Aurora vs Cheyenne
The short version
- Cheyenne is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 9% lower than in the Aurora area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $333,700 in Cheyenne and $469,100 in Aurora.
- Households earn more in Aurora ($88,368 vs $78,839 median).
- Aurora has the warmer winter: January highs of 47°F vs 40°F.
- Cheyenne gets far more snow: 63 inches a year vs 49.
- Aurora has more scorching days: 42 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 15.
- Aurora is growing faster: +6.2% since 2020 vs +1.7%.
- Commutes are shorter in Cheyenne (16 vs 29 minutes each way).
- Wyoming has no state income tax on wages; Colorado's top rate is 4.4%.
Side by side
| Aurora, CO | Cheyenne, WY | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 410,053 | 66,507 |
| Growth since 2020 | +6.2% | +1.7% |
| People per square mile | 2,499 | 1,823 |
| Median age | 35.3 | 38.9 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34% | 34% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $88,368 | $78,839 |
| Median home value | $469,100 | $333,700 |
| Home value to income | 5.3× | 4.2× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,835 | $1,118 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 105.8 | 96.5 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 146.9 | 89.8 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $79,300 | $72,400 |
| Homeowners | 62% | 67% |
| Top state income tax | 4.4% | None |
| Combined sales tax | 7.89% | 5.39% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 28.6 | 16.0 |
| Work from home | 17% | 8% |
| Take public transit | 3% | 0% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.9% | 3.7% |
| Poverty rate | 11.9% | 8.7% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 47° / 18° | 40° / 18° |
| July high / low | 90° / 59° | 84° / 56° |
| Precipitation per year | 15 in | 15 in |
| Snowfall per year | 49 in | 63 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 42 | 15 |
| Nights below freezing | 156 | 170 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 4 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively Low |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 93.8 | 76.7 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 29% | 75% |
| Home prices, past year | -0.5% | +5.2% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +21.4% | +37.7% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Aurora: May to June and September. Cheyenne: June to September.
Full monthly tables: Aurora weather by month and Cheyenne weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $79,300 in Aurora and $72,400 in Cheyenne. Moving from Aurora to Cheyenne, you would need about $68,400 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Aurora and Cheyenne
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Aurora and Cheyenne.
Which would you pick?
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