All right, so you’re thinking about moving to Denver and you want to know what are the positives and what things are very concerning about living in Denver. I’m going to walk you through the pros and the cons of living in the Mile High City. One of them will blow your mind. And the last one, it could freaking kill you.

Denver, the capital of Colorado, is an American metropolis dating to the Old West era. Today, it is one of America’s hottest cities to live and play in and a great place to visit.

The city comes with a seriously stunning backdrop of the Rocky Mountains to the west of it and High Plains to its east, sitting in the South Platte River Valley.

Denver is a visually appealing metropolis, filled with a variety of sights and attractions for everyone, from families to couples.

Whether you’re considering relocation to Denver or already planning on moving here, you’re going to want to know the pros and cons of living here.

We’re going to get right into the top pros and cons of living in Denver, Colorado. All right, guys, here we go. 

List of the Pros of Living in Denver

1. Weather and Outdoor Scene

It’s freaking amazing. We get all seasons during the winter. You ski and snowboard, snowshoe, cross-country ski, and in the summer you hike and camp and you have a great time.

In Denver, the summers are hot, the winters are very cold and dry, and it is partly cloudy year-round. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 22°F to 89°F and is rarely below 6°F or above 96°F.

The best times to visit Denver are April through May and September through October. The city’s shoulder seasons are characterized by comfortable temperatures, fewer tourists, and lower accommodation prices than the summer high season.

With some of the best riding, rafting, climbing, and skiing in the world, Colorado’s stretch of the Rocky Mountains is a mecca for adventure geeks. The good news is that whether you’re an amateur or a seasoned adrenaline junkie, Denver makes exploring Colorado’s outdoors easy.

• Ski and Snowboard at Vail Mountain Resort
• Whitewater Raft the Colorado River
• Snowshoe in Rocky Mountain National Park
• Mountain Bike at Buffalo Creek
• Backcountry Ski in Estes Park
• Ride Horses Under a Full Moon

2. The Mile High City is consistently ranked as one of the healthiest cities in America

which is great if you want to live a healthy lifestyle, because you’re not going to have a hard time finding a healthy food option, whether you’re a vegetarian or other things, whatever you need, whatever your eating habits are, most restaurants will accommodate you because they’re so used to those types of requests, along with that healthy lifestyle is super easy to find.

Yoga Studios Politesse Crossfade Cycle Studios ORNGE Theory. Fitness is big out here, so there are all kinds of activities. If you’re not hitting the trails, you can hit the gym and that’s a great way for you to get to know people and socially interact.

3. Denver has a promising economy

Denver’s predominantly young and active population has contributed to a flourishing economy across a number of sectors.

In terms of high-paying jobs, Denver has numerous top companies headquarters located there. And more are coming in due to the large presence of active and healthy Millennials in the city.

Although the average median income in Denver is about $58,000, which is 6-7% below the national average, salaries across a number of industries continue to rise with the cost of living in Denver.

There are lots of job opportunities in Agriculture, tech, and aerospace that will definitely match the cost of living there, but beware of the competition as there is much.

4. Cost of living in Denver is adaptable

While nowhere near the cost of living in other parts of the country, such as New York City or San Francisco, a new resident in the city of Denver might find the biggest challenge to be the housing costs. That being said, while rent payments might be growing quickly, the city, in general, is quite a bit cheaper than others across the country.

Some other things to note are that property taxes are low, but sales taxes are high. Income tax is average at 4.63%. Health care is a bit expensive as it is well over 17% of the national average. The money spent on groceries is less as it is estimated that you pay about 4% less than the national average.

List of the Cons of Living in Denver

And now on to the cons of living in Denver.

1. High Altitude

The first one on the list. Denver is named the mile high city for a reason. The city is surrounded by mountains. It is 5,280 feet above sea level, so there will be less oxygen to breathe and the sun is stronger!

If you visit or plan on moving to Denver, you must be prepared for both your hair and skin to get dry quickly. Sometimes your nose could get a bit bloody and there is a tendency for you to get dehydrated very fast. All of this is normal in acclimating to Denver’s life.

2. Denver’s traffic can be really bad

The recent influx of new residents, combined with road infrastructure that’s not really set up for massive growth has created major traffic issues in Denver and the surrounding areas.

While the city has both a light-rail and bus system, it is not very extensive and can be fairly expensive. It’s hard to access the city’s public transport if you live close to or on the outskirts of the city. You have to be at the center or close for it to really benefit you much.

3. Tight job market

There’s a ton of economic growth in Colorado, which means a ton of new jobs. However, there’s also a massive wave of people moving to Colorado ( 80,000 in a single year) to fill those jobs. The job market also seems to be slowing in key parts of the state, including Denver, which ranks 32nd of 51 among the country’s largest metros when it comes to job growth.

Granted, Colorado’s unemployment rate is tied with a historic low. However, this is also coupled with the fact that jobs were added to the state at the slowest rate since 2011 during the first half of 2019. When it comes to the job market in Colorado, a lot of talent seems to be competing for the best jobs.

I do feel like the positives of living in Denver far outweigh the negatives. If you’re considering moving to Denver, We’d love to help make your transition to Denver as smooth as possible.