Common Sense Institute Colorado

Colorado is getting more expensive. CSI’s latest affordability report shows that in 2025, families needed over $20,000 more just to keep up with rising costs like insurance, child care, gas, and housing. The result? Colorado now ranks as the 9th least affordable state in the country. Find out more in our report: bit.ly/4uvrksx See what the @DenverGazette has to say: bit.ly/4sSWOag

CSI's Zach Milne spoke at this weeks Eggs & the Economy on Colorado's Free Enterprise Competitiveness. Although Colorado is still doing relatively well, concerning trends point to a declining future. Read the full report: bit.ly/4rtN9G3

5/5 In fact, CSI estimates: Without additional cost increases from state and federal policy, HCPF spending in 2025 could have spent closer to $10.8B instead of $16B. That's a major difference. Learn more by reading our full report: commonsenseinstituteus.org/colorado/resea…

4/5 Between 205 and 2025: 🔹HCPF spending: +101% ($8B➡️$16B) 🔹 Rest of the budget: +64% HCPF spending has not grown because of Medicaid enrollment or inflation. Spending has risen faster than both of those combined.

1/5 Colorado's budget debate is heating up 🔥 Here are a few key things you should know as the JBC works towards a final budget 👇

Child care is putting serious pressure on Colorado families. CSI estimates it takes nearly 42% of one full-time parent’s gross income at the median wage just to cover child care costs. On top of that, prices have surged 56.4% since 2019, ranking among the fastest increases in the nation. Read our full report: bit.ly/4uvrksx

Great piece here from @mnolangray & Muhammad T. Alameldin. Thank you for citing my report with @CSInstituteCO. We're working on releasing an updated report soon :) @TheAtlantic theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/03/…

Did you know? Colorado has become one of the top 10 most expensive places to live in the U.S. While income has risen 35.8% since 2019, living expenses have grown even faster at 37%. Learn more about CSI's analysis here: bit.ly/4uvrksx

CSI estimates that households in Colorado needed to spend $20,800 more in 2025 to cover shelter and utilities, groceries, health and car insurance, gas, and child care. Learn more in the full report: bit.ly/4uvrksx

Thank you to everyone who kicked off their morning with us for today's Eggs & the Economy event. A special thank you to our moderator @CBS4Shaun and panelists @mjodino and Dick Wadhams for a productive conversation! Want to view the full report? Click here to read the Free Enterprise Report: bit.ly/4rtN9G3 If you missed it, re-watch on our YouTube page here: bit.ly/419By47

Housing affordability is Colorado’s biggest hurdle right now. The state ranks 50th nationally in housing competitiveness making it the toughest spot for housing compared to anywhere else in the U.S. Learn more about what this means for Colorado’s economy in CSI’s Free Enterprise Report: bit.ly/4rtN9G3

Big news for CSI! 🎉 CSI’s Housing Fellow,@PLifari, was featured in @Forbes discussing CSI’s Starter Home Zoning Template - a practical guide designed to help local governments make attainable starter homes a reality. 🏠✅ Check out the article to see what Peter had to say: bit.ly/4bsVDat Learn more about CSI's Starter Home Zoning Template: bit.ly/3M29sUG

Colorado’s economy is still performing well, but the state’s growth is starting to slow compared to the rest of the country. Colorado ranks 7th in overall economic performance, but just 19th in economic momentum, relative to other states. What does this mean for Colorado’s future competitiveness? Read more in CSI’s Free Enterprise Report: bit.ly/4rtN9G3

Why are synthetic opioid deaths rising faster in Colorado? Colorado was one of only five states to see an increase in synthetic opioid overdose deaths since December 2024. The only two states with faster-growing overdose death rates are two neighboring states, Arizona(+26%) and New Mexico (+21%). Get the facts: bit.ly/3P7onxY

Colorado is moving against the national trend on synthetic opioid overdose deaths. Between December 2024 and August 2025, Colorado’s synthetic opioid overdose deaths increased 17%, while the national rate fell 21% during the same period. Read CSI’s latest findings ⬇️ bit.ly/3P7onxY

@COHospitalAssn CEO Jeff Tieman joined @Rossputin to break down CSI’s latest report on Medicaid and what it means for the state. Listen to the full show here ⬇️🎧 ihr.fm/4bqii7w Read CSI's full report: bit.ly/4txXiUm

Just one more week until Eggs & the Economy! ⏰ 🍳 Join Common Sense Institute as our Senior Economist & Research Analyst, Zach Milne, unveils the latest findings on how Colorado stacks up against other states in areas like housing, public safety, education and more. Plus, hear from a powerhouse panel of political analysts as they weigh in on the trends shaping where Colorado is headed next. If you care about where our state is leading - and where it may be slipping - this is a conversation you won’t want to miss. Register now and be part of it: secure.anedot.com/common-sense-i…

Between 2019 and 2025, Colorado lawmakers passed 182 new health care bills - many expanding HCPF, adding regulations, and increasing the cost of providing public insurance. The result: at least $858 million more in state spending every year, driven by new bureaucracies, expanded services, and additional requirements for providers. Watch our full event here: bit.ly/4syK1cT Find all the facts in our latest report: bit.ly/4txXiUm