Aurora's median home price sits at $450,000, 7% above the $420,000 national median. On a $72,000 median household income, that puts the price-to-income ratio at 6.3x, or 6.3 years of gross pay for the purchase price alone.
Factor in $195/month for property tax in Aurora, based on the area's 0.52% effective rate applied to the median home price. That's $2,340 annually.
Between the $2,716/month mortgage payment and Colorado's state income tax, your real housing cost calculation needs your after-tax number, not your gross salary.
Beyond housing, Aurora's cost of living index sits at 105 (national average = 100), running above the national baseline for groceries, transportation, and everyday services.
Aurora's median home price runs 21% lower than nearby Denver: $570,000 there versus $450,000 here.