Denver, CO vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria: Housing Market Comparison (2026)

Side-by-side Alpha Scores, affordability, momentum, supply, jobs, and rental yield · as of August 2026

Denver, CO vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria side by side

Metric Denver, CO Washington-Arlington-Alexandria
Alpha Score3218
Price Momentum46
Inventory Health361
Affordability1815
Economic Strength3646
Rental Yield1815
Median Sale Price$598K
Price-to-Income5.74.6
Payment-to-Income34.3%28.8%
Months of Supply3
Gross Rental Yield3.8%4.2%
Overvaluation Index8020

Highlighted = the stronger read for that metric (supply, valuation, and payment burden are better when lower). Income/rent inputs lag annually.

How Denver, CO and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria compare, dimension by dimension

  • Affordability: Denver, CO leads — Denver, CO 18/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 15/100.
  • Inventory Health: Denver, CO leads — Denver, CO 36/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 1/100.
  • Economic Strength: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria leads — Denver, CO 36/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 46/100.
  • Rental Yield: Denver, CO leads — Denver, CO 18/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 15/100.

Frequently asked questions

Which has a higher Alpha Score, Denver, CO or Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?

Denver, CO scores higher — 32 vs 18 out of 100. The Alpha Score is a 0-100 composite of price momentum, inventory health, affordability, economic strength, and rental yield.

Is Denver, CO or Washington-Arlington-Alexandria more affordable?

Denver, CO is more affordable on our affordability dimension. Price-to-income is 5.7 in Denver, CO and 4.6 in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria.

Want to swap in other cities, change the metrics, or chart the trend over time? Customize this comparison → in the interactive Compare tool. Or read the Denver, CO market brief and the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria brief.