As the mid-morning sun spills through a small window in Elizabeth Nagle’s small Denver apartment, her 12-year-old dog, Freya, gnaws intently on a small toy rabbit.

On her table sits a retro, portable record player and a plate of small French pastries.

Plastic moving boxes tucked in various corners of her living room quietly hint that a move is in her future.

Nagle, a Maryland native who works as a senior financial analyst for a large flour milling company, is planning to move closer to her downtown Denver office after her company mandated last year that employees return to in-office work by June 1.

Nagle has worked almost exclusively from home since the COVID-19 pandemic. She said her first reaction to the back-to-office directive was “not the greatest.”

“I think, I feel like I work better from home,” the self-proclaimed introvert said. “I do a lot of data analytics, so I like to be in a quiet space. However, it’s nice when I do go into the office and get back to socializing with coworkers and can see them face-to-face. So, I’ve warmed up to it.”

With a stable job, no significant debt and an annual salary close to $100,000, the tall, 38-year-old brunette is better positioned than most to land a new apartment.

Affordability, however, remains a concern.

“I live alone, I’m single, and I don’t have a dual-income household, so it’s a little harder when most of my paycheck is going to my rent,” she said. “So, I have to be frugal.”

Nagel currently pays $1,800 per month for her one-bedroom, one-bath efficiency apartment.

Should she ever lose her job, her stable financial situation could shift dramatically.

Ideally, she would like to purchase a home. But she said the current market conditions are “just not single-friendly.”

A recent study by GOBankingRates ranked Denver among the most expensive big cities in the nation to live in, noting that those choosing to live in the Mile High City will need an annual salary of $129,528.

The study, published in 2025, based its findings on the 50/30/20 rule, a budgeting guide that divides after-tax income into three categories: 50% for essential living needs such as rent, groceries and transportation; 30% for lifestyle choices like entertainment, shopping and dining out; and 20% for savings, retirement contributions and personal debt.

Nagle plans to stay in the next apartment she rents no longer than five years, using the time to stash away cash for a larger down payment on a home.

“So, I’m hoping interest rates and inflation will go down by then, and that there will be enough inventory on the market that it’s a competitive market for buyers,” she said.

Meanwhile, the search for Nagle’s new apartment continues, and she notes it can be tiring.

“It can be exciting to see new places, especially in areas that I’m not as familiar with. But it also can be exhausting,” she said.

Online search apps and recommendations from friends have helped.

However, after looking at multiple properties “there’s almost a decision paralysis,” triggered by the number of decisions involved, she said.

Nagle has a firm list of “non-negotiables” she uses to help narrow down the list of possibilities. Among them are close access to public transportation, storage, pet-friendly and open spaces for Freya to frolic.

Although she has a car, Nagle wants to reduce the expense of downtown parking and fuel by using the light rail.

Search expenses can quickly add up, too, with each apartment application costing between $25 and $45.

That shorter, less hectic commute to the office will come with trade-offs such as smaller space and less storage, and most likely, in Denver, a higher price.