What are some recent trends in the performance of the senior housing industry? How is the independent living market in terms of occupancy and rents? How does the Denver area compare to the other 30 largest cities in the U.S? Denver outperformed most cities in year-over-year rent change, at 2.3% for the Denver MSA, compared to a 1.4% average. Occupancy rates stayed stable across the 31 cities at 88%, with Denver metro lagging somewhat at 86.7%.