DENVER (KDVR) — The cost of living takes away a large chunk of paychecks, with rent, mortgages, gas, groceries and other bills needing to be paid, however, in some areas across the country, your paycheck can go a little further.
GOBankingRates, a personal finance website, found the top 40 cities across the country where paychecks go the furthest. The report looked through the top 100 cities by population and used the cities’ household income and annual cost of necessities to determine where paychecks would go the furthest, even after the cost of groceries, bills, loans and mortgages.
How far paychecks go in these Colorado cities
Among lesser-known areas in Texas, to state capitals like Indianapolis, three Colorado cities made the list: Denver, Aurora and Colorado Springs. Here’s where they rank among the top places where paychecks go the furthest in the country:
| Rank | City | Median household income | Annual cost of necessities | What’s left |
| 1 | 1. Gilbert, Arizona | $121,351 | $65,500 | $55,851 |
| 2 | Plano, Texas | $108,649 | $59,976 | $48,673 |
| 3 | Chandler, Arizona | $103,691 | $62,312 | $41,379 |
| 4 | Chesapeake, Virginia | $94,189 | $54,639 | $39,550 |
| 5 | Anchorage, Alaska | $98,152 | $58,815 | $39,337 |
| 19 | Colorado Springs | $83,198 | $55,336 | $27,862 |
| 29 | Denver | $91,681 | $66,274 | $25,407 |
| 35 | Aurora | $84,320 | $60,214 | $24,106 |
Ranked from the least money left to the most, Aurora ranked No. 35, with the report noting that the median household income was estimated at $84,320, with the annual cost of necessities listed as $60,214. This leaves Aurora residents with $24,106 left from their paychecks.
Meanwhile, paychecks in Denver go even further, according to the report. While the annual cost of necessities was more in Denver at $66,274, the median household income was estimated at $91,681, leaving $25,407 left in the paycheck.
Residents’ paychecks in Colorado Springs go the furthest in Colorado, and above most in the country, with a $83,198 household income, which is lower than in Denver and Aurora. However, the cost of necessities is the lowest in the state at $55,336, leaving people with $27,862 left.
The full list can be found on GOBankingRates.
Anthony Sutton is a business strategist and writer with a passion for management, leadership, and entrepreneurship. With years of experience in the corporate world, he shares insights on business growth, strategy, and innovation through management-opleiding.org.
