Moving from ohio to Colorado (Denver, Aurora: ski resorts, roughest, house)

[MitchFarmer]

I currently live and work in Columbus ohio. Because of my job I have the opportunity to make the move to Colorado. Here are the cities which I could be working: alamosa, Arvada, Aurora, Bayfield, Boulder, Brighton, Brush, Denver, Englewood, Evergreen, Fort Collins, Georgetown, Golden, Granby, Grand Junction, Greeley, Lakewood, Leadville, Meeker, Minturn, Pueblo, Rifle, Salida, Silverthorne, Sterling, and Wiggins. I know it's a long list but I'll take any info I can get. Which of these are the better places to live in terms of cost of housing/property, crime, schools, things to do, anything I might need to know. I don't necessarily have to live in these cities but I do need to be near. Columbus is fairly nice. Lots to do, schools stink, you can get a real nice house and some land between $200k-300k. Anything you can think of let me know. Thanks.

[bluescreen73]

Originally Posted by MitchFarmer

I currently live and work in Columbus ohio. Because of my job I have the opportunity to make the move to Colorado. Here are the cities which I could be working: alamosa, Arvada, Aurora, Bayfield, Boulder, Brighton, Brush, Denver, Englewood, Evergreen, Fort Collins, Georgetown, Golden, Granby, Grand Junction, Greeley, Lakewood, Leadville, Meeker, Minturn, Pueblo, Rifle, Salida, Silverthorne, Sterling, and Wiggins. I know it's a long list but I'll take any info I can get. Which of these are the better places to live in terms of cost of housing/property, crime, schools, things to do, anything I might need to know. I don't necessarily have to live in these cities but I do need to be near. Columbus is fairly nice. Lots to do, schools stink, you can get a real nice house and some land between $200k-300k. Anything you can think of let me know. Thanks.

That's a big and somewhat disparate list of cities and towns.

Aurora, Boulder, Brighton, Englewood, Evergreen, Golden, and Lakewood are all part of the Denver Metro area. With the exception of Evergreen it's big city living.

Pueblo is the cheapest Front Range city in terms of COL, but it's also the most isolated and roughest around the edges.

Fort Collins is better to live in than it is to work. Great city, but the job market is soft. Greeley is in the same area as Fort Collins, but is further out on the plains. COL is slightly cheaper, but the job market is still so-so.

Brush, Sterling, and Wiggins are tiny agricultural towns northeast of Denver on the Eastern Plains. It's not everyone's cup of tea because the plains are flat, dry, and dusty, and there aren't many trees once you get outta town.

Georgetown, Granby, Leadville, Minturn, and Silverthorne are mountain towns immediately west of Denver along I-70. With the exception of maybe Leadville, the cost of living in almost all of them is extremely high due to their proximity to ski resorts.

Salida is at the base of the southern Sawatch Range roughly 100 miles west of Pueblo. Neat little town, but job market and COL will be a concern.

Bayfield is in Southwestern Colorado near Durango. Never been there so that's where my knowledge stops.

Grand Junction is the largest city on the Western Slope. It's a high desert climate and the topography is very similar to Eastern Utah. The downturn in the energy sector has negatively impacted the city.

Rifle is a small town just east of Grand Junction. Terrain is similar to Junction.

Meeker is a very tiny town about 45 miles north of Rifle. Not much there and it's pretty isolated. Some beautiful country just east of Meeker in the Flat Tops Wilderness.

[MitchFarmer]

Thanks for the help. The company I'd be working for have locations in all those places is why the list is so long so I wanted to know as much as I could before I chose a spot.

[jwiley]

While Bluescreen gave you a solid rundown of the towns and cities, why don't you tell us what you are hoping to find, the types of activities you are looking for, the budget, and what you prefer for type of living such as suburb, urban, rural, and we may be able to help you more.

[MitchFarmer]

Well I'd be working for Xcel Energy as a lineman so I'll be outside everyday. Working in the city to me is more fun but I like to live outside of the city. Not too far though. I would prefer access to the mountains over desert like or plain fields. In terms of housing we're hoping for at least a 3 bedroom in the $200k- $300k range. We like to camp, hike, kayak, hunt, fish and other outdoor activities.

[bluescreen73]

Originally Posted by MitchFarmer

Well I'd be working for Xcel Energy as a lineman so I'll be outside everyday. Working in the city to me is more fun but I like to live outside of the city. Not too far though. I would prefer access to the mountains over desert like or plain fields. In terms of housing we're hoping for at least a 3 bedroom in the $200k- $300k range. We like to camp, hike, kayak, hunt, fish and other outdoor activities.

Based on that, my first choice would be Meeker. Great camping, hiking, hunting, and fishing. Low COL. Isolation will be the major drawback.

The closest Wal-Mart is in either Craig or Rifle (~45 miles north or south, respectively), and the closest major city is Grand Junction (100 miles away).

Rifle would be my second choice.

Edit: Just thought of a caveat. If your job will be primarily in and around the Meeker area my suggestion stands, but if you're going to be going all around the region you may want to pick something a little more centrally located.

[jwiley]

Personally I do not think I would want to live in Meeker, it is too isolated and too small for my taste (2500 population), and you will run into some people out there that do not like new people moving to the area. Rifle is better, it is about 15,000 people last I heard, but with it being 90 minutes from Grand Junction and a hot bed of the oil field I would think long and hard about moving there if you are a single man.

Personally I loved Grand Junction and hope to be back out there soon, it is a good area, and while it is mountain desert, you can drive into the mountains easy. There are about 100,000 people in the valley and the cost of living is cheaper than Rifle. You also have the Colorado river for great fishing and kayaking in both Rifle and Grand Junction, and hiking and hunting will be easily accessible and available throughout any of the mountain towns.

I grew up on the plains, and love eastern Colorado, so would also suggest Brush or Sterling, however if you are wanting proximity to the mountains they are not it. As Brush is about 60 miles east of Greeley and has about 15,000 people, with Fort Morgan a couple of miles away, and Sterling is about 70 miles northeast of Greeley and has about 20,000 people last I heard.

[wilberry]

Ft. Collins, Grand Junction, Pueblo , (a 3 bedroom in the $200k- $300k range) in that order, agree with previous posts all have access to Mountains, hunting, kayak, hiking, fishing and camping. Golden, Co has a KAYAK white water park its pretty cool but expensive to live there.
Clear Creek White Water Park | City of Golden, Colorado

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by bluescreen73

Based on that, my first choice would be Meeker. Great camping, hiking, hunting, and fishing. Low COL. Isolation will be the major drawback.

The closest Wal-Mart is in either Craig or Rifle (~45 miles north or south, respectively), and the closest major city is Grand Junction (100 miles away).

Rifle would be my second choice.

Edit: Just thought of a caveat. If your job will be primarily in and around the Meeker area my suggestion stands, but if you're going to be going all around the region you may want to pick something a little more centrally located.

Says he likes working in the cities. This would be the last place I would pick for that.

[NW Crow]

From the list I'd focus on... Arvada, Englewood, Golden, Greeley, Lakewood. Maybe Bayfield, if Durango is enough city for you.