Wheat Ridge 80033 in 2026: The $622,317 Median Takes About $124,144 of Income at 20% Down

Quick answer: Buying the $622,317 median home in Wheat Ridge 80033 with 20% down takes about $124,144 a year of gross income at a 36% debt-to-income ratio, with no other debts. That covers about $3,420 a month of principal and interest at Freddie Mac's 7.32% average plus about $304 of property tax, before insurance.

By Nick Ahrens, Colorado real estate broker license FA.100104470, eXp Realty, LLC

Most buyers start with a price. Lenders start with your income, so it helps to run the math in that direction before you shop.

This guide works from Redfin's 80033 median, Freddie Mac's weekly rate survey, Jefferson County's 2025 mill levies and Fannie Mae's debt-to-income limits. Every dollar figure is a planning estimate, not a loan approval.

How much income does the Wheat Ridge 80033 median take in 2026?

About $124,144 a year at a 36% debt-to-income ratio, $99,315 at 45% and $89,383 at 50%, with 20% down and no other monthly debts.

• Price: $622,317, Redfin's 80033 median sale price for the three months ending September 2026 (all home types; 88 homes sold, down 1.8% year over year)
• Loan: $497,854 after 20% down ($124,463)
• Principal and interest: about $3,420 a month on a 30-year fixed loan at 7.32%
• Property tax: about $304 a month ($3,653 a year) at 88.239 mills
• Housing payment before insurance: about $3,724 a month

The income figure is that payment times 12, divided by the debt-to-income limit. My read: treat $124,144 as a floor, because homeowners insurance is not in it yet.

How did I build the Wheat Ridge property tax line?

I used the 2025 levies Jefferson County certified (taxes paid in 2026) and Colorado's 2025 residential assessment rates of 6.25% for local government and 7.05% for schools.

Your bill depends on your tax area, or TAG, which your Jefferson County tax statement shows next to the parcel ID number. From the county's tax authority reports:

• 88.239 mills, shared by 17 City of Wheat Ridge TAGs on the county's 2024 authority list, is county 26.978, Jeffco R1 schools 44.349, West Metro Fire 13.79, City of Wheat Ridge 1.83, Wheatridge Sanitation 0.292 and urban drainage 1.0
• Wheat Ridge TAGs without a metro district run from 74.157 mills (about $259 a month at the median) to 101.921 mills (about $349)
• TAGs with a metro district run as high as 207.552 mills, about $691 a month at the same price

The school levy uses the 7.05% rate and every other levy uses 6.25%, per the Division of Property Taxation's 2025 rate bulletin. I applied both to the full $622,317 with no exemptions. The county's 2025 file also lists 33 new TAGs numbered 3239 to 3272 that its 2024 authority list does not break down, so I left them out.

Look up a specific house in the county's TAG search before you trust any estimate, including mine.

How much more income does a smaller down payment take?

At 36%, about $138,393 with 10% down, $145,518 with 5% down and $148,368 with 3% down, before mortgage insurance.

• 10% down ($62,232): loan $560,085, principal and interest about $3,847, plus tax about $4,152 a month
• 5% down ($31,116): loan $591,201, principal and interest about $4,061, plus tax about $4,366 a month
• 3% down ($18,670): loan $603,647, principal and interest about $4,147, plus tax about $4,451 a month

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says mortgage insurance is typically required with less than 20% down. I left it out because the premium depends on your credit and loan, so ask your lender to add it to these lines.

Get new Wheat Ridge houses with the income math done

Email me new Wheat Ridge 80033 houses from $550K as they list, so I can run the payment and the income it takes on each one before you book a showing.

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Which debt-to-income limit will a lender hold you to?

On a Fannie Mae conventional loan, 36% of stable monthly income for a manually underwritten loan, up to 45% with the required credit score and reserves, and up to 50% through Desktop Underwriter.

That is from Fannie Mae Selling Guide B3-6-02. The ratio counts your full housing payment, which Fannie Mae calls PITIA (principal, interest, taxes, insurance and association dues), plus other monthly debts such as car, student loan and card payments.

• Each $100 a month of insurance or HOA dues adds about $3,333 to the income needed at 36%
• A $500 monthly car payment adds about $16,667 at 36%
• At 45%, the same $500 adds about $13,333

My read: list every monthly debt before you pick a price range; a car payment can move your budget more than a quarter point of rate.

What income fits each Wheat Ridge price band?

With 20% down at 7.32% and 88.239 mills, about $119,692 at $600,000, $139,640 at $700,000, $159,589 at $800,000 and $199,486 at $1,000,000, at 36% and before insurance.

• $600,000: about $3,591 a month; Wheat Ridge houses from $600K to $800K
• $700,000: about $4,189 a month, the middle of that band
• $800,000: about $4,788 a month; Wheat Ridge houses from $800K to $1M
• $1,000,000: about $5,985 a month; Wheat Ridge houses from $1M

At 45%, those incomes drop to about $95,753, $111,712, $127,671 and $159,589.

How much does the mortgage rate move the income number?

A lot: at the 6.19% average Freddie Mac reported a year earlier, the same 80033 purchase would take about $111,679 at 36%, about $12,465 less than at 7.32%.

• 7.32% (week of October 22, 2026): principal and interest about $3,420, income about $124,144
• 7.40% (the prior week): about $3,447, income about $125,048
• 6.19% (a year earlier): about $3,046, income about $111,679

PMMS is a national average built around borrowers with good or excellent credit and 20% down buying a one-unit home to live in. Your quote can be higher or lower, so rerun the math with your own Loan Estimate.

How does 80033 compare with the other zipcodes I compared?

On principal and interest alone at 20% down and 7.32%, 80033 takes about $113,997 of income at 36%, between 80002 at $105,756 and 80215 at $131,852.

• Arvada 80002, $577,330 median: about $3,173 a month, $105,756 of income
• Edgewater 80214, $604,822 median: about $3,324 a month, $110,792 of income
• Wheat Ridge 80033, $622,317 median: about $3,420 a month, $113,997 of income
• Lakewood 80215, $719,789 median: about $3,956 a month, $131,852 of income

These leave out property tax, because each city sits in different tax areas. All four medians are Redfin's for the three months ending September 2026 and mix condos, townhomes and houses.

Redfin also shows how fast 80033 moves: homes sold at 98.7% of list in a median of 21 days.

Is every 80033 address inside the City of Wheat Ridge?

No: by land area in the Census Bureau's 2020 relationship files, 90.0% of 80033 is the City of Wheat Ridge, 2.0% is Arvada and 7.9% is outside any city, all in Jefferson County.

The tax line above uses City of Wheat Ridge TAGs. An 80033 house in Arvada or unincorporated Jefferson County sits in different tax areas, so check its TAG before you lean on my $304.

Where should an income-first Wheat Ridge search start?

Start at the price your income supports, then widen by zipcode and band.

• Wheat Ridge: 80033 Wheat Ridge houses for sale from $550K and Wheat Ridge single-family homes for sale from $550,000
• The zipcodes compared above: 80002 Arvada houses for sale from $550K, 80214 Edgewater houses for sale from $600K and 80215 Lakewood houses for sale from $600K
• Front Range bands: Front Range houses from $600K to $800K, Front Range houses from $800K to $1M and Front Range houses from $1M
• Planning: my first-time buyer plan for the west metro and Front Range buyer costs checklist

For the houses themselves, see my Wheat Ridge 80033 inspection checklist and Lakewood vs. Wheat Ridge comparison.

Which Wheat Ridge budget fits your income?

Match the payment to your verified income first, then pick the house.

Shop near the 80033 median if:

• Your household gross income is about $124,000 or more, you can put 20% down and you carry few other debts

Aim for the $600K-$700K band if:

• Your income runs about $120,000 to $140,000 at 20% down, or you want room left for insurance and a car payment

Ask a lender about a 45% or 50% approval if:

• Your income sits between about $90,000 and $124,000, your credit is strong and you will have reserves after closing

Keep looking if:

• The house sits in a metro district TAG and the extra tax pushes your payment past your limit

Broker view: "Wheat Ridge buyers who start from income instead of list price write cleaner offers. I build the payment, tax area included, before the first showing." - Nick Ahrens, eXp Realty, LLC

What this guide does not cover: homeowners insurance premiums, mortgage insurance, HOA dues, FHA and VA loan rules, down payment assistance, closing costs, the 2026 tax year changes (a 6.8% local assessment rate with a value reduction), and property tax for addresses outside City of Wheat Ridge TAGs.

Sources: Redfin 80033, 80002, 80214 and 80215 housing market pages (three months ending September 2026, checked October 26, 2026); Freddie Mac PMMS (October 22, 2026); Fannie Mae Selling Guide B3-6-02; Jefferson County 2025 tax area and tax authority levy files; Colorado Division of Property Taxation 2025 assessment rate bulletin; Census Bureau 2020 zipcode relationship files (land shares); CFPB mortgage insurance guidance.

Want your own number? Send me your gross income, monthly debts and down payment, and I will match them to Wheat Ridge houses by tax area before you book a showing. Call or text 949-230-3625, or request a tour.

Frequently asked questions

How much income do I need to buy a house in Wheat Ridge 80033?

About $124,144 a year of gross income buys the $622,317 median with 20% down at a 7.32% rate, if you carry no other monthly debts and your lender holds you to a 36% debt-to-income ratio. Insurance, HOA dues and other debts push that number higher.

Can I qualify with a lower income in Wheat Ridge?

Possibly. Fannie Mae allows a total debt-to-income ratio up to 45% on manually underwritten loans that meet its credit score and reserve rules, and up to 50% through its Desktop Underwriter system. At those limits the same 80033 payment works out to about $99,315 or $89,383 of income.

What property tax should I budget for a Wheat Ridge home?

At the $622,317 median, about $3,653 a year, or $304 a month, using the 88.239 mills that 17 City of Wheat Ridge tax districts share for 2025. Wheat Ridge districts without a metro district run 74.157 to 101.921 mills, and metro district areas go higher.

Does a 5% down payment raise the income I need?

Yes. With 5% down on the $622,317 median, principal, interest and tax come to about $4,366 a month, which takes about $145,518 of income at 36%. Mortgage insurance is usually required under 20% down and would add more.

Nick Ahrens is a Colorado real estate broker (license FA.100104470) with eXp Realty, LLC, helping buyers and sellers across Denver's west metro. Call or text 949-230-3625, or request a tour.