Moving from Colorado to Arizona: The Real Numbers
ClozeEZ, the for-sale-by-owner site, lays out the real numbers on moving from Colorado to Arizona. Colorado sent 10,284 people to Arizona in 2024, making it a top-five source state, but 9,762 moved the other way, so the net gain to Arizona was only 522 (Census ACS 2024 1-year). This is close to a one-for-one exchange rather than an exodus. Price is the one large gap: Denver's metro median of about $600,000 runs roughly 32% above Phoenix's $455,000. Property taxes are effectively tied.
Colorado vs. Arizona at a glance
| Colorado | Arizona | |
|---|---|---|
| Moved to Arizona (2024) | 10,284 people (net only +522) | Arizona's #4 source state |
| Median home price | $560,000 state / $600,000 Denver metro | $433,500 state / $455,000 Phoenix metro |
| Income tax | 4.40% flat | 2.5% flat |
| Effective property tax | 0.50% | 0.48%, effectively tied |
| Annual snowfall | 47-49 inches (Denver) | None recorded (Phoenix) |
A genuine trade, not an upgrade
Colorado is the origin state where the usual Arizona pitch works least well, because the two states are more alike than different. Property tax is a statistical tie at 0.50% against 0.48%. The climate change is a real trade rather than an improvement: Denver's 47 to 49 inches of annual snowfall and 18.7°F January lows go away, but so does Denver's 1.9 days a year above 100°F, replaced by Phoenix's 111.
Worth correcting a common claim: Denver's famous '300 days of sunshine' is a tourism figure, not a NOAA statistic. Denver's actual clear-day count is 115 a year against Phoenix's 211. Phoenix is meaningfully sunnier, just not by the margin the marketing implies.
Where the real difference sits
Price and income tax. Denver metro's $600,000 median against Phoenix metro's $455,000 is a $145,000 gap, and Colorado's 4.40% flat income tax against Arizona's 2.5% saves roughly $2,850 a year on $150,000 of taxable income. Note that Colorado's rate is not fixed; its TABOR mechanism can trigger reductions, so treat 4.40% as the current-year rate rather than a permanent one.
Where Arizona does not win
The migration data does not support an exodus narrative: Colorado sent 10,284 people to Arizona and received 9,762 back, a net difference of 522 that sits well inside the survey's margin of error. Property taxes are essentially identical. The honest case is price and income tax, plus a winter-for-summer climate trade.
Colorado to Arizona: frequently asked questions
Are a lot of people leaving Colorado for Arizona?
Not on net. In 2024, 10,284 people moved from Colorado to Arizona and 9,762 moved from Arizona to Colorado, a net difference of 522, which is within the Census survey's margin of error. It is close to a one-for-one exchange.
Are property taxes lower in Arizona than Colorado?
Barely. Arizona's effective rate is 0.48% and Colorado's is 0.50%, a statistical tie. Property tax is not a reason to make this particular move.
Does Denver really get 300 days of sunshine?
No. That figure comes from tourism marketing rather than NOAA. Denver averages about 115 clear days a year; Phoenix averages 211.
How much cheaper is Phoenix than Denver?
About $145,000 at the metro median: roughly $455,000 in Phoenix against $600,000 in Denver (Zillow, June 2026). That price gap, plus the income tax difference, is the substance of this comparison.