO: KDEN, FAA LID: DEN), often referred to by locals as DIA, is an international airport in the Western United States, primarily serving metropolitan Denver,…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denver_International_Airport

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver) is a public research university located in downtown Denver, Colorado. It is part of the University of Colorado system. Established in 1912 as an extension…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Colorado_Denver

+ 3 more evidence sources

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“Hawaii and Massachusetts were the states with the highest minimum living wage.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The claim that Hawaii and Massachusetts had the highest minimum living wages is mentioned in a single web search result ('Minimum Wage Rates by State 2026'). No other independent source corroborates this ranking.

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web search NEUTRAL — Employers have to pay workers the highest minimum wage of those prescribed by federal, state, and local laws. As of July 2025[update], 22 states and the District of Columbia have minimum wages above t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimum_wage_in_the_United_Sta…

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web search NEUTRAL — The table below lists the current prevailing 2026 minimum wage rates for every state in the United States. Click any state for details about the minimum wage, exemptions, and other state labor laws. Y…
https://www.minimum-wage.org/wage-by-state

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web search NEUTRAL — American Samoa has special minimum wage rates.Basic Minimum Rate (per hour): $15.00. Premium Pay After Designated Hours 1 : Weekly - 40. In no case shall the Massachusetts minimum wage rate be less th…
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state

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“Arkansas and West Virginia had the lowest.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided for this claim, and the search results contained no information regarding the lowest minimum living wages in the US.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.

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Is Colorado’s cost of living higher than the national average?

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