The Rocky Belt of the United States of America can be truly experienced in Colorado State. Packed with five regions: The Great Plains, The Southern Rocky Mountains, The Colorado Plateau, the Wyoming Basin, and the Middle Rocky Mountains.
Colorado shares its borders with Wyoming and Nebraska to the north, Nebraska and Kansas to the east, Oklahoma and New Mexico to the south, and Utah to the west.
Living in Colorado
The history of Colorado goes back more than 14,000 years. The Folsom culture archaeological site offers artefacts that date to approximately the 88th century BC.
Colorado became the state of America on August 1, 1876, as the 38th state. The capital city of this state is Denver but nevertheless, other major cities by population are Colorado Springs, Aurora, Fort Collins etc.
You might want to consider this beautiful rocky destination either to visit at least once in your lifetime or even multiple times as it has some bewildering places that might make you eventually move into the home of the mountains. Well, we got you covered on that one. Here we have some pros and cons of living in Colorado as the main dish and the cost of living as a dessert for you!
Pros of living in Colorado
1. Landscapes
Anywhere on the internet, social media or any other form of media, the geographical sites that Colorado has is profoundly famous. Let it be high plains, great mountains, canyons or water bodies, Colorado has some sight to behold. Rocky Mountain National Park, Mesa Verde National Park or Garden of the Gods, the list goes on and on.
Whether it be mountain climbing, adventuring or skiing, Colorado has it all. People who love trekking, exploring and sightseeing adore this place. Now, Imagine you living in dreams of people with all these awesome places right near you.
2. Weather
Colorado has one of the most unpredictable weather patterns than any other state. In a good manner of course! Even in the hottest month of summer: July, the average high is only 84 degrees Fahrenheit whereas in January, the coldest month the temperature does drop up to 14 degrees.
But still, there are sudden changes in the weather every now and then creating a variety of experiences for you during your time in Colorado. Denver alone receives over 300 days of sunshine each year.
3. Food
Everybody loves food. Colorado has a wide range of healthy and trusts me when I say, niftiest dishes for you to choose from. Colorado claims to be the State of Craft Beer. Reports from 2016 show of 5,000 registered breweries in the US, 360 are in Colorado (as of 2016).
Apart from this, Palisade peach and Green chilli are local favourites. Farmer’s markets are very common in the state and the Olathe Sweet Corn Festival is never to be missed if you’re in Colorado. Take a trip to the Vineyards around Mt. Garfield during weekends and you’ll truly know what you’ve been missing on.
4. Overall less Tax
When all taxes are considered such as sales taxes, real estate taxes and taxes on alcoholic beverages and then added to a state’s personal income tax. Less of your income will go just to pay taxes and fees while living in Colorado, than in most other states.
5. Health Care
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ranks Colorado as one of the top 10 providers of medical care in the country. The state ranked third for overall well-being, ranking financial security, community relationships, social opportunities, physical health. With all the outdoor sporting atmosphere around, Colorado is an awesome place to live in,
6. Personal Preference
People love staying fit. If you’re considering Colorado for a stay in, you’d be happy to hear Colorado is the least obese state in the nation. Also, fun fact, Colorado was the first state to legalize Marijuana. Therefore, you always have the luxury to recreational marijuana without the threat of being arrested.
Cons of Living in Colorado
1. Cost of Living
The cost of living in Colorado is generally higher than that of the national average in every perspective. You’ll easily notice a slight to up to 50% markup on any items in supermarkets and restaurants mostly. The prices on simple items go much higher in main areas like Denver and even more on the mountains.
2. Housing
Buying a house in Colorado can be somewhat of trouble. According to Business Insider, the median listing for houses in Colorado is about $429,800 which is $260 per sq ft., this is way above the national average. This may vary even more in your desired location. Houses in major cities like Denver are hard to secure anyway and deals may not be good anytime soon.
3. Traffic
One living in any city of Colorado might say that the traffic in Colorado is hectic. This is very true as cities are densely packed and Rush-hour happens all day, every day.
According to a post in CPR News in 2019, By 2040, vehicle miles travelled on freeways and other major roads are forecasted to grow by more than 40 per cent from 65.1 million to 93.4 million. That could add up to 56 hours of travel delay per resident over the course of a year by then. Now, imagine travelling during weekends.
Everyone is either going to the mountains or going to the city. This means that a quick drive to a place can actually take you hours easily.
4. Weather
As stated before, Colorado has one of the most unpredictable weather in the United States of America. A sudden drop in humidity and eventually temperature are common. Thunderstorms sometimes are life-threatening. There are afternoon thundershowers almost every day in areas around Denver from May through July.
However, the sudden changes in weather particularly mean that how you have planned your day has to be dynamic as well. Here’s an example: The winters are generally mild and dry in Colorado but recent events have shown that temperature drops and mild snowstorms are common.
Cost of Living in Colorado
Well, whatever you might study, pros or cons, you will always find the state of Colorado adorable wherever you go on the internet. People love to visit or live in this rocky state no matter what. If you’re ever considering moving to Colorado for travel or settling purposes, here are some basic contrasts to the cost of living you will be incurring.
1. Housing
In April 2020, median home prices in Colorado were almost $500,000 which is nearly 56% higher than the national median of $320,000. Apartment rents in Denver and Glenwood Springs cost around $1500. But Colorado is a big state and you can probably find your place to live eventually. But, anywhere you go, it is going to be a bit higher than most of the states.
2. Utilities
Utility costs like energy and phone are anywhere between 3% to 23% lower in Colorado than the national average. This highly depends on where you live in Colorado. If you’re living in major cities like Denver and Colorado Springs, you’ll experience 24.3% lower electricity bills than the national average as of 2019. But, in places like Westminster, the prices even lower significantly.
3. Groceries
Ok so get this, Colorado is a tourist destination for many. This automatically creates the prices of even basic grocery items to hike. You’ll find people complaining about food prices everywhere on the internet about almost anywhere in Colorado. But again, Groceries in Colorado range from 9% lower than the national average in Westminster, to 9% higher in Grand Junction.
4. Transportation
You’ll be travelling a lot during your time in Colorado. Off roads are fun and having your own vehicle is a whole lot better. Gas prices range from 10% lower in Glenwood Springs, to 7% higher in Grand Junction than the national average. Metros and buses are available at generally the same price as anywhere in the United States but, all the traffic and wait is not worth it.
5. Taxes
Colorado comparatively is on the lower end of the spectrum for income taxes. Residents all pay the same flat rate of 4.63% of the assessed value. For state-level sales tax, Colorado has the lowest non-zero rate at 2.9%. But Colorado also has one of the top five highest local-level sales tax rates in the country at 4.75%. Colorado ranks as the 16th highest in the country for total sales tax.
References:
- https://www.businessinsider.com/cost-to-buy-a-house-in-every-state-ranked-2018-8#4-massachusetts-48
- https://www.cpr.org/2019/10/15/denvers-traffic-is-bad-and-a-new-report-says-itll-only-get-worse/
- https://www.bestplaces.net/cost_of_living/state/colorado
- https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-drawbacks-of-living-in-Colorado
- https://www.daveramsey.com/elp/cost-of-living-in-colorado