696 Apartments for rent in Denver, CO
📍Denver, the Mile-High City. It’s as if everything here is at its pinnacle. The sun is practically always shining, everyone’s happy and fit, and the economy—unlike so many other locales in the U.S.—is soaring. Denver also claims a handful of universities, three highly successful major league sports teams, a spattering of breweries (both macro and micro), and an increasingly efficient mass transit system. There are many, many reasons to move to this old trading post just east of the Rocky Mountains.
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16th Street Mall in Denver's civic center
Goats climbing Mount Evans
Civic Center Park
We’re not lying when we say that in Denver, health and fitness are king. Invest in an REI membership, secure a pair of skis or a snowboard, and exchange your loafers for a pair of Chacos (which you should expect to wear year-round).
Seriously, though: this town loves outdoor sports. Boulder’s Flatirons protest the plains a meager 30 miles away, and the Estes Park entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park is only 50 miles further. If you’re not willing to get active, you’re going to miss out on a lot of social opportunities. This also means you’ll need a mode of transportation and great parking. Make sure your apartment has either covered parking, assigned parking sports or a secure parking garage — or make sure to find a roommate with one and one hell of a closet for all that gear. Let’s get you acquainted with your options for storage—er, accommodation!
Denver is also dog city (23 dog parks in the Denver metro area) and it seems that almost every apartment, bar, restaurant, grocery store, mall, etc is pet friendly. Don't be surprised to see a friendly pup hop up on a bar-stool next to you at the local pub and chow down.
Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr. (John Denver to you noobs) didn’t err when he chained not only his name but also his decidedly smiley brand of folk music to this city and its nearby mountains. But you’ll likely be smiling only after you master these roads, which can feel a bit “country” even inside the city limits.
Like many cities in the western U.S., Denver evolved organically: planners only later imposing number schemes and cardinal directionality, bringing order to (beautiful) chaos. Thus the neighborhoods in Denver follow no pattern. Instead, they pop up like dandelions in springtime.
Great metaphor, huh? But if it’s true, it means you’re going to have a time and a half navigating this prairie. Here are some hints to aid you find your pick among the local flora.
Because there really are so many varieties, we’ve picked only the neighborhoods closest to the city center.
LoDo: Ah, the stately orchid. Lower Downtown (get it now, dontcha?) perches on the park-lined Platte River. Close to Union Station, Coors Field, MCAD (the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver), and the Auraria Campus (an educational facility housing three public universities), LoDo leaves little for want. Parking is crazy, and crazy expensive, so find a complex with a private garage if possible. Unsurprisingly, this zone has the highest rates in town. Don’t get your hopes up for anything less than $900/month for a studio, $1650/month for a two-bedroom unit. This is also a relatively pet-friendly area. Unless your beloved Fido is smaller than the average carry-on luggage item—and you don’t mind paying an extra fee—look elsewhere.
Uptown/Capitol Hill: Each portion of this neighborhood borders the central business district, making the iris a perfect example for it. Irises look a lot like orchids, but (due to being more common), they brag a slightly lower price tag. $800-$900/month for a spacious studio to enjoy the urban residential feel of Uptown. If you care to mix this sentiment with historic architecture; and higher population density, skip south to Capitol Hill. Cap Hill has a young, energetic, pedestrian-friendly feel—although if you’re not looking to extend your college years into professional adulthood, you may find the neighbors tiresome, despite their “eccentricity.” $700/month all-inclusive studio near Wax Trax Records is the low end. More pet friendly than LoDo.
Five Points: You’d do well to call this one the desert sage. Its close-in location makes this neighborhood prime fodder for urban renewal. Great access to downtown with a fraction of the action. (In other words: perfect for commuters!) Lots of stand-alone homes converted to duplexes and single-accommodation apartments, some of which go for as little as $825/month (for a whole house?!), but some as much as $1500/month (2nd floor converted executive condo). Expect the deposit to match the monthly rent.
East Denver: The multicolored gazania represents this strange conglomeration of communities. Park Hill is the first intentional interracial neighborhood, and Congress Park was gentrified long ago. The latter is jealously close to the Botanic Gardens and Cheesman Park. Both neighborhoods are vying to be considered part of the proper “midtown” section of Denver, and new apartment complexes will reflect this competitive stance in their rates. A two-bedroom townhouse in Park Hill ought to run you $1400-$1600/month, but that will likely include a pool and gym access. It’s easier to find single apartments in Congress Park, which should cost $600-$800/month and require a 12-month lease.
Washington Park and Baker: Washington Park is as all-American as the sunflower. Imagine “Life is Good”-clad parents training for marathons with their wee ones in the stroller, careening down a beautiful, tree-lined street. This perfect portrait is gonna cost, ya, though: expect around $800-1000/month for a single duplex apartment complete with washer and dryer and an assigned parking spot. The historic Baker neighborhood, on the other hand, sits west of Washington Park and boasts dive bars and dirty music venues. Here’s South Denver’s veritable cactus. It doesn’t get any edgier than setting off to thrift the S. Broadway strip. $650/month for a two bedroom apartment sets the bottom range; a single room in a renovated Victorian, however, can cost you that much alone.
Lincoln Park: The dahlia of Denver, Lincoln Park is awesome. Revitalization work is well underway which would turn this close-in neighborhood into a cultural hub. That said, it’s not there yet…So be wary and check the digs out thoroughly. Inexpensive rent here (some single units $500/month), but you’re usually looking at an older complex.
Highlands: At long last! The coveted rose. The Highlands enclave has become incredibly popular in recent years, as it combines the amenities of the other close-in neighborhoods without the parking problem of LoDo.. Sitting just across I-25 from downtown, Highlands consists of pockets of boutiques and pubs, solid restaurants with local flavor and heaps of diverse housing. $800/month for a one bedroom luxury apartment; $1400/month for a three-bedroom ranch house. And everyone has a dog or baby, according to his or her preference!
The best way to find an apartment in Denver is simply to go meandering in this sunny wonderland yourself. Just don’t get distracted and try to bed down in one of the many glorious parks—that’s still illegal, even in Denver. Good luck, dear hopeful Coloradoan. Recall the words of our patron saint: “Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy…”
Now go getcha some!
July 2020 Denver Rent Report
Welcome to the July 2020 Denver Rent Report. Denver rents declined over the past month. In this report, we'll evaluate trends in the Denver rental market, including comparisons to cities throughout the metro, state, and nation.
July 2020 Denver Rent Report
Welcome to the July 2020 Denver Rent Report. Denver rents declined over the past month. In this report, we'll evaluate trends in the Denver rental market, including comparisons to cities throughout the metro, state, and nation.
Denver rents declined significantly over the past month
Denver rents have declined 0.4% over the past month, and have decreased moderately by 1.2% in comparison to the same time last year. Currently, median rents in Denver stand at $1,063 for a one-bedroom apartment and $1,345 for a two-bedroom. This is the third straight month that the city has seen rent decreases after an increase in March. Denver's year-over-year rent growth lags the state average of -0.4%, as well as the national average of 0.2%.
Rents falling across the Denver Metro
Rent prices have been decreasing not just in Denver over the past year, but across the entire metro. Of the largest 10 cities in the Denver metro for which we have data, 9 of them have seen prices drop. Here's a look at how rents compare across some of the largest cities in the metro.
- Over the past year, Brighton has seen the biggest rent drop in the metro, with a decline of 6.1%. Median two-bedrooms there cost $1,689, while one-bedrooms go for $1,333.
- Arvada is the only city in the metro that has seen rents rise, with a year-over-year increase of 1.0%. The median two-bedroom there costs $1,582, while one-bedrooms go for $1,250.
- Thornton has the most expensive rents of the largest cities in the Denver metro, with a two-bedroom median of $1,917; rents fell 0.7% over the past year but remained flat month-over-month.
- Denver proper has the least expensive rents in the Denver metro, with a two-bedroom median of $1,345; rents decreased 0.4% over the past month and 1.2% over the past year.
Denver rents more affordable than many other large cities nationwide
As rents have fallen moderately in Denver, a few similar cities nationwide have seen prices increase, in some cases substantially. Denver is also more affordable than most comparable cities across the country.
- Although rents across cities in Colorado have been slightly on the rise, the state's growth as a whole has held steady over the past year. For example, rents have grown by 2.2% in Colorado Springs.
- Denver's median two-bedroom rent of $1,345 is above the national average of $1,192. Nationwide, rents have held steady over the past year.
- While rents in Denver fell moderately over the past year, the city of Phoenix saw an increase of 1.9%.
- Renters will find more reasonable prices in Denver than most similar cities. For example, San Francisco has a median 2BR rent of $3,035, which is more than twice the price in Denver.
For more information check out our national report. You can also access our full data for cities and counties across the U.S. at this link.
Methodology - Recent Updates:
Data from private listing sites, including our own, tends to skew toward luxury apartments, which introduces sample bias when estimates are calculated directly from these listings. To address these limitations, we’ve recently made major updates to our methodology, which we believe have greatly improved the accuracy and reliability of our estimates.
Read more about our new methodology below, or see a more detailed post here.
Methodology:
Apartment List is committed to making our rent estimates the best and most accurate available. To do this, we start with reliable median rent statistics from the Census Bureau, then extrapolate them forward to the current month using a growth rate calculated from our listing data. In doing so, we use a same-unit analysis similar to Case-Shiller’s approach, comparing only units that are available across both time periods to provide an accurate picture of rent growth in cities across the country.
Our approach corrects for the sample bias inherent in other private sources, producing results that are much closer to statistics published by the Census Bureau and HUD. Our methodology also allows us to construct a picture of rent growth over an extended period of time, with estimates that are updated each month.
Read more about our methodology here.
About Rent Reports:
Apartment List publishes monthly reports on rental trends for hundreds of cities across the U.S. We intend these reports to be a source of reliable information that help renters and policymakers make sound decisions, and we invest significant time and effort in gathering and analyzing rent data. Our work is covered regularly by journalists across the country.
We are continuously working to improve our methodology and data, with the goal of providing renters with the information that they need to make the best decisions.
Renter Confidence Survey
Apartment List has released Denver’s results from the third annual Apartment List Renter Satisfaction Survey. This survey, which drew on responses from over 45,000 renters, provides insight on what states and cities must do to meet the needs of 111 million American renters nationwide.
"Denver renters expressed general satisfaction with the city overall," according to Apartment List. "With...
Here’s how Denver ranks on:
Apartment List has released Denver’s results from the third annual Apartment List Renter Satisfaction Survey. This survey, which drew on responses from over 45,000 renters, provides insight on what states and cities must do to meet the needs of 111 million American renters nationwide.
"Denver renters expressed general satisfaction with the city overall," according to Apartment List. "With expensive rents in tech hubs, it comes as no surprise that cost of living is a source of dissatisfaction in Denver."
Key findings in Denver include the following:
- Denver renters gave their city a B+ overall.
- The highest-rated categories for Denver were social life and recreational activities, which both received A grades.
- The area of concern to Denver renters was the affordability (D).
- Millennial renters are very satisfied with their city, giving it an overall rating of A, while renters who are parents are less satisfied, giving it a C.
- Denver earned similar scores to Fort Collins (A) and Colorado Springs (B+), but earned higher marks than Aurora (C).
- Denver earned similar marks to other Tech Hubs, including San Francisco, CA (B+), Seattle, WA (B+) and Austin, TX (A-).
The top rated cities nationwide for renter satisfaction include Scottsdale, AZ, Irvine, CA, Boulder, CO and Ann Arbor, MI. The lowest rated cities include Tallahassee, FL, Stockton, CA, Dayton, OH, Detroit, MI and Newark, NJ.
Renters say:
- "High cost of living, but everything else makes the cost worthwhile." – Nicole Z.
- "Rapid growth means lots of diversity, which makes the city exciting and dynamic. I love the beautiful weather and outdoor activities all year long." – Breanna S.
- "Love the access to mountains, friendly people and active lifestyle. Traffic and cost of living are getting worse though." – Sarah M.
- "It’s sunny 300 days out of the year. There are tons of recreational opportunities and a world-class park system. Beautiful people with beautiful attitudes." – Robert R.
For more information on the survey methodology and findings or to speak to one of our researchers, please contact our team at rentonomics@apartmentlist.com.