CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

39.84° N · 104.92° W · GEOID 0820275

Derby

Adams County, Colorado · part of the Denver, CO metro

ColoradoDerby, CODerbyDerby

The short answer

Derby is home to 8,453 people. Median household income is $82,138 a year and median rent is $1,689 a month, 24.7% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $353,000, about 4.3x annual median household income.

Derby stands out for what is close at hand. OpenStreetMap shows 0 parks per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 95% of places its size. It is the lowest of 111 Colorado places we track. Also notable: Rent took 27.9% of the median income in the 2019 survey and 24.7% in 2024. In the 25 places most like it the share fell 0 points on average, so affordability held up better here.

7OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Weak

Derby scores better than 7% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 105th of 111 in Colorado.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%29
Economy 20%49
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%7
Education 10%10
Commute 10%46
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$1,689
24% above the median place
Median household income
$82,138
2% above the median place
Median home value
$353,000
11% above the median place
Unemployment
5.1%
4% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Derby

  • Affordability33% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 89% of the 2,214 places under 10,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Derby

Adams County gains about 2.8 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in37,973
Moved out36,752
Net+1,221

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Denver County, CO8,4685,734+2,734
Arapahoe County, CO5,5404,662+878
Jefferson County, CO5,2654,360+905
Weld County, CO1,9643,846−1,882
Broomfield County, CO1,6711,543+128
Boulder County, CO1,3961,143+253
Douglas County, CO735897−162

Within Colorado, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within ColoradoOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$64K
Leavers$70K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Adams County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
8.6% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 2.3% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Adams County report $64,000 a year in income on average; those leaving, $69,700, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$67,600 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,689 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,068 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $353,000.
Getting to work
26 minutes each way on average; 7.9% work from home; 1.8% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Lovington, NM matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
8.6%
50% above the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people7
2.8
above the median place (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7
$64,012
9% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureDerbyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure8.6%50% above
Moved from another state1County figure2.3%17% above
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure2.8above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$64,0129% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$69,7321% below
02

What it costs to live here

Homeowners pay a median of about 0.5% of home value a year in property tax, less than in 89% of the 2,266 places under 10,000 people we track.

Derby24.7%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$67,560
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
24.7%
21% above the median place
Home price to income
4.3x
13% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
25%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$63,400
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Derby, $1,689 a month, and local prices for everything else (97.4 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Derby, but easier on the budget

Places that match Derby on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Lovington, NM9217.7% vs 24.7%n/aCompare
Crete, NE8814.5% vs 24.7%n/aCompare
Muleshoe, TX8716.3% vs 24.7%n/aCompare
Fort Lupton, CO8518.6% vs 24.7%$3,900Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Derby.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Derby? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
33.0%
35% below the median place
Property tax rate1
0.5%
47% below the median place
Median year built1
1959
1% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureDerbyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,68924% above
Rent to income124.7%21% above
Property tax rate10.5%47% below
Home price to income14.3x13% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure105.85% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$2,16934% above
HUD area median income4County figure$144,00034% above
Property tax paid (median)1$1,69948% below
Median home value1$353,00011% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure-1.1%below (median 3.2%)
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure35.1%32% below
Homeownership170.9%7% above
Renters paying 30%+133.0%35% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,06810% above
Vacant homes15.3%25% below
Median year built119591% below
03

Work and pay

Income per person is $30,413, 24% below the median place.

Income per person1
$30,413
24% below the median place
Works from home1
7.9%
37% below the median place
Poverty rate1
8.1%
25% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Unemployment5.1% +4%
Mean commute26 min +3%
Median household income$82,138 +2%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureDerbyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$82,1382% above
Income per person1$30,41324% below
Unemployment15.1%4% above
Average annual pay6County figure$75,43114% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure2.2%41% below
Jobs6County figure249,73466% above
Poverty rate18.1%25% below
Mean commute126 min3% above
Works from home17.9%37% below
Commutes by transit1County figure1.8%107% above
04

Who lives here

Households average 3.39 people, larger than than in 96% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 111 Colorado places we track.

High school or higher1
63.0%
32% below the median place
Household size1
3.4
36% above the median place
No health insurance1
15.7%
145% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Bachelor's or higher15.5% −52%
Median age33.1 −15%
Homes with broadband85.7% −7%
Born abroad21.3% 2.4×
All 8 people measures
MeasureDerbyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population18,4534727th largest
Median age133.115% below
Bachelor's or higher115.5%52% below
High school or higher163.0%32% below
Household size13.436% above
Born abroad121.3%141% above
No health insurance115.7%145% above
Homes with broadband185.7%7% below
05

Life in Derby

The nearest National Park Service site is Cache La Poudre River Corridor National Heritage Area, about 46 miles away.

20 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents0.0 −100%
Playgrounds per 10k4.7 −50%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k1.2 −89%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −95%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Cache La Poudre River Corridor National Heritage Area 46 miles
  • Rocky Mountain National Park 54 miles
  • Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument 67 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars16.5 −21%
Shops23.5 −22%
Arts, recreation and fitness2.7 −34%
Doctors' offices and clinics13.4 −34%
Child care centers1.4 −39%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site10
45.6
48% above the median place
Child care centers per 10k8
1.4
39% below the median place
Public schools12
166
above the median place (median 9)
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureDerbyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure166above (median 9)
Public school students12County figure87,751above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher12County figure18.419% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure16.521% below
Shops per 10k8County figure23.522% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure2.734% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure13.434% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure1.439% below
Parks per 10k90.0below (median 10.2)
Playgrounds per 10k94.750% below
Grocery stores per 10k90.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k91.289% below
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails90.195% below
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1045.648% above
National Park Service sites within 60 miles1020% above
National Register listings11County figure2054% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Annual precipitation is 15.6 in, 64% below the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Derby. Larger places are fetched first.

Annual precipitation13
15.6 in
64% below the median place
January average low13
16°F
38% below the median place
Average temperature13
50°F
9% below the median place
All 10 weather and risk measures
MeasureDerbyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure90°F3% above
January average low13County figure16°F38% below
Average temperature13County figure50°F9% below
Annual precipitation13County figure15.6 in64% below
Natural hazard risk14County figure91.21% below
Tornado risk14County figure93.515% above
Wildfire risk14County figure81.032% above
Heat wave risk14County figure76.915% below
Median air quality index15County figure4914% above
Good air days15County figure55.1%20% below
08

Derby in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 25% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 25% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Derby does better than 28% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 93%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,689/mo (2024)$2,190/mo$1,790 to $2,660/mo+4.4%
Median household income$82,138 (2024)$106,000$89,500 to $125,500+4.3%
Median home value$353,000 (2024)$531,000$385,000 to $731,000+7.0%

The median home would be worth 5.0 years of the median income in 2030, against 4.3 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Derby

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Kearns, UT$1,744$86,968Compare
El Mirage, AZ$1,806$78,050Compare
East Hemet, CA$1,655$82,096Compare
Magna, UT$1,625$90,346Compare
Magna, UTEast Hemet, CAEl Mirage, AZKearns, UTDerby, CODerbyKearnsEl MirageEast HemetMagnaDerbyKearnsEl MirageEast HemetMagna

Places built like Derby

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Derby performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Derby, CO24.7%9.3%/yrn/a
Lovington, NM17.7%5.9%/yr-0.3%Compare
Sunset, UT18.2%4.2%/yr1.3%Compare
Jerome, ID17.0%8.2%/yr11.2%Compare
Fort Lupton, CO18.6%4.9%/yr30.7%Compare
River Oaks, TX22.4%0.4%/yr-3.5%Compare
Posen, IL22.5%11.5%/yr-3.4%Compare

Common questions

Is Derby a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 7 out of 100, better than 7% of the places we rate and 105th of 111 in Colorado. 33% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 89% of the 2,214 places under 10,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 64 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Derby expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 24.7% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $353,000.

What salary do you need to live in Derby?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $67,560 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Derby?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Kearns, UT, El Mirage, AZ, East Hemet, CA and Magna, UT.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Derby with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Derby itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/derby-colorado

Citytistics. “Derby, Colorado.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/derby-colorado/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.