Moving to Colorado?

[rich126]

If you were retired and the following were important to you what areas would be best to consider?

1. Within an hour of the main airport
2. Quality medical care since, well, you are reaching that age
3. I know everything now is expensive but something that isn't crazy expensive
4. Not overwhelmed by tourists/skiers (used to ski and enjoy snow but don't want to deal with crowds and don't really ski anymore)
5. Looking for about 1/2 acre or so lot and house

I'm struggling to find a retirement place and while Colorado is probably not number one, I'd like to find some suggestions and maybe visit the areas this fall/winter. I'm actually thinking back to the northeast but the thought of moving 2,000 miles again and its cost has been wondering if that is crazy.

Thanks.

[livesoft]

Woodland Park

[arcturus4766]

The western slope of Colorado is much less crowded than the front range. Grand Junction, Montrose, and Durango all have small airports and meet your other requirements. Grand Junction has the largest hospital on the western side as well

[runner3081]

Woodland Park

Was just there in May on vacation (well, Divide, but went to Woodland park multiple times per day). Awesome little town, agree!

[Shackleton]

When you write “the main airport”, do you mean DIA? Because the only affordable 1/2 acre lots within an hour of DIA would probably be in one of the many developments east of Denver and would not be what most picture when they think of moving to CO.

I agree that Grand Junction or the areas west of Co Springs would probably be good areas to explore. But be careful of the elevation west of the Springs. Many people as they age can’t handle the elevation and since the Springs is over 6000’, the towns west like Woodland Park are even higher.

[popoki]

Many people as they age can’t handle the elevation and since the Springs is over 6000’, the towns west like Woodland Park are even higher.

In Santa Fe (7200’) all the old folks are on oxygen.

[Shackleton]

Many people as they age can’t handle the elevation and since the Springs is over 6000’, the towns west like Woodland Park are even higher.

In Santa Fe (7200’) all the old folks are on oxygen.

Yes, we lived between Winter Park and Granby at 9000’ and most of the older folks were on oxygen at night or 24/7. That was why we moved, hubby didn’t want to have to carry oxygen while skate skiing or mountain biking. We loved it there and still miss it.

[Jim Profit]

Check out Loveland and Windsor which are about an hour north from DIA. Fort Collins is 75 minutes. The section of I-25 north of Denver leading to these cities used to be very dangerous, but it has been substantially improved with toll lanes added that you can pay for when traffic is heavy to make your flight. All of these cities are at around 5,000ft elevation.

[MGBMartin]

I just moved to Greenwood Village area of Denver.
Lovely area with lots of large houses on large lots but expensive; however, we don’t know what you mean by “something that isn't crazy expensive”.

[Mr. Rumples]

We retired and moved to Denver. After my husband died, I moved back to VA. We were close to medical care, an airport and so forth. A half acre lot? That's fine if one is xeriscaping; remember most of CO is semi-arid and high desert. (Denver is green due to wise planning 100 years ago which established a system of reservoirs connected by tunnels and canals.) Medical care can be a challenge with many folks going to Denver from elsewhere. Folks are on oxygen so much they don't get a second glance while back east, even though I live in a CCRC, I have not seen one person on it. I found driving a challenge on I-70 and noticed not many seniors drove on it.

[rich126]

We retired and moved to Denver. After my husband died, I moved back to VA. We were close to medical care, an airport and so forth. A half acre lot? That's fine if one is xeriscaping; remember most of CO is semi-arid and high desert. (Denver is green due to wise planning 100 years ago which established a system of reservoirs connected by tunnels and canals.) Medical care can be a challenge with many folks going to Denver from elsewhere. Folks are on oxygen so much they don't get a second glance while back east, even though I live in a CCRC, I have not seen one person on it. I found driving a challenge on I-70 and noticed not many seniors drove on it.

What part of VA and would you recommend it?

I've lived ~70% of my life in Maryland and the rest of it in Arizona except for college in Blacksburg (although not a place I would want to live, too small). Colorado seems nice due to the mountains, and seasons. PA is another place since it is close to MD and may be cheaper due to taxes on retirement accounts although property/school taxes can be high.

[WhyNotUs]

The area north of Golden around Long Lake Park and Table Mountain

If you were retired and the following were important to you what areas would be best to consider?

1. Within an hour of the main airport
2. Quality medical care since, well, you are reaching that age
3. I know everything now is expensive but something that isn't crazy expensive
4. Not overwhelmed by tourists/skiers (used to ski and enjoy snow but don't want to deal with crowds and don't really ski anymore)
5. Looking for about 1/2 acre or so lot and house

I'm struggling to find a retirement place and while Colorado is probably not number one, I'd like to find some suggestions and maybe visit the areas this fall/winter. I'm actually thinking back to the northeast but the thought of moving 2,000 miles again and its cost has been wondering if that is crazy.

Thanks.

[Django Ii]

Colorado is a very popular place to move. To me, the front range has more or less become just like every other area of sprawling poorly planned urban/suburban mess.

[mhc]

Do you want to do outdoor activities? If not, I would not choose Colorado. The main benefit of Colorado is obviously the mountains, but a lot of the front range (I-25 corridor) has nice trail systems and natural areas.

I recommend getting on one of the real estate sites and look at houses.

The Denver metro area is large and has a lot to offer from a large city perspective.

Fort Collins area is nice because it is not as busy, has CSU, and provides easy access to the mountains. It is over an hour to DIA, but there are shuttles. One of the nice things about FC is easy access to the mountains that don't tend to have very many tourists.

[bendix]

Been to Denver recently. It appeared like the demographic of Texas just with mountains and a state tax.

[Mr. Rumples]

We retired and moved to Denver. After my husband died, I moved back to VA. We were close to medical care, an airport and so forth. A half acre lot? That's fine if one is xeriscaping; remember most of CO is semi-arid and high desert. (Denver is green due to wise planning 100 years ago which established a system of reservoirs connected by tunnels and canals.) Medical care can be a challenge with many folks going to Denver from elsewhere. Folks are on oxygen so much they don't get a second glance while back east, even though I live in a CCRC, I have not seen one person on it. I found driving a challenge on I-70 and noticed not many seniors drove on it.

What part of VA and would you recommend it?

I've lived ~70% of my life in Maryland and the rest of it in Arizona except for college in Blacksburg (although not a place I would want to live, too small). Colorado seems nice due to the mountains, and seasons. PA is another place since it is close to MD and may be cheaper due to taxes on retirement accounts although property/school taxes can be high.

The south takes getting use to, or as they said in the colonial era, one has to become seasoned to the heat and humidity.* I live here because my roots are here and my family has been here for generations. It's like much of the US now.

* “Your cloathing in summer must be as thin and light as possible for the heat is beyond your conception . . . You must carry a stock of linen waistcoats made very large and loose that they may not stick to your hide when you perspire.” Steven Hawtrey to Edward Hawtrey, 26 March 1765.

[livesoft]

Been to Denver recently. It appeared like the demographic of Texas just with mountains and a state tax.

Which demographic of Texas? Houston? El Paso? Del Rio? Paris? Abilene? Ozona? Terlingua? The Woodlands? LOL!

[bendix]

Been to Denver recently. It appeared like the demographic of Texas just with mountains and a state tax.

Which demographic of Texas? Houston? El Paso? Del Rio? Paris? Abilene? Ozona? Terlingua? The Woodlands? LOL!

Some have an idea what the demographic of Texas might be. Others dont. And that´s totally fine.

[HipCoyote]

I was born and raised in Pueblo, CO...a tough town that has gotten tougher. Someone like me could move there and be quite happy because I know the place intimately...have family there which is a necessity for getting along in that town. Its an unique place. (For fun look up the Mountain Mafia...a book about Pueblo's crime syndicate back in the day. I went to school with a few of the children and nephews/nieces of some of the players in the book.) But we have considered moving back to Colorado to be closer to family, etc. We settled on Colorado Springs initially. (Loong story why we did not move there...mostly due to grandchildren living elsewhere.)

Colo Spgs has pretty good medical care, restaurants, nice areas to live. I think it is one of the most beautiful cities in the country. The Springs has gotten quite populated...so there's that. And what outsiders do not know, it is also the hail capitol of the world..when it hails there, it destroys a lot of roofs and cars. As in billions of dollars of losses. As in baseball sized hail sometimes. Home insurance is steep there. And you have to protect your car. This is no joke.

We bid on a place near the famed Broadmoor Hotel...and found out that the place was subject to substantial earth movement and slides. So we backed out. That is a beautiful area but do your due diligence before buying.

I know some of my family in Pueblo have to go to Denver for certain medical things bypassing the Springs. Its one thing to drive to Denver in August and quite another to drive there in February should a snow storm hit.

There are quite a lot of homeless in the downtown area as well.

Woodland Park is nice, but there you have the snow without the benefit of being close to skiing...you have to drive pretty far. maybe to Breckenridge or Monarch...if I am going to live in the snow, I don't want to drive far to play in it. WP gets substantial snow, so if you do move there, you need to consider how close your home would be to plowed roads. Shoveling snow is not fun after the first few minutes.

If you like Woodland Park and the Springs area, consider "Monument" which is a bit north of the Springs more towards the Air Force Academy. They can get blasted by snow however.

Lots of folks like Castle Rock. There is also a community south of Denver called Larkspur. I have a few friends who live there and love it. I looked at Evergreen which is nestled up against the mountains near Golden..nice place. And closer to the major ski areas.

[Off-topic comments removed by admin LadyGeek]

When I toured the State Capitol a few years ago, there were dozens of folks just siting on the law getting high. I would not want to expose my grand kids to that environment. Do what you want in your home, but on the Capitol lawns is a but much for me.

High altitudes can be a problem for a lot of folks. As we age, it gets even more difficult.

Durango is nice, but isolated. I do not know about medical care. But dbl check to see what happens there is you need major surgery. Denver is a long ways away.

Finally, I'd pay close attention to the various happenings in Colorado surrounding tax policy. I have not paid a lot of attention, but there are efforts to increase prop taxes, etc.



Best of luck

[Shackleton]

Monument (on the south side of the Palmer Divide) and Larkspur (north side of the Palmer Divide) are great but have gotten pretty expensive. And Monument Hill (which is where I-25 crosses the Palmer Divide) is 7600’ elevation, so both towns are also pretty high elevation. We actually lived east of Monument for 15 years and that house was at 7800’, which always surprised people when they came to visit. And travel over “the hill” is rough in the winter — lots of ice and people driving too fast.

[runner3081]

I agree that Grand Junction or the areas west of Co Springs would probably be good areas to explore. But be careful of the elevation west of the Springs. Many people as they age can’t handle the elevation and since the Springs is over 6000’, the towns west like Woodland Park are even higher.

True, we were in Divide in an AirBNB just over 9K. Fortunately, didn't bother me... rest of the family, not as fun for them.

[toomanysidehustles]

Grew up in New Jersey, have lived in Fort Collins since 1999. I would never consider moving back east, I am done with humidity after enjoying the dry air out west. Northern Colorado is a great place to retire. We are constantly on "top places to retire" lists. The climate is nice, low humidity, little to no bugs, lots of recreation minutes from town, and Rocky Mtn Nat'l Park just an hour away for limitless exploration.

If you are considering a mountain town, Steamboat Springs I believe is one with the lowest elevation and gets some of the best snow quality for recreation. We know two families who have moved from Summit county towns (Vail and Breckenridge) to Steamboat needing a lower elevation for a family member.

A half acre lot and a nice house will probably be $750k minimum. There are some great spots in west Loveland if you Mariana Butte golf course area. It is very scenic, I would retire there in a heartbeat. https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2921 ... 3140_zpid/

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_ ... orado.html

[rich126]

Grew up in New Jersey, have lived in Fort Collins since 1999. I would never consider moving back east, I am done with humidity after enjoying the dry air out west. Northern Colorado is a great place to retire. We are constantly on "top places to retire" lists. The climate is nice, low humidity, little to no bugs, lots of recreation minutes from town, and Rocky Mtn Nat'l Park just an hour away for limitless exploration.

If you are considering a mountain town, Steamboat Springs I believe is one with the lowest elevation and gets some of the best snow quality for recreation. We know two families who have moved from Summit county towns (Vail and Breckenridge) to Steamboat needing a lower elevation for a family member.

A half acre lot and a nice house will probably be $750k minimum. There are some great spots in west Loveland if you Mariana Butte golf course area. It is very scenic, I would retire there in a heartbeat. https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2921 ... 3140_zpid/

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_ ... orado.html

A coworker and I skied at Steamboat multiple times and I loved it. Lots of long cruising trails. This was mid/late 1990s. I recall the small airport being overrun when the jets landed (737?). No idea what it is like now.

Hadn't thought of the altitude but I recall staying around 9,000 ft when we were in the summit area (Breckenridge or Copper I think) and I had some headaches and trouble sleeping the first day or two but that was when I was in my 30s, not now.

[LadyGeek]

I removed off-topic comments and a post regarding the impact of the marijuana industry on Colorado. The discussion got derailed on the influence of other drugs on society.

Please stay on-topic.

[Shackleton]

Hadn't thought of the altitude but I recall staying around 9,000 ft when we were in the summit area (Breckenridge or Copper I think) and I had some headaches and trouble sleeping the first day or two but that was when I was in my 30s, not now.

Altitude sickness is very difficult to predict from one person to the next. Some people that are incredibly fit cannot tolerate high altitudes, while others have no problem even if they aren’t that fit. But in general, a person’s tolerance for high elevations degrades as they get older, so if you already had issues in your 30’s I doubt you would handle elevation better now. Headaches and trouble sleeping are generally two of the symptoms of altitude sickness although you may have just been dehydrated since many people don’t realize how much the low humidity of CO will impact them.

[Freefun]

I’m looking to move to Longmont or nearby Firestone for proximity to hiking esp RMNP.

[toomanysidehustles]

If you are considering a mountain town, Steamboat Springs I believe is one with the lowest elevation and gets some of the best snow quality for recreation. We know two families who have moved from Summit county towns (Vail and Breckenridge) to Steamboat needing a lower elevation for a family member.

A coworker and I skied at Steamboat multiple times and I loved it. Lots of long cruising trails. This was mid/late 1990s. I recall the small airport being overrun when the jets landed (737?). No idea what it is like now.

Hadn't thought of the altitude but I recall staying around 9,000 ft when we were in the summit area (Breckenridge or Copper I think) and I had some headaches and trouble sleeping the first day or two but that was when I was in my 30s, not now.

Southwest has daily flights into Hayden, so Steamboat is being loved to death. Ikon Pass isn't helping.

Steamboat Springs is just shy of 6,900 feet, Breck is 9,600 feet and Vail is about 8,200 feet above sea level. Yeah both my parents - Dad@86 Mom @ 76 years young and coming to visit from sea level (Charleston, SC) have no problems coming to Fort Collins to our house at 5,100ft but when we go up to Estes Park at 7,550 and Bear Lake in RMNP @ 9,450 they can feel it just by walking on the flat gravel "trails". They had no problems sleeping at the Stanley hotel in Estes Park though. It does hit everyone in different ways.

[mhc]

I’m looking to move to Longmont or nearby Firestone for proximity to hiking esp RMNP.

I live in NoCo about 1 hour from RMNP. RMNP is beautiful and I use to hike it a lot, but now it is crowded and one needs timed entry during the prime hiking months. IMHO, there are better options for locals that avoid the hassles of RMNP.

I assume you are familiar with Longmont and Firestone and their access to hiking.

[well9boy9]

I’m looking to move to Longmont or nearby Firestone for proximity to hiking esp RMNP.

I live in NoCo about 1 hour from RMNP. RMNP is beautiful and I use to hike it a lot, but now it is crowded and one needs timed entry during the prime hiking months. IMHO, there are better options for locals that avoid the hassles of RMNP.

I assume you are familiar with Longmont and Firestone and their access to hiking.

RMNP parking has become ridicules. Even with timed entry, there is still no parking space at the shuttle bus stop.

[Valuethinker]

Hadn't thought of the altitude but I recall staying around 9,000 ft when we were in the summit area (Breckenridge or Copper I think) and I had some headaches and trouble sleeping the first day or two but that was when I was in my 30s, not now.

Altitude sickness is very difficult to predict from one person to the next. Some people that are incredibly fit cannot tolerate high altitudes, while others have no problem even if they aren’t that fit. But in general, a person’s tolerance for high elevations degrades as they get older, so if you already had issues in your 30’s I doubt you would handle elevation better now. Headaches and trouble sleeping are generally two of the symptoms of altitude sickness although you may have just been dehydrated since many people don’t realize how much the low humidity of CO will impact them.

This is it. Having seen a group of tourists (40s-70s) in the Andes in Ecuador at 12k feet (for a bird watching day trip). Some fairly fit younger people just dropped by it, some older people seemed unfazed. The matte tea they drink seemed to help. (I didn't have great sleep in Quito either, that's more like 8k feet I think, but it was also hot and noisy).

Definitely something to experience first before moving to a location.

[Freefun]

I’m looking to move to Longmont or nearby Firestone for proximity to hiking esp RMNP.

I live in NoCo about 1 hour from RMNP. RMNP is beautiful and I use to hike it a lot, but now it is crowded and one needs timed entry during the prime hiking months. IMHO, there are better options for locals that avoid the hassles of RMNP.

I assume you are familiar with Longmont and Firestone and their access to hiking.

RMNP parking has become ridicules. Even with timed entry, there is still no parking space at the shuttle bus stop.

I never had problems parking there. But I do go early before 5am and I drive directly to the trailhead, which is usually glacier Gorge. Technically, I don’t think I even need reservations at that time. And while I have a lifetime pass, there’s no one even working at the gates at that time

The few times I went to the park around 9 AM I got a reservation the day before and I go to location where I know they’ll be parking. There’s usually parking along the road at Deer Mountain.

[toomanysidehustles]

I’m looking to move to Longmont or nearby Firestone for proximity to hiking esp RMNP.

I live in NoCo about 1 hour from RMNP. RMNP is beautiful and I use to hike it a lot, but now it is crowded and one needs timed entry during the prime hiking months. IMHO, there are better options for locals that avoid the hassles of RMNP.

I assume you are familiar with Longmont and Firestone and their access to hiking.

RMNP parking has become ridicules. Even with timed entry, there is still no parking space at the shuttle bus stop.

As a local, I never go to RMNP mid-June through mid-August....basically when kids are on summer vacation / out of school.

In the summer, I head up to the Cameron Pass area/American Lakes. I proposed to my wife up at American Lakes/Thunder Pass: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colo ... ail/photos

[Gecko10x]

What do you dislike about Arizona? I have a hard time imagining leaving the East coast for Arizona and then wanting to go back, lol.

I'm interpreting your question as being open to anywhere in the US, but your criteria are pretty broad; I think nearly any large city would fit. Any climate restrictions?

[bampf]

I’m looking to move to Longmont or nearby Firestone for proximity to hiking esp RMNP.

There are a few smaller towns near by that are nice and not as busy. Mead and Berthoud are like Firestone but ten years ago. Windsor and Johnstown are comparable to Firestone. Check out some of the smaller communities on the I25 corridor.

—bampf

[Random Musings]

I’m looking to move to Longmont or nearby Firestone for proximity to hiking esp RMNP.

I live in NoCo about 1 hour from RMNP. RMNP is beautiful and I use to hike it a lot, but now it is crowded and one needs timed entry during the prime hiking months. IMHO, there are better options for locals that avoid the hassles of RMNP.

I assume you are familiar with Longmont and Firestone and their access to hiking.

RMNP parking has become ridicules. Even with timed entry, there is still no parking space at the shuttle bus stop.

As a local, I never go to RMNP mid-June through mid-August....basically when kids are on summer vacation / out of school.

In the summer, I head up to the Cameron Pass area/American Lakes. I proposed to my wife up at American Lakes/Thunder Pass: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colo ... ail/photos

Went there in later June this year as we currently don't have the option to go in spring or fall. Got to the area Monday evening and left Friday a.m. (never would consider being there on a weekend). No problem finding parking at Bear Lake shuttle bus stop as we had 6-8 a.m. timed entry so we got to the entrance at 6:45 each day. Emerald Lake hike wasn't very busy, maybe 15 people at the top. Next day, hiked to Mills Lake, six people there. Unimpeded views at both locations. Rest of days, spent in the higher altitudes and parking was never an issue. Only places that were busy was Alluvial Fan and the Alpine Visitor Center. No wait at the Fall River Road entrance, the main entrance closer to Bear Lake had about a 5 minutes wait. Did I expect solitude? No. Was it far better than I anticipated? Yes, and early starts help. If I did live local, I would avoid weekends and hit the park even earlier during the summer (as well as visit other areas).

RM

[srt7]

Been to Denver recently. It appeared like the demographic of Texas just with mountains and a state tax.

Or so Texans would like to think (for whatever reason - maybe the history?). But yeah, Denver (or Colorado) in general is nothing like Texas. Yes, I've lived in both (decade+ in TX and approaching a decade in CO).

[srt7]

Been to Denver recently. It appeared like the demographic of Texas just with mountains and a state tax.

Which demographic of Texas? Houston? El Paso? Del Rio? Paris? Abilene? Ozona? Terlingua? The Woodlands? LOL!

LOL! Don't forget Texarkana, Port Arthur and the eastern parts of the state.

[well9boy9]

I’m looking to move to Longmont or nearby Firestone for proximity to hiking esp RMNP.

I live in NoCo about 1 hour from RMNP. RMNP is beautiful and I use to hike it a lot, but now it is crowded and one needs timed entry during the prime hiking months. IMHO, there are better options for locals that avoid the hassles of RMNP.

I assume you are familiar with Longmont and Firestone and their access to hiking.

RMNP parking has become ridicules. Even with timed entry, there is still no parking space at the shuttle bus stop.

As a local, I never go to RMNP mid-June through mid-August....basically when kids are on summer vacation / out of school.

In the summer, I head up to the Cameron Pass area/American Lakes. I proposed to my wife up at American Lakes/Thunder Pass: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colo ... ail/photos

Went there in later June this year as we currently don't have the option to go in spring or fall. Got to the area Monday evening and left Friday a.m. (never would consider being there on a weekend). No problem finding parking at Bear Lake shuttle bus stop as we had 6-8 a.m. timed entry so we got to the entrance at 6:45 each day. Emerald Lake hike wasn't very busy, maybe 15 people at the top. Next day, hiked to Mills Lake, six people there. Unimpeded views at both locations. Rest of days, spent in the higher altitudes and parking was never an issue. Only places that were busy was Alluvial Fan and the Alpine Visitor Center. No wait at the Fall River Road entrance, the main entrance closer to Bear Lake had about a 5 minutes wait. Did I expect solitude? No. Was it far better than I anticipated? Yes, and early starts help. If I did live local, I would avoid weekends and hit the park even earlier during the summer (as well as visit other areas).

RM

I went at 11:00 AM. That is probably why. Hard to get there early with young ones.

[BeneIRA]

If you were retired and the following were important to you what areas would be best to consider?

1. Within an hour of the main airport
2. Quality medical care since, well, you are reaching that age
3. I know everything now is expensive but something that isn't crazy expensive
4. Not overwhelmed by tourists/skiers (used to ski and enjoy snow but don't want to deal with crowds and don't really ski anymore)
5. Looking for about 1/2 acre or so lot and house

I'm struggling to find a retirement place and while Colorado is probably not number one, I'd like to find some suggestions and maybe visit the areas this fall/winter. I'm actually thinking back to the northeast but the thought of moving 2,000 miles again and its cost has been wondering if that is crazy.

Thanks.

Everything aside from number one would lead me to Fort Collins, but it is not an hour from the airport, more like 1.5 hours. Fort Collins has really nice people, the downtown is extensive but not overwhelming, the trails are nice, Horsetooth Reservoir is decent and it is not nearly as expensive as places closer to Denver. Honorable mention to Colorado Springs, but it has a similar issue with your number one.

Do you want new construction? An existing home? How close to Denver do you want to be? West of I-25 is going to be more expensive due to the proximity to the mountains, since you don't care, you may want to save some money and go east. "Not expensive" in Denver is really relative.

You will probably need to come to Colorado to get an idea of what you want. There is a big divide between North and South of Denver, but people love both. You will likely want to be at least a bit away from the city, so here is a diverse list of places I think might fit the bill for you: Parker, Longmont, Loveland, some parts of Aurora, Highlands Ranch, Erie, Fort Collins and surrounding areas (Windor, Timnath, etc), Colorado Springs, and Arvada.

To get an idea, I like Destination Denver Colorado (Jimmy Everetts) and LivingSouthDenver (Alyson Wahl) to get an idea of various areas.I have met them both and they're good people and do good work.

Colorado, in my completely biased opinion, gets a lot of unnecessary hate. Quick hits:
* The marijuana is not nearly as bad as it is made out to be. Ten years ago, different story, but now it has died down quite a bit.
* Car theft is real. Break-ins, stolen vehicles, stolen catalytic converters. Know that going in and prepare. Get a club, get a catalytic converter cage and park in well lit areas. Don't drive an older Kia or Hyundai.
* Crime is much higher than it has been historically, but it peaked in 2022. 2022 was a very rough year.
* I have been to several places in Texas and it is nothing like Texas to me. I would never live in Texas.
* People tend to be very nice.
* There are a lot of bad air quality days.
* The hail is rough and the winds can get wild. 100+ mph is not uncommon.
* Yes, the tourists can overrun places, but even in RMNP, if you go on some of the far afield hikes, you lose 90% of the tourists. They are there to do Trail Ridge Road, Bear Lake, see some views and wildlife and that is more or less it.
* No season is really that bad. The winters in CO are nothing like the midwest and Northeast.

On the whole, I absolutely love Colorado and living in Colorado has brought me so much joy. Best of luck.

[jackholloway]

I had family in the Greenwood Village area, and had some extended time there, and had friends in Boulder. Worth renting a place for a time to see whether that or the more mountainous areas are more to your taste.

FWIW, I’ve not found the weed to be a big deal either there or in the other states it’s legal. Your mileage may vary.

[DurangoWino]

We have a second home in Durango and love it. Decent airport that gets you to the larger airports in Denver, Phoenix and Dallas nonstop. To me the SW part of CO is the most beautiful part of the state. If you want to see beautiful scenery but don’t want to hike it, buy a Jeep and tour some of the best off-roading places in the country. Underrated ski resort at Purgatory. Pretty good food scene also. Love the Saturday Farmers Market. Small town vibe.

[Mayacallie]

We’ve been in Louisville,Co. since retiring 10 years ago. Pleasantville in every way. Close to Boulder and Denver. No crime to speak of. Skiing, RMNP 1 hour away. 1/2 acre probably not. But open spaces everywhere.
Also have a place in North Scottsdale near Cave Creek. Different attractions but also great. Most people have at least half acre, average much more.

[Scubadude]

Woodland Park

Was just there in May on vacation (well, Divide, but went to Woodland park multiple times per day). Awesome little town, agree!

Maybe.. make the drive from Woodland to Colorado Springs and back for several weeks in January- it can be a very very long drive.

[alfaspider]

Hadn't thought of the altitude but I recall staying around 9,000 ft when we were in the summit area (Breckenridge or Copper I think) and I had some headaches and trouble sleeping the first day or two but that was when I was in my 30s, not now.

Altitude sickness is very difficult to predict from one person to the next. Some people that are incredibly fit cannot tolerate high altitudes, while others have no problem even if they aren’t that fit. But in general, a person’s tolerance for high elevations degrades as they get older, so if you already had issues in your 30’s I doubt you would handle elevation better now. Headaches and trouble sleeping are generally two of the symptoms of altitude sickness although you may have just been dehydrated since many people don’t realize how much the low humidity of CO will impact them.

This is it. Having seen a group of tourists (40s-70s) in the Andes in Ecuador at 12k feet (for a bird watching day trip). Some fairly fit younger people just dropped by it, some older people seemed unfazed. The matte tea they drink seemed to help. (I didn't have great sleep in Quito either, that's more like 8k feet I think, but it was also hot and noisy).

Definitely something to experience first before moving to a location.

There is a big difference between visiting altitude and living there. I have always gotten altitude sickness (even as a teenager) if I went straight to 10,000ft from sea level (same or next day or two). But I can adapt just fine if I go from a week at 7k ft to 10k. Most people are ok to ~7k ft even visiting from sea level. It's around 8-9k that a lot of people start having problems with a quick trip. And the vast majority of people are going to be slammed if they go from sea level to 14k ft. Pilots in unpressurized aircraft must be on oxygen to go above 112,500 for more than 30 minutes or 14k ft for any length of time.

[runner3081]

Woodland Park

Was just there in May on vacation (well, Divide, but went to Woodland park multiple times per day). Awesome little town, agree!

Maybe.. make the drive from Woodland to Colorado Springs and back for several weeks in January- it can be a very very long drive.

Oh, I would avoid Colorado Springs like the plague. Traffic, sprawl, nothing of interest - only drove there and all around twice and that was enough. With a Walmart in Woodland Park, what else do you need

[Django Ii]

One of my concerns would be if retiring to some of the nicer forested areas of Colorado, will fire insurance become unaffordable or even unavailable in the future. I'm sure Colorado isn't too far behind California in that regard.

[AlohaBill]

My favorite states are Massachusetts, New Hampshire, California, Hawaii and Colorado. I was in Colorado for a month in January of 1973 to participate in Outward Bound. I was taking 5 inner city kids from South Boston with me . We drove across country. I thought I arrived in heaven. We skied up Mt Wetterhorn. We took a trek across the continental dive at Kit Carson pass which became a whiteout. It was a tricky time. Finally, we summitted Handies Peak around 8 am. When we got down from the mountain we had a 3 day very, very cold solo and afterwards we went on an orienteering adventure up one ridge about 10,000’ where we found a can with a message in it pointing us in an opposite direction on another ridge. This was incredibly exhausting and we didn’t get back to base camp until very late. I love flying over the Rockies especially in winter. The 5 kids: two got frost bite and were sent home early, 2 took buses back to Boston and 1 quit and flew to Florida. 6 months later, I found my self on an island about 2500 miles south of Hawaii with 300 really wonderful people. It was an interesting year.

[MGBMartin]

I had family in the Greenwood Village area, and had some extended time there, and had friends in Boulder. Worth renting a place for a time to see whether that or the more mountainous areas are more to your taste.

FWIW, I’ve not found the weed to be a big deal either there or in the other states it’s legal. Your mileage may vary.

I moved to Greenwood Village from Florida about a month ago.
I wondered what the weed situation would be like. Is everyone on it, even the sign on the trail next to my place says ‘high coyote activity’.
When I lived in Florida I would go for a walk every morning out the causeway to the beach. Seemed like half of the cars going by had clouds of weed smoke coming out of them, even the cars with their windows up.
In the month I’ve been in CO I think I’ve only smelt weed 3 or 4 times.
I’m sure other areas of Denver may be different.

[rich126]

If you were retired and the following were important to you what areas would be best to consider?

1. Within an hour of the main airport
2. Quality medical care since, well, you are reaching that age
3. I know everything now is expensive but something that isn't crazy expensive
4. Not overwhelmed by tourists/skiers (used to ski and enjoy snow but don't want to deal with crowds and don't really ski anymore)
5. Looking for about 1/2 acre or so lot and house

I'm struggling to find a retirement place and while Colorado is probably not number one, I'd like to find some suggestions and maybe visit the areas this fall/winter. I'm actually thinking back to the northeast but the thought of moving 2,000 miles again and its cost has been wondering if that is crazy.

Thanks.

Everything aside from number one would lead me to Fort Collins, but it is not an hour from the airport, more like 1.5 hours. Fort Collins has really nice people, the downtown is extensive but not overwhelming, the trails are nice, Horsetooth Reservoir is decent and it is not nearly as expensive as places closer to Denver. Honorable mention to Colorado Springs, but it has a similar issue with your number one.

Do you want new construction? An existing home? How close to Denver do you want to be? West of I-25 is going to be more expensive due to the proximity to the mountains, since you don't care, you may want to save some money and go east. "Not expensive" in Denver is really relative.

You will probably need to come to Colorado to get an idea of what you want. There is a big divide between North and South of Denver, but people love both. You will likely want to be at least a bit away from the city, so here is a diverse list of places I think might fit the bill for you: Parker, Longmont, Loveland, some parts of Aurora, Highlands Ranch, Erie, Fort Collins and surrounding areas (Windor, Timnath, etc), Colorado Springs, and Arvada.

To get an idea, I like Destination Denver Colorado (Jimmy Everetts) and LivingSouthDenver (Alyson Wahl) to get an idea of various areas.I have met them both and they're good people and do good work.

Colorado, in my completely biased opinion, gets a lot of unnecessary hate. Quick hits:
* The marijuana is not nearly as bad as it is made out to be. Ten years ago, different story, but now it has died down quite a bit.
* Car theft is real. Break-ins, stolen vehicles, stolen catalytic converters. Know that going in and prepare. Get a club, get a catalytic converter cage and park in well lit areas. Don't drive an older Kia or Hyundai.
* Crime is much higher than it has been historically, but it peaked in 2022. 2022 was a very rough year.
* I have been to several places in Texas and it is nothing like Texas to me. I would never live in Texas.
* People tend to be very nice.
* There are a lot of bad air quality days.
* The hail is rough and the winds can get wild. 100+ mph is not uncommon.
* Yes, the tourists can overrun places, but even in RMNP, if you go on some of the far afield hikes, you lose 90% of the tourists. They are there to do Trail Ridge Road, Bear Lake, see some views and wildlife and that is more or less it.
* No season is really that bad. The winters in CO are nothing like the midwest and Northeast.

On the whole, I absolutely love Colorado and living in Colorado has brought me so much joy. Best of luck.

Thanks for the detailed information.

I'm one of those people who thinks a perfect day is any day when it is snowing. I just find it magical, peaceful, quiet and makes everything look nice (until it gets all muddy/dirty). If I was good with languages and more adventuresome I would consider living somewhere like Germany or Switzerland.

Having lived in Phoenix off/on for over a decade I'm familiar with bad air quality.
We hope to take a trip there this fall/winter to explore.

Finding a place to live in retirement is just tough for me. Getting older you don't want to need a long drive every time you have to see a doctor, we aren't sickly but you do get sick and have to prepare for aging. Don't want to be too isolated from a good airport. Ideally not too far from family. I think if it was only me I'd go back to MD or maybe PA since it is a known thing to me and I know some people and have doctors there. My wife has a ton of family/friends in AZ which is why we are here although she isn't locked into staying here and is also tired of the heat despite being a native.

[BeneIRA]

We’ve been in Louisville,Co. since retiring 10 years ago. Pleasantville in every way. Close to Boulder and Denver. No crime to speak of. Skiing, RMNP 1 hour away. 1/2 acre probably not. But open spaces everywhere.
Also have a place in North Scottsdale near Cave Creek. Different attractions but also great. Most people have at least half acre, average much more.

Louisville is amazing. I go to that Sweet Cow in Downtown Louisville more than I should. I didn't list it Superior, Lafayette or Broomfield since it sounded like OP wanted some land and that probably isn't happening in those places. All else being equal, I would go with one of those.

If you were retired and the following were important to you what areas would be best to consider?

1. Within an hour of the main airport
2. Quality medical care since, well, you are reaching that age
3. I know everything now is expensive but something that isn't crazy expensive
4. Not overwhelmed by tourists/skiers (used to ski and enjoy snow but don't want to deal with crowds and don't really ski anymore)
5. Looking for about 1/2 acre or so lot and house

I'm struggling to find a retirement place and while Colorado is probably not number one, I'd like to find some suggestions and maybe visit the areas this fall/winter. I'm actually thinking back to the northeast but the thought of moving 2,000 miles again and its cost has been wondering if that is crazy.

Thanks.

Everything aside from number one would lead me to Fort Collins, but it is not an hour from the airport, more like 1.5 hours. Fort Collins has really nice people, the downtown is extensive but not overwhelming, the trails are nice, Horsetooth Reservoir is decent and it is not nearly as expensive as places closer to Denver. Honorable mention to Colorado Springs, but it has a similar issue with your number one.

Do you want new construction? An existing home? How close to Denver do you want to be? West of I-25 is going to be more expensive due to the proximity to the mountains, since you don't care, you may want to save some money and go east. "Not expensive" in Denver is really relative.

You will probably need to come to Colorado to get an idea of what you want. There is a big divide between North and South of Denver, but people love both. You will likely want to be at least a bit away from the city, so here is a diverse list of places I think might fit the bill for you: Parker, Longmont, Loveland, some parts of Aurora, Highlands Ranch, Erie, Fort Collins and surrounding areas (Windor, Timnath, etc), Colorado Springs, and Arvada.

To get an idea, I like Destination Denver Colorado (Jimmy Everetts) and LivingSouthDenver (Alyson Wahl) to get an idea of various areas.I have met them both and they're good people and do good work.

Colorado, in my completely biased opinion, gets a lot of unnecessary hate. Quick hits:
* The marijuana is not nearly as bad as it is made out to be. Ten years ago, different story, but now it has died down quite a bit.
* Car theft is real. Break-ins, stolen vehicles, stolen catalytic converters. Know that going in and prepare. Get a club, get a catalytic converter cage and park in well lit areas. Don't drive an older Kia or Hyundai.
* Crime is much higher than it has been historically, but it peaked in 2022. 2022 was a very rough year.
* I have been to several places in Texas and it is nothing like Texas to me. I would never live in Texas.
* People tend to be very nice.
* There are a lot of bad air quality days.
* The hail is rough and the winds can get wild. 100+ mph is not uncommon.
* Yes, the tourists can overrun places, but even in RMNP, if you go on some of the far afield hikes, you lose 90% of the tourists. They are there to do Trail Ridge Road, Bear Lake, see some views and wildlife and that is more or less it.
* No season is really that bad. The winters in CO are nothing like the midwest and Northeast.

On the whole, I absolutely love Colorado and living in Colorado has brought me so much joy. Best of luck.

Thanks for the detailed information.

I'm one of those people who thinks a perfect day is any day when it is snowing. I just find it magical, peaceful, quiet and makes everything look nice (until it gets all muddy/dirty). If I was good with languages and more adventuresome I would consider living somewhere like Germany or Switzerland.

Having lived in Phoenix off/on for over a decade I'm familiar with bad air quality.
We hope to take a trip there this fall/winter to explore.

Finding a place to live in retirement is just tough for me. Getting older you don't want to need a long drive every time you have to see a doctor, we aren't sickly but you do get sick and have to prepare for aging. Don't want to be too isolated from a good airport. Ideally not too far from family. I think if it was only me I'd go back to MD or maybe PA since it is a known thing to me and I know some people and have doctors there. My wife has a ton of family/friends in AZ which is why we are here although she isn't locked into staying here and is also tired of the heat despite being a native.

If that is the highest priority, you would want to be closer to Denver. The UCHealth system is pretty decent and spans a good portion of the front range (defined as Fort Collins to Colorado Springs). There should be good medical facilities close to a lot of the places on my list, but I would lean closer to Denver. If you give up the extra land, anywhere around Boulder is a great choice.

Colorado snow is great because it snows and then it's gone in a day due to the dryness.