Steamboat Springs cost of living

[CosmicWizard]

Speaking for myself, having to do a 40 mi round trip commute everday under frequently treacherous road conditions would sap most of the enjoyment associated with living in a beautiful area. When you factor in that gasoline is likely to be selling for $5 to $10 a gallon in the near future, the prospect of that DAILY commute seems even grimmer. The thought of wasting at least an hour a day sitting in my car on the highway is utterly un-appealing. If none of these considerations bring you down, go for your dream....and best wishes.

[gberry]

I have been thinking of moving to that area for a while and just recently came across a job lead. If you are intersted let me know and I will forward it to you... It's working as a customer service assistant for the Federal Government... The benefits are awesome and the payscale is not too shabby, could be a good starting place : )

[lcs5020]

I'm a 20-something considering moving to Steamboat to work for the Steamboat Pilot, the small newspaper in town. I'm guessing my salary won't be above $25,000.
Is it feasible to live frugally in Steamboat itself if I rent an apartment with a roommate or two?

Also, is it a decent town to live in for someone my age (who, of course, enjoys outdoor sports)?

[wanneroo]

Originally Posted by lcs5020

I'm a 20-something considering moving to Steamboat to work for the Steamboat Pilot, the small newspaper in town. I'm guessing my salary won't be above $25,000.
Is it feasible to live frugally in Steamboat itself if I rent an apartment with a roommate or two?

Also, is it a decent town to live in for someone my age (who, of course, enjoys outdoor sports)?

I lived in Steamboat for a while in recent times.

If you enjoy outdoor sports I think you'll find plenty to do in Steamboat.

Financially yes it is a bit expensive. If that's going to be your salary and don't have any debt or responsibilities you can scrape by but likely you'll want a second job.

[bluescreen73]

I'm with wanneroo - if you have any outstanding debt, living in Steamboat on that salary is going to be exceedingly difficult, especially during ski season. Your digs aren't going to be all that impressive, either.

I suggest looking into commuting to Steamboat from Craig, Hayden, Oak Creek, or Yampa.

[lcs5020]

I don't have any debt (yay for state schools) but I am also considering a commute from one of the neighboring towns. Thanks for the advice!

[wanneroo]

Well I caution against living outside of Steamboat. The weather in that part of Colorado is very cold compared to other ski towns and the commute in the winter, IMO is dangerous if the weather is bad. Also living in one of those other towns kind of defeats the purpose of living in a ski town doesn't it? I think as a young person living in Craig or Oak Creek will be depressing by comparison.

[bluescreen73]

Originally Posted by wanneroo

Well I caution against living outside of Steamboat. The weather in that part of Colorado is very cold compared to other ski towns and the commute in the winter, IMO is dangerous if the weather is bad. Also living in one of those other towns kind of defeats the purpose of living in a ski town doesn't it? I think as a young person living in Craig or Oak Creek will be depressing by comparison.

True but if you're perpetually broke, having to work two jobs and living in a run-down $1000 a month duplex in Steamboat you're gonna be depressed as well.

[joanna511]

Originally Posted by atlantis7

This makes the second time this year that my wife has had an offer (in medical) to work in a ski resort town or area. The first was Bozeman MT.
Man, I was really rooting for that for her...but the money was nowhere accommodating for the cost of living there so we had to pass.

Part of the problem is that we live in Houston where, for the 4th largest city in the US, jobs are still pretty plentiful and housing is extremely reasonable. The drawback is that IT IS HOUSTON! Dirty, flat and boring with a yee-haw mentality.

Now there is an opportunity that presents itself in Steamboat that looks very good. The money is better but still not so good that we'd feel comfortable paying TWO HUNDRED GRAND more there for the house we have here!

That is the least expensive stuff I see on the market when I go to Realtor.com and like Bozeman, the houses start becoming plentiful at around 700k.

Is there any place close by that the average person can live for around 250k? Also, another problem I am finding is that residential rentals are hard to find because of all the seasonal stuff.

We would rent if we could get the room (need about 2400-2600) sq. feet
to fit our stuff in and we have two med sized dogs that have lived mostly indoors all their lives since puppies.

We would both love to move to Steamboat but only if we can afford the housing.. Where should I look and is there really hope?

I live in Hayden and personally, it is just a nice small town to live in. As in beauty, not so much but that is the trade off for living in a very small town. I love the "isolation" that the Steamboat area offers, the husslte and bussle of Silverthorn can stay right there...lol. The cost of living is cheaper than Steamboat that is for sure! I do know of a home that is probably 2600 sq. feet, $1600.00 a month if rented. It is very cute with a huge yard that might be for rent or sale, let me know if you are interested. Thanks and good luck!