Ideas on where my family can live? (Denver, Grand Junction: apartment complex, rent)

[Mommyoftwo86]

Hello I'm looking for any advice on where me and my family can relocate to in Colorado. I'm a registered medical assistant and currently work in a hospital and my husband is in the construction industry. We have two very little girls and live on the Delaware river in pa. We love living on the water in the mountains and we are staring to save to relocate to somewhere in Colorado where we can experience both the mountains and water. We would like a smaller mountain town but with kids would like to be close to a good hospital in case of an emergency. We love the outdoors and nature and are minimalists who prefer a lower cost of living. Of course we would like good schools but are open to the online k-12 programs run by the state if we're not close to a school (but of course would prefer a good school over a computer). I would like to be within a reasonable driving distance from a grocery store/mechanic/pharmacy/gas station. I've been looking up towns for a while but they all seem to be run by the tourists business. We would rather rent than own ($1,200 a month maximum. Prefer a home than an apartment complex). And one day would like to build a log cabin. I'm kind of spoiled now as we live in nature and would like to stay in nature with minimal neighbors. Also we were thinking on saving $20,000 before we move, does that sound about right? Any ideas to point me in the right direction is very much appreciated. Thank you!

[SkyDog77]

Why Colorado? Have you been here before?

I usually encourage people to move here, but your list of water, remoteness, and low cost, plus having jobs nearby is pretty tough. Jobs are in cities. Remote, cheap living is not. Colorado is over twice the size of Pennsylvania yet has less than half the population and the population we do have is far more urban. We don't have water. Any land on it or near it comes at a premium.

As of the 2010 census, Colorado' population was 86.2% urban and just 13.8% rural. If you are away from the urban population centers, your commute to jobs can be much longer than it is in PA. http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/cph-2-7.pdf

The same report has Pennsylvania as 78.7% urban and 21.3% rural.
https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/cph-2-40.pdf

I know this seems counterintuitive when you think about Colorado, but a significantly higher percent of our population lives in urban communities than where you are coming from. This is the main reason you are finding mostly tourist towns when you get out of the cities.

Most of the rural areas of the state you will find somewhat near jobs and more affordable will not have mountains and water.

Sorry for the buzz kill.

[brightdoglover]

^^^
This.
I am moving to a "tourist town" in 2018 in retirement from the East Coast. Currently I live outside a major city with glacial lakes in town. I savor the sight of the lakes every day because I know I am giving them up for the big mountains.

I am not going for a lower COL. It's a bit lower, but then, most places are lower compared to Massachusetts. PA, no.

I trust the OP will not move without a job in hand, as so many have advised before.

That said, I wonder if Montrose (with its community hospital) might work for OP.

[Mommyoftwo86]

Thank you for the input. Ok so I guess not so much a mountain town then but we would love to be near the mountains but not in a city. We love the sights, nature, to hike and to feel the peace and relaxation that comes along with them. We both have toxic families we are trying to get away from and start over again. I've researched everywhere and something about Colorado gives me a feeling like I was meant to be there. I mentioned water because my husband is a fisherman and I've seen there are some Rivers that people fish in in Colorado. And no we haven't been there. My ex father in law moved to Denver last year and loves it.

[Mommyoftwo86]

Yes I will try very hard to get a job first. I know many won't even look at resume with an out of state address but it's definitely worth a shot!

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by brightdoglover

^^^

That said, I wonder if Montrose (with its community hospital) might work for OP.

I was thinking that, but the water thing is going to be really tough.

Also maybe areas near Bailey, Conifer, and Pine.

Possibly Western Slope somewhere near Grand Junction, but it is really the high desert.

The lush east coast forests don't really exist here.

We do have rivers. They are mostly small and seasonal.

[Mommyoftwo86]

thank you for all of your suggestions!

[Mommyoftwo86]

I forgot to mention I live in the Lehigh valley in pa the third biggest metropolitan area in pa est population is around 900,000. I'm lucky to live on the very end of it in a hidden remote part but most is just highways and city streets. Anything is a few thousand to even 50,000 to me is considered small lol

[Mommyoftwo86]

Also crime where I live is horrific would love to be in a safe community

[SkyDog77]

When can you spend a week or two visiting? Reality and "something about Colorado feels like I'm meant to be there" can contrast starkly.