Affordable towns in Colorado (Denver, Colorado Springs: best neighborhoods, sales, apartments)

[Jbw1011]

Greetings

What are some of the more affordable cities in Colorado for renting? This could include the suburbs of Denver, Colorado Springs, Boulder, Pueblo, etc. Are there any affordable cities/towns in Colorado for somebody probably making minimum wage or slightly better? Let's assume I am renting by myself. I realize Colorado isn't cheap, but where I would be coming from--New Hampshire--isn't cheap, either, although it's still cheaper overall. I would probably want to live in an urban area of Colorado to be close to as many job opportunities as possible.

Thanks guys

[SkyDog77]

Quantify affordable.

[StealthRabbit]

Skillset?

Budget?

Needs? (Medical, schooling, transportation, ...)

Least expensive is living in the boonies, best employment there is usually CDL. Commercial Driving). In fact.... CDL is a decent career in Colorado, as many cannot pass the mandatory random drug tests.

Colorado is not a good place to come to working for minimum wage. (High CoL on front range, much employment pressure in desirable locales).Suggest to work earn elsewhere and retreat in Colorado after you have some big bucks. SD and TX are very near CO and have oil jobs. Consider Washington.... Mtns, ocean, many varied climates, cities, jobs, highest minimum wage in USA, and no state income tax. I would also recommend WY and AK and NV. (No income tax states with decent wages. But.... Those states will chew you up and spit you out if you can't back hard living.) In Colorado, look to rural oil jobs, $80k can buy you a lot of trips to town. Warning.... WY just had some coal layoffs, so job pressure is high in Colorado for that skillset.

One of my kids went to AK seasonally and got a brutally tough job on a fishing boat. He made a killing during season, and found other adventures / places to fill the rest of his year. Another did wildland firefighting. Made a year's pay in only 8 dangerous weeks / yr. (MT, AK, OR, WA, ID). Both got their certs during highschool, so they could work during college breaks.


If under age 30... I'd be heading to NZ on a renewable work permit. Once age 32... This is not possible, opportunity lost.

A very good Colorado friend escaped to NH. That didn't work out well for him. These are very different states. Be careful to not burn any Bridges.

[otowi]

Well since you mentioned Pueblo I would start there. You could also check Canon City which is not too far from Pueblo.

[Jbw1011]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

Skillset?

Budget?

Needs? (Medical, schooling, transportation, ...)

Least expensive is living in the boonies, best employment there is usually CDL. Commercial Driving). In fact.... CDL is a decent career in Colorado, as many cannot pass the mandatory random drug tests.

Colorado is not a good place to come to working for minimum wage. (High CoL on front range, much employment pressure in desirable locales).Suggest to work earn elsewhere and retreat in Colorado after you have some big bucks. SD and TX are very near CO and have oil jobs. Consider Washington.... Mtns, ocean, many varied climates, cities, jobs, highest minimum wage in USA, and no state income tax. I would also recommend WY and AK and NV. (No income tax states with decent wages. But.... Those states will chew you up and spit you out if you can't back hard living.) In Colorado, look to rural oil jobs, $80k can buy you a lot of trips to town. Warning.... WY just had some coal layoffs, so job pressure is high in Colorado for that skillset.

One of my kids went to AK seasonally and got a brutally tough job on a fishing boat. He made a killing during season, and found other adventures / places to fill the rest of his year. Another did wildland firefighting. Made a year's pay in only 8 dangerous weeks / yr. (MT, AK, OR, WA, ID). Both got their certs during highschool, so they could work during college breaks.


If under age 30... I'd be heading to NZ on a renewable work permit. Once age 32... This is not possible, opportunity lost.

A very good Colorado friend escaped to NH. That didn't work out well for him. These are very different states. Be careful to not burn any Bridges.

Thanks for the helpful information. I can afford no more than a $700-800 studio apt. Yeah, I know the boonies are cheap but I don’t want to live out there. I wouldn’t be able to pass a drug test that tests for THC.

Skills? Not very skilled. I have a Bachelors degree. I have some data entry experience, some entry level blue-collar experience. And right now I work for a company in NH that is located in CO. So I could probably work there but it’s not like it would pay very well.

I have a cousin that lives in WA but I was under the impression that it’s even more expensive than CO despite the no income tax (NH has no income tax as well).
My brother worked on a fishing boat in Alaska. They board in Seattle (based there) and head out to Alaska. Not my thing, lol.

Maybe Nevada could work. At least marijuana is legal there, too, although I don’t think I would like the climate.

Interesting: why did your friend not do well in NH? The winters are harsh and the people can be cold and appear unfriendly. At least that’s a common complaint from outsiders.
I like the idea of working in oil but dont you have to be in top physical shape? Aside from my deformed knees and scrawny legs, I’m in good shape. Genetic defect; nothing I can do about it.

[Jbw1011]

Originally Posted by otowi

Well since you mentioned Pueblo I would start there. You could also check Canon City which is not too far from Pueblo.

Is it cheap there? How are the rental prices? Sounds okay; not too isolated. Hopefully the crime isn’t terrible.

[Jbw1011]

Originally Posted by SkyDog77

Quantify affordable.

Decent rental prices while not being in the boonies.

[NW Crow]

Studios in Loveland reportedly average around $850 / month.
Pueblo West $750.
Greeley $650.
Fountain $800.
Colorado Springs $775.


Closer in to Denver generally way more but there might be exceptions if you look hard and can accept older places / not the best neighborhoods.


Check Craigslist or other to learn more.

[Jbw1011]

Originally Posted by NW Crow

Studios in Loveland reportedly average around $850 / month.
Pueblo West $750.
Greeley $650.
Fountain $800.
Colorado Springs $775.


Closer in to Denver generally way more but there might be exceptions if you look hard and can accept older places / not the best neighborhoods.


Check Craigslist or other to learn more.

Thanks. That’s not too terrible but are they before all utilities, or hopefully at least after some utilities? Compared to where I’m coming from, rentals are comparable. However, in other ways, CO is more expensive. Namely, there’s the flat income tax rate. What is it again? NH has no income or sales tax so that would be an adjustment. Ideally I would be sharing rent but I don’t know anymore if that’s going to happen.

[interloper1138]

If you're afraid of utilities not being factored in the above studio rental prices NW Wolf listed, you ought to look into shared housing instead of getting your own place. You can definitely find a room cheaper than that in many places, but if those example studio prices are already pushing up against your budget then you're likely to have a very rough landing when you get out here, especially if you aren't bringing a job with you.

Also, most apartments will require at least a deposit equivalent to first month's rent in addition to first month's rent up front. Some landlords even require a deposit + background check + application fee + first month's rent + last month's rent all up at once, making even a budget efficiency not so budget-friendly. Be prepared for lots of competition for truly affordable housing, and you'll be at a disadvantage trying to find a place while out-of-state.

If you're just coming out here for weed, I'd suggest sticking where you are until you have more financial breathing room.