Best Places To Live In Colorado In 2022
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Job market: 8/10
Safety: 8/10
Wellness: 9/10 More than 960 acres of public parks, more than 20 craft breweries, more than 200 miles of bike lanes — the numbers in Fort Collins all add up to the best place to call home in Colorado. Home to Colorado State University, this is a young city — the median age is 29 — with a bright future ahead. By 2030, Larimer County (where Fort Collins is located) and neighboring Weld County are expected to grow by 45 percent, so now might be a good time to invest in property in the area. You won’t have to wait for that investment to pay off in terms of your quality of life, either. From rafting the Cache la Poudre River to savoring the flavors of more than 70 food trucks, Fort Collins is the ultimate place to enjoy the laid-back culture of Colorado. Also, if you’re looking to enjoy the Front Range lifestyle while saving a little bit of money, consider Loveland — 15 miles away from Fort Collins, and where the median home price was around $40,000 cheaper as of the end of 2021, according to Redfin.
Job market: 7/10
Safety: 6/10
Wellness: 9/10 The Mile High City has a mile-long list of reasons to move here: Nearly 300 days of sunshine each year, a new expansive public transit system that makes getting around easy, more breweries than any other city in the country and convenient access to some of the best skiing and hiking. The list goes on (and so does the traffic, unfortunately — a definite downside). Denver’s growth has begun to spill into the surrounding metro, and by 2030, the area is projected to have a population of more than 3.6 million. Plenty of those newcomers will be arriving for coveted professional opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math: Denver topped the most recent index from RCLCO and CapRidge Partners for STEM job growth. The drawback to all that growth: affordable housing is becoming harder and harder to find.
Job market: 6/10
Safety: 6/10
Wellness: 8/10 If Denver isn’t your speed, you can go to the city where lots of ex-Denver residents relocated to: Colorado Springs. The Springs (as locals call it) has become a go-to option for those who want a slower pace and more affordable housing options while still enjoying the Colorado lifestyle. The median home price here as of the end of 2021 was around $115,000 cheaper than in Denver, Redfin reports. The city has always been known for its role in the aerospace and defense industries. Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and Boeing all have operations here, the Aerospace Corporation is opening a new research and development facility in 2022 and the city is also a major draw if you work in IT or cybersecurity. No matter what you do for your professional duties, you’ll be able to relax and forget about the stresses of work on scenic hiking and biking trails in Garden of the Gods Park.
Job market: 6/10
Safety: 7/10
Wellness: 6/10 Remember that 45 percent growth figure under Fort Collins? The other county — Weld — is home to Greeley. The University of Northern Colorado is located here, and the city is giving more of those students reasons to stay once they graduate with jobs in healthcare, agriculture, oil and gas and renewable energy. Greeley might not be as culturally-robust as Denver or Boulder (which fell off our list this year due to high housing prices), but it’s making strides toward establishing its own identity with a designated downtown Creative District, an impressive public art collection, a philharmonic orchestra and a cast of local breweries and distilleries. Give it some more time to mature, and you might not ever need to make the drive south to Denver in search of fun.
Job market: 5/10
Safety: 7/10
Wellness: 6/10 There’s more in Colorado than the I-25 corridor. While the other four cities on our list are all in the Front Range, Grand Junction should be in your consideration set if you’re thinking of moving. Buying a home might be much more within reach here, thanks to a median home price of $355,000, according to realtor.com — a bargain for Colorado living. Don’t be fooled, though: Cheaper living doesn’t mean you’re sacrificing the beauty of Colorado that called your name in the first place. Grand Junction offers convenient access to just as much of the outdoors, without the clogged traffic heading west from Denver. It also differentiates itself from the other brewery-crazed destinations in the state as the center of Colorado’s Wine Country, with more than 25 wineries and vineyards nearby. One disadvantage, however, is the limited pool of professional opportunities. While there are employers in healthcare and Colorado Mesa University is located here, this city might be best if you’re enjoying the ability to work from home.
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1 Fort Collins
Affordability: 6/10Job market: 8/10
Safety: 8/10
Wellness: 9/10 More than 960 acres of public parks, more than 20 craft breweries, more than 200 miles of bike lanes — the numbers in Fort Collins all add up to the best place to call home in Colorado. Home to Colorado State University, this is a young city — the median age is 29 — with a bright future ahead. By 2030, Larimer County (where Fort Collins is located) and neighboring Weld County are expected to grow by 45 percent, so now might be a good time to invest in property in the area. You won’t have to wait for that investment to pay off in terms of your quality of life, either. From rafting the Cache la Poudre River to savoring the flavors of more than 70 food trucks, Fort Collins is the ultimate place to enjoy the laid-back culture of Colorado. Also, if you’re looking to enjoy the Front Range lifestyle while saving a little bit of money, consider Loveland — 15 miles away from Fort Collins, and where the median home price was around $40,000 cheaper as of the end of 2021, according to Redfin.
2 Denver
Affordability: 6/10Job market: 7/10
Safety: 6/10
Wellness: 9/10 The Mile High City has a mile-long list of reasons to move here: Nearly 300 days of sunshine each year, a new expansive public transit system that makes getting around easy, more breweries than any other city in the country and convenient access to some of the best skiing and hiking. The list goes on (and so does the traffic, unfortunately — a definite downside). Denver’s growth has begun to spill into the surrounding metro, and by 2030, the area is projected to have a population of more than 3.6 million. Plenty of those newcomers will be arriving for coveted professional opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math: Denver topped the most recent index from RCLCO and CapRidge Partners for STEM job growth. The drawback to all that growth: affordable housing is becoming harder and harder to find.
3 Colorado Springs
Affordability: 7/10Job market: 6/10
Safety: 6/10
Wellness: 8/10 If Denver isn’t your speed, you can go to the city where lots of ex-Denver residents relocated to: Colorado Springs. The Springs (as locals call it) has become a go-to option for those who want a slower pace and more affordable housing options while still enjoying the Colorado lifestyle. The median home price here as of the end of 2021 was around $115,000 cheaper than in Denver, Redfin reports. The city has always been known for its role in the aerospace and defense industries. Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and Boeing all have operations here, the Aerospace Corporation is opening a new research and development facility in 2022 and the city is also a major draw if you work in IT or cybersecurity. No matter what you do for your professional duties, you’ll be able to relax and forget about the stresses of work on scenic hiking and biking trails in Garden of the Gods Park.
4 Greeley
Affordability: 8/10Job market: 6/10
Safety: 7/10
Wellness: 6/10 Remember that 45 percent growth figure under Fort Collins? The other county — Weld — is home to Greeley. The University of Northern Colorado is located here, and the city is giving more of those students reasons to stay once they graduate with jobs in healthcare, agriculture, oil and gas and renewable energy. Greeley might not be as culturally-robust as Denver or Boulder (which fell off our list this year due to high housing prices), but it’s making strides toward establishing its own identity with a designated downtown Creative District, an impressive public art collection, a philharmonic orchestra and a cast of local breweries and distilleries. Give it some more time to mature, and you might not ever need to make the drive south to Denver in search of fun.
5 Grand Junction
Affordability: 8/10Job market: 5/10
Safety: 7/10
Wellness: 6/10 There’s more in Colorado than the I-25 corridor. While the other four cities on our list are all in the Front Range, Grand Junction should be in your consideration set if you’re thinking of moving. Buying a home might be much more within reach here, thanks to a median home price of $355,000, according to realtor.com — a bargain for Colorado living. Don’t be fooled, though: Cheaper living doesn’t mean you’re sacrificing the beauty of Colorado that called your name in the first place. Grand Junction offers convenient access to just as much of the outdoors, without the clogged traffic heading west from Denver. It also differentiates itself from the other brewery-crazed destinations in the state as the center of Colorado’s Wine Country, with more than 25 wineries and vineyards nearby. One disadvantage, however, is the limited pool of professional opportunities. While there are employers in healthcare and Colorado Mesa University is located here, this city might be best if you’re enjoying the ability to work from home.