Moving to CO would like some feedback on Montrose, Delta and Salida (Denver: real estate, how much)

[Janna55]

My son I are seriously considering retiring to Colorado and dragging my hubby with us. I have family that lives in Denver but I don't want to live close by.
We live in the foothills of the Appalachian Mts, so we are used to cold and seeing hills. In fact that is one of the main draws for CO. HILLS !!! I have to have my hills, see hills -- not flat land. My Irish and Welsh ancestry wants to know, where are you going to run and hide to fight back if there are no hills, trees, and such?
Our weather here for us? Winters negatives at night, minus single digits and daytime low teens. Wind chill factors feel as if it is 20-40 below zero. Some snow, but most is sleet, which gives us that wonderful black ice. Not nice to run into when you are driving up the hills with no guard rails.

Summers -- Today is going to be nice, temps 86 with humidity at only 48 percent. July and August is when it gets hot, high 90s to low 100s with humidity in 90s percentile.

I am tired of $600 - 700 electric bills in winter and summer months. Only spring and fall does it drop to around 400 for a 2300 sq. ft. house.

We don't party, are stay at home types, I have mobility problems so no more hiking, camping, biking or horseback riding for me (and I MISS that)and our son is disabled. Our village is pop of 3,000 approx., so no more than 18,000 is what we want. Would like to be able to see the mountains, so hope to find a house we can afford, around $150,000 or less that will give us a nice view.
What are the real temps and humidity there? How do they compare? What are the safer (and quiet) areas of the towns? We don't leave home much and our terrier WILL bite if someone comes in without are okaying it. The monster would pester a thief to be petted. But we still do not want to live near the druggies, drunks and such. Which town would be best?
I hate it here, no family left here for either of us to stay for, hubby is hesitant but our son and I have approx. nine months to talk him into moving; his rehab will be finished (two torn shoulder rotor cuffs) by then.

[NW Crow]

$150,000 and a mtn view will be quite tough. Some chance in Poncha Springs but very unlikely in Salida itself. Delta or Cedaredge some chance. Montrose tougher. Mountain views easy from Poncha Springs. More distant in Delta than Cedaredge. But a drive up Grand Mesa would be about the easiest way to see high country without exertion. All three places are basically flat til you get to the mountains themselves. You might not like Delta especially if you don't want flat outside your window and for 30 miles or more. For Cedaredge it will be flat for 10 miles in one direction, more in the others. Poncha Springs flat for 3-5 miles. Visit before you make decision.

That electric bill seems incredibly high to me. But Colorado is colder in winter so you might pay more without better / more effective conservation efforts. Summer humidity is a lot lower. But if you still flick on air conditioning, you'll pay.

[Janna55]

Electric is high here and we have an old house with lousy insulation, high ceilings and half of the windows are single pane. The original owner had them all custom made and so it will cost us a lot of money to replace them. We have discussed remodeling the house but the money we would put into it we would never get back.
I won't be able to look at nothing but flat land. If I can see off in the distance hills, it would be okay. We went on a vacation once in Ohio and the land was flat as far as you could see; neither my husband or I could stand it, we were glad to go home to our hills. For those who are used to the Rockies, they would laugh at our hills, but to those who live in flat areas, they think they are big. Perceptions are created by environment of what is big and what is small.

Cost of living is one thing I need to find out about. Hubby put gas in the car and it was $2.53 a gal, bread is $2.48, hamburger (93% lean) is $4.89 lb, dozen of eggs is around $2.50, not sure of the exact amount.

Definitely will visit before we make a final decision. At the least I will be able to visit my brother, nieces and great-nephew.

[jim9251]

Do a search there are a lot of threads here about Delta and Montrose.

Cliffnotes -

Delta is a small (10,000 population at 4,900ft) farming town with ZERO employment. Main Street is nicely landscaped and pretty. Summer temps stay in the upper 90's to 100 degrees, winters from zero to in the 40's. It does snow, but that melts the next day or so. The Grand Mesa at 11,000 feet is about 30 miles away. There's a Walmart. That's pretty much it. A nice lake and park in town. The new Maverick gas station was a big deal.

Montrose (about 20,000 population at 5,200ft) is a larger city. Mostly rural farming and ranching with a LOT of political infighting and a huge bullying problem in the schools. It does have major big box stores, very nice well maintained parks, and is close to the San Juan Mountain Range. Black Canyon National Park is a short distance from town. Oh and there are ZERO jobs. Montrose can reach 100 degrees in summer with mildish winters. It does snow, and the side streets are pretty much ignored by the city plows. Traffic can be a nightmare at times.

If humidity reaches 20% people complain. It typically stays very very dry in the single digits.

Cost of living here is expensive. And the boredom factor for kids is very high. Nearest Mall is Grand Junction an hour away.

Please visit first, look around talk to locals. Good luck.

[NW Crow]

If you are open to other states, perhaps consider Ruidoso, NM (forested hills in town), Sheridan/Buffalo WY, Spearfish SD, LaGrande OR, Prineville OR, Sandpoint ID or Colville WA. Some of these are more affordable than others but they are the requested size and have very nice hills / mtns in sight from most places.

Maybe Pagosa Springs area (about 12,000 in county). More immediate green hills / mtns than Delta or Montrose. Except when covered deep by snow half the year.

You might like Woodland Park, except for the real estate prices. About 15% of properties are under $150,000. Probably small and older or manufactured.

[Janna55]

I have been doing a search, but was getting glazed eyes after 10 pages and not finding what I want. Cost of living being one, views, what the people are like, what temps really are.

My home village has pop of less than 3,000 with one gas station, four different pizza places, one good size grocery store that is bad to sell spoiled meat. No public swimming pool, no activities except sports for the kids. On the interstate highway a Wallyworld, Sam's club, Lowes, Gamestop, Tractor supply, and four fast food businesses. We are quite used to a boring lifestyle. As retiring senior citizens, we don't need to worry about jobs and schools.
20% humidity and they complain? I'm ready to trade them places. It is easier to put some moisture on than drown in your own sweat and be exhausted from the heat. A week ago it was 93 degrees and 83 % humidity. And we haven't gotten to our hottest summer time yet. It is 7:35 pm; temp is now down to 85 with 48% humidity and will go to a comfortable 65 tonight. Very light breeze, only 6 mph.

I will continue to do more searching of the threads. My eyes have unglazed now.

[Janna55]

I've been looking into other states, we don't want cold, which we will run into the further north or northwest OR, WA, WY or other cold temp state. NM is one we have considered. CO is where I do have some family; my brother and nieces live in Denver, so close enough to visit but not get into each other hair.

Will continue to look and read posts here to help narrow it down. It will be 9 to 11 months before we should have the settlement on his shoulders and that will help us know how much we can have toward buying a new home. I have plenty of time to learn about all of the different towns.

[NW Crow]

Ok. The places I mentioned in Oregon are similar in temperature to Salida though. Riodoso warmer than Delta in winter, cooler in summer.

Lots of weather info here http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/climsum.html

If you don't want cold, the CO places you picked make more sense than most of rest of state but winters are still colder and longer than the Appalachians.

Pages like this //www.city-data.com/city/Delta-Colorado.html have some useful info in a sea of other details that go beyond what most want or need.

Another place fairly warm and affordable for Colorado is Walsenberg. Closer to family, cities when wanted. Low hills and mountains behind them outside of town. Much drier than you are used to there or almost anywhere in state. Rye outside of Colorado City is comparatively wet.

[Janna55]

Thanks, will check it all out. I think it is more the dampness than the coldness that gets to me. When we have the 30s and it is snowing it is kinda nice. But then comes the warm spell that melt the snow and then on top of that the sleet and freezing temps and we black ice.
Dangerous, highways and county roads can be closed at times due to it. And the flooding, lots and lots of flooding.

Just checked a site on climate and such and out of curiosity looked at my home area. Around 160 sunny days and 46 inches of rain.

[NW Crow]

Most places in CO will have 30-50% more sunny days and 1/4 to 1/2 the precipitation.