| Metric | Austin, TX | Denver, CO |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $580,000 | $560,000 |
| 20% Down Payment | $116,000 | $112,000 |
| Loan Amount | $464,000 | $448,000 |
| P&I (6.7%, 30yr) | $2,994/mo | $2,890/mo |
| Property Tax | 1.81%/yr | 0.55%/yr |
| Total PITI Est. | $4,109/mo | $3,379/mo |
| Income Needed (36% DTI) | $136,966/yr | $112,633/yr |
| 10-Year Total Cost | $493,080 | $405,480 |
Choosing Denver, CO over the alternative saves $730/month — or $8,760/year in housing costs. Over 10 years, that's $87,600 in your pocket instead of your mortgage.
But monthly payment isn't everything. Consider: job market, salary levels, appreciation potential, cost of living beyond housing, and lifestyle fit. A cheaper mortgage in a lower-income city may not actually save money if your salary drops too.
Ask Zai with your income and down payment — get a personalized city recommendation.
🏦 Ask Zai Free → 🔔 Set Affordability Alert 🎲 Geographic LotteryNot financial advice. Data estimated from public sources. Rates at 6.7%, 20% down, 30-year fixed. Actual costs vary.
🔍 Also explore: All FRC Research Tools · Zai — File Analysis · FHA State Map · Lender Stress Index
Prices and rates are widely reported. Whether a lender says yes is not. In the complete 2025 federal record, denial rates across the 100 largest FHA lenders ran from 1.8% to 78.7% — same programme, same year.
And it is not simply who applies where: standardizing on state, loan amount, income, debt-to-income and loan-to-value, applicant mix explains only a 2.7× range in expected outcomes.
CFPB HMDA 2025, computed by FinanceRateCalc. Covers the highest-volume lenders published per market, not all lenders. Historical observations, not predictions. CC BY 4.0, not independently reproduced.