Estimate your monthly mortgage payment in Colorado — principal & interest plus Colorado property tax and homeowner’s insurance.
Buying a home in Colorado: what to know
The typical Colorado home is worth about $529,000 as of September 2026 (Zillow ZHVI), and the state’s 0.50% median effective property tax rate is among the lowest in the nation — so more of your monthly payment goes to principal and interest. This calculator estimates your full Colorado PITI — principal & interest, property taxes, homeowner’s insurance (averaging $2,079/year statewide), and PMI if your down payment is under 20%. First-time buyers should also check CHFA’s Down Payment Assistance Grant (up to $25,000, no repayment) and its 0%-interest Second Mortgage Loan below.
Colorado mortgage facts
| Fact | Figure |
|---|---|
| 2026 conforming loan limit (1-unit) | $832,750 ($862,500 in the Denver-metro counties, $879,750 in Boulder, and up to the $1,249,125 national ceiling in Eagle County) |
| Median home price | $529,013 |
| Median effective property tax rate | 0.5% |
| Average homeowner’s insurance | $2,079/year |
Data as of October 2026. Sources: FHFA (2026 conforming limits), Zillow ZHVI (September 2026), Tax Foundation (2026 (2024 ACS data)), NAIC via Insurance Information Institute (2022 (published May 2025)); rate: 7.40% (Freddie Mac PMMS, week ending October 15, 2026)
Colorado first-time buyer programs
- CHFA Down Payment Assistance Grant — A true grant of up to the lesser of $25,000 or 3% of your CHFA first mortgage — no repayment required — covering down payment and/or closing costs. Must be paired with a CHFA 30-year fixed first mortgage (which carries a slightly higher rate than a standard loan). Official site
- CHFA Second Mortgage Loan (DPA) — Up to the lesser of $25,000 or 4% of your first mortgage at 0% interest with no monthly payments; repayment is deferred until you sell, refinance, pay off the first mortgage, or move out. Also paired with a CHFA first mortgage, and you choose either this or the grant — not both. Official site
How to use this calculator
Enter the home price — $529,013, Colorado’s statewide median, is pre-filled — then set your down payment. Putting 20% down avoids PMI entirely; below that, the calculator adds PMI, which drops off at 20% equity. Colorado’s 0.50% property tax rate and the $2,079/year average insurance premium are applied automatically, but adjust the interest rate to your actual lender quote (2026 rates are running in the mid-6s). Note that the conforming limit is $832,750 in most Colorado counties but $862,500 across the Denver metro — if your loan exceeds your county’s limit, you’re in jumbo territory with higher rates.
Worked example: a median Colorado home
Take a median-priced Colorado home at $529,013. With 20% down ($105,802.60), the loan amount is $423,210.40. At 7.40% (Freddie Mac PMMS, week ending October 15, 2026) on a 30-year fixed term, principal and interest come to $2,930.22/month. Add property tax of about $220.42/month (0.5% of $529,013, divided by 12) and insurance of about $173.25/month ($2,079 a year), for a total estimated payment of $3,323.90/month. Over 30 years, total interest would be about $631,670.00. Your rate, down payment, and county tax bill will move these numbers — use the calculator above with your own figures.
What is the conforming loan limit in Colorado for 2026?
The 2026 FHFA baseline conforming loan limit for a one-unit home is $832,750, per the FHFA’s November 2025 announcement, and it applies in 44 of Colorado’s 64 counties. Twenty higher-cost counties have higher limits: $862,500 across the Denver-metro counties (Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Clear Creek, Denver, Douglas, Elbert, Gilpin, Jefferson, Park), $879,750 in Boulder, and up to the $1,249,125 national ceiling in Eagle County.
How much are property taxes in Colorado?
The median effective property tax rate in Colorado is about 0.50% (Tax Foundation, 2026 (2024 ACS data)). On a $529,013 home, that’s roughly $2,645 a year, or $220 a month — already included in the calculator above. Actual bills vary by county and municipality, and mountain counties can levy noticeably more.
Why are Colorado property taxes so low compared to other states?
Colorado historically held residential assessment growth down under the Gallagher Amendment, and even after voters repealed it in 2020, the legislature kept residential assessment rates suppressed — the state still ranks near the bottom nationally. One caution: Colorado reassesses property every two years, so a hot appraisal cycle can move your bill even when mill levies don’t change.
What down payment help does CHFA offer first-time buyers?
CHFA pairs its 30-year fixed first mortgages with two assistance options: a grant of up to the lesser of $25,000 or 3% of the loan (never repaid) and a 0%-interest second mortgage of up to the lesser of $25,000 or 4% (deferred until sale, refinance, or payoff). A homebuyer education course and a CHFA-approved lender are required for both.
How is Colorado’s housing market doing in 2026?
The statewide ZHVI typical home value was $529,013 in September 2026 (Zillow, via FRED) — roughly flat year over year — while the Denver metro sits higher at about $563,000. Inventory and time-on-market have both crept up, giving buyers more negotiating room than in the 2021–2022 frenzy, but affordability is still pinched by rates above 6%.