Hello, Colorado Residents

I am not a Colorado resident - I'm from Iowa - but I want to be a Colorado resident. Preferably somewhere in the mountains. I have a terrible time with allergies & asthma in this hot and humid hellhole that is Iowa & found that I feel and breathe much better in the mountains.

I just came back from another vacation in Estes Park (this was my 4th year there) and realized again how much I want to live in Colorado. I work in IT and have been a Network Administrator for a medium sized asphalt paving company. We also own a sister company that is in the mining business.

I was hoping for some input on where a guy like me could possibly find a job and live. Since I like hiking in the RMNP, I was thinking along the lines of the Loveland/Fort Collins area or perhaps Longmont/Boulder.

The cost of living in SE Iowa is very low, but so is the pay, and I'm curious as to how easy it is to live in CO compared to where I'm at now.

Anyone feel like helping this envious Iowan out?

 

FYI, you'll eventually acclimate to Colorado and you allergies will come back.

 

I realize that and allergies aren't my main concern. I've got them mostly under control now. Humid weather, however, I can do without.

I'm allergic to mold & corn smut (2 of the most prevalent things in IA). Is there much of a mold problem in CO?

 

There is mold. Is it a problem? Only where it's a problem. Your immune system will likely find something here that it want's to be allergic to.

The Denver Metro area is probably the hottest real estate market in the country. Supply is low and demand is high. Including apartments. Estes Park and other mountain areas may or may not be experiencing the current market conditions. The closer you are to Denver the more likely it's been affected. The reason is that most jobs are in the Metro area. So, if you can work from home or have a skill that is needed in the area you'd like to live outside of the Metro area, you may be able to find something cheap. Colorado is HUGE. The mountains are HUGE. And I don't mean height wise, though they are that too, I mean area wise. There are many, many options. If I was looking to relocate and start over, I'd be looking at the Montrose area. But that's just me. I like it over there. Montrose is big enough to have just about everything most larger cities have. Yet small enough and far away enough that it's doesn't have a big city feel or attitude.

 

Thank you for the input.

Does anyone else have anything to add?

 

It's extremely expensive to live in most mountain towns. Denver was cheap compared to a lot of the mountain towns a few years ago, I just moved back and have no idea what's going on now...I do know summit county is still extremely expensive and crowded.

Colorado is diverse. Longmont, boulder, denver, co springs...etc. not in the mountains but near the foothills, montrose is more desert scrub and smaller mountains/plateaus..it's certainly got some killer aspects to it, but personally I don't really like montrose. The south west has the San Juans which I think are the most badass range in the state.

One thing to keep in mind is you will need to get to denver for something or some airport probably sometime...it can take a while depending on where you end up. Also keep in mind it may be dry but it gets damn hot in some parts of the state!

Everyone will have a different opinion of which part of the state they like or dislike or whatever! If I were married and could live anywhere in the state...I'd pick Gunnison. It's got sagebrush scrubb/desert and plateaus, mountains 20 miles away or less, Utah is close-ish, good hunting, fishing, mountain biking etc.


Scatter brained post but hope it helps.

 

Great climate, great recreation, great opportunity, great quality of life, but the cost of living is expensive, especially along the front range. It's doable but will most likely take some time.

 

The mountain towns that serve a ski area or are close enough are expensive. All the others are usually pretty cheap. Aspen, Telluride, Ouray, Vail, Edwards, Dillon, Frisco, Silverton, Steamboat, etc. are usually more than the Denver Metro area. Go up to Jamestown and you'll live cheap. Montrose is very affordable as is Gunnison and Buena Vista. Just some examples.

And yes, you will likely need to get to Denver at some point in time. Montrose, for example, is a 6 hour drive. There are many regional airports that could get you to Denver a bit quicker.

 

Thanks, all!

 

The cost of living has practially doubled in the last 2 years thanks to everyone moving here. the wages havent yet met the new rise in housing prices so you are going to have a difficult time finding a job that pays good enough to live on with the new prices in everything. Its california prices with wyoming wages.