Massive, two of Colorado's highest peaks. Discovering The Best 26 Reasons: What is Colorado Known for? With a population of only 8,200 residents, Trinidad is a friendly city that offers small town living. Discover Which Colorado Mountain Town is right for you. It sits an hour west of Colorado Springs in Teller County at the base of the backside of Pikes Peak with amazing vistas. The rivers and lakes are so blue that they make the sky appear washed out. Massive and Mt. Despite its proximity to Denver, Federal Heights is still one of the cheapest places to live in Colorado. I hope you've heard the name "the Imperial Express Superchair", yes, Breckenridge is home to North America's highest chair lift. Meanwhile, art aficionados flock to Salida's 20-some galleries and studios. However, the median home value is $352,800, more significant than the national median value. The waterway is saluted during the FibArk (First in Boating on the Arkansas) festival and there's a hot springs pool in town, too. Among other things in Telluride are the Sheridan Opera House (a performing-arts venue) and the Telluride Gallery of Fine Art. Manitou Springs. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The best mountain towns near Denver include: There are a lot of incredible mountain towns in Colorado and nearly all of them are stunning. Elbert and Mt. Be sure to bundle up if you visit Leadville in the winter. Cripple Creek once used to be bustling with gold seekers and now is like a mini Vegas in Colorado. In 1896, Colorado is well known as the mining capital. 4. Known as the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park is definitely one of the best mountain towns near Denver. Outdoorsy types might want to leave time for a trek up nearby Quandary Peak, one of Colorado's 58 mountains that measure 14,000 feet or taller. As one of the best mountain towns in Colorado for the luxury-inclined, Aspen is the place to be seen. Overall, the atmosphere is friendly and the community is tight-knit, which is critical for such a small town. If youre into history, theres also the Trinidad History Museum that is packed with unique stories and features. Estes is well known for its elk herds and their bugling calls in the fall during mating season. To start the best up and coming Colorado towns, we have the small town of Fraser. The Breckenridge Historic District (mostly along Main Street) is filled with Victorian-style buildings. In the summer, you can take an incredible hike to Ice Lake or backpack sections of the Colorado Trail. The air in Paonia smells all fruity! Mancos is anaffordable mountain town to live in Coloradowhere youll find modern-day travelers, hikers, and locals navigating among cattle drives, cowboys, horse-drawn carriages, and stagecoaches. You can enjoy pack trips, trails, and camping. From the breathless views and unique culture to quite affordable places to reside, Ill take you around the bestaffordable mountain towns in Coloradothat wont cause heaviness in your pocket. Leadville is about a two-hour ride from Denver. All these, Read More 10 Cheapest Places to Live in Colorado: Cities with Lowest Cost of LivingContinue, Looking for a weekend getaway in Colorado Springs? People can access and enjoy beautiful scenery, hiking trails, alpine lakes, and other attractions. Therefore, we examined all of the charming mountain towns across the state to uncover the best hidden gems that are still relatively affordable and have homes available that cost less than the state average. Its a super cool event that is basically a giant beer festival but with skis. Dating back to the 1880s, these buildings now offer shopping, galleries, coffee shops, restaurants, and plenty of watering holes. It is also the highest town in all of North America, at over 10,000 feet above sea level. The median home value is $198,990 and a third of the homes within city limits sell for less than $74,000. In summer, the temperature rose to make me feel happy and energetic. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to some of the most-well-preserved archaeological sites in the U . Less than 100 miles from Denver, Fairplay offers agood nightlife and a nice variety of rural and suburban neighborhoods. Caon City. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Nestled in San Juan National Forest, this ski area is minutes from downtown Durango. Photo Credit: kojihirano (iStock). There is plenty of snow and Victorian buildings in this elevated town. Also, if youre searchingfor cheapvacation spots in Colorado,it can be the best as you can spread out in the great outdoor activities. Lake Granby is a massive lake on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park where you can boat, fish, or just hang out by the water. that is packed with unique stories and features. 11 Most Affordable Mountain Towns In Colorado It is the bounty of fairy tale towns. Afterward, enjoy a day trip to Mesa Verde National Park before exploring the San Juan National Forest and checking out the Animas River Trail too. You have permission to edit this collection. Woodland Park. There are also climbing experiences if that appeals to you, and you can visit the twin lakes and Mount Elbert in just a half hour drive. Dont you think it is one of thecheap places to live in Colorado? Im sure youll have some great memories here! I recommend going out on the terrace at night to stare at the stars. Located right near Breckenridge, Frisco is one of the best mountain towns in Colorado which sits about an hour and a half away from Denver. Heres. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Paoniaisa veryaffordable Colorado mountain town,as a single adult expenses here, are around $39,303 annually about the same as the annual cost of living for Colorado of $40,026. Manitou Springs is one of themost affordable mountain towns in Coloradoas a single adult including housing, transportation, health costs, and taxes has to pay $34,531 per year. At only 2.5 hours from the Mile High City, its a great weekend trip from Denver. Southwest Colorado's biggest city, Durango, is an absolute beautiful place to retire. In Colorado, you will love its verdant valleys, its murmuring rivers, its magnificent mountains and sequestered bales, and verdant-lined lakes and bays. It sits just on the east of the Middle Fork South Platte River, northward to Alma and Hoosier Pass, and close to Breckenridge for skiing. The 7 Cheapest Yet Great Places For Living In Colorado - OnlyInYourState Steamboat Springs. Located in the windswept San Luis Valley, Alamosa is a small college town with a great brewpub and plenty of amenities to make it the perfect launch pad for exploring southeastern Colorado. Large elk herds roam the town freely. These popular destinations feature amazing mountain scenery and are absolutely bursting with local businesses. There is a small airport, so flying into Telluride is also an option. Where is the cheapest place to live near the mountains? It sits along Clear Creek Canyon commonly famous for radium hot springs for its therapeutic properties. 1. We start off our list of the most affordable mountain towns in Colorado with Manitou Springs. This area is also home to some of the most beautiful wildflower hikes in Colorado like the hike to Island Lake. Guanella Pass is also one of the very best places to see the fall colors in Colorado, but that makes it incredibly crowded during leaf-peeping season. Leadville is about a two-hour ride from Denver. There are also breweries to check out, and all in all, this is a very affordable place to live. And be sure to visit the Breckenridge troll at the end of the Trollstigen Trail before you leave town! Summer is very glorious. Ive spent the last 13 years traveling all across Colorado. This gives me a paycheck while you get badass, free recommendations for the best Colorado mountain towns. County: Logan. The town embraces a fun atmosphere with an annual fruitcake toss, pie baking contests, ghost tours, ice cream events, and a lot more. 11 Warmest Places In Colorado For Your Next Vacation, 10 Cheapest Places to Live in Colorado: Cities with Lowest Cost of Living, 2 Days in Colorado Springs Itinerary for the Perfect Weekend Trip. Mesa Verde National Park. Hit the trails for one of the amazing hikes in Breckenridge, such as Mayflower Gulch for one of the most spectacular Colorado wildflower hikes or Mount Quandary to summit a 14er. Like Salida, Ridgway is all about the arts, with galleries and studios, plus an historic theater and plenty of cool events like full moon art excursions. Crested Butte. There was an error processing your request. Whether you want to make a trek or take a dip, Salida is the place. Estes Park is a great basecamp for visiting Rocky Mountain National Park. , which is critical for such a small town. Breakdown by City & Salary Levels, 9 Best Places to Live in South Carolina Near the Beach 2023 Edition, Discover 10 Affordable Mountain Towns in Colorado in 2023. Paonia. Ensconced smack dab among some of the richest archeological sites in the country, Dolores is a must-stop for anyone curious about this country's original people. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Its also only 50 minutes from Mount Elbert, which makes it an ideal spot for anyone who wants to spend time out and about in nature. You can also check out some of the easier hikes in Estes Park, such as Lily Lake, which is especially lovely when the aspens turn gold in the fall. Western vibes still thrive in the small town backdropped by the La Plata Mountains. Idaho Springs is not only acheap place to live in Colorado Mountainsbut a great place to stop to reach the famous Colorado ski resorts. Population: 14,777. Glenwood Hot Springs is family-friendly, while Iron Mountain, right on the Colorado River, has a good vibe and a more relaxing ambiance. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. If you love outdoor life whatever the weather is, Pagosa Springs may be the place for you. Cripple Creek is a quick two-and-a-half-hour ride from Denver. There is no way youll feel a harsh sun ray piercing through your skin. . Its location is very convenient. Photo courtesy of Rocky Mountain Outdoor Center. Visiting Colorado mountain towns requires local insight to make your stay truly special. If you want, you can even do a bit of mountain biking at Keystone Bike Park before hitting the trails and doing a bit of moose watching since the area is full of them. 10 Cheap Colorado Vacation Spots In 2023 - BudgetTravelBuff A single adult needs to spend $ 40,522 annually to afford a good standard of living. Photo Credit: welcomia (iStock). Population: 5,430 Cost of Living Index: 3% Below Colorado Average Median Home Price: $545,000. Alamosa. Note: Estes Park is also the safest place in Colorado. Incredible mountain views can be seen from the town, which features a number of cobbled streets in a newly developed area and a colorful collection of summer vacation stays and year-round homes. Northern Colorado's Fort Collins was named one of the 100 Best Places to Live in part due to the strength of its business community, which features a mix of major employers like Anheuser Busch, Hewlett-Packard, Kaiser Permanente, Wells Fargo and Xcel Energy, as well as innovative . Youll fall in love with thissmall mountain town in Coloradowhich sits at an elevation of 7,867 feet. Population: 1,700 Cost of Living Index: 12% Below Colorado Average Median Home Price: $429,000. Meanwhile, youll enjoy a lower cost of living than the average for Colorado, which makes this town attractive for families on a budget, although most people rent. One of Colorado's most popular skiing and snowboarding destinations, Steamboat Springs still serves up a serious amount of fun for summertime visitors, especially if you happen to like cowboy hats. Its pretty and very interesting. On average, a single adults expense is around $38,947 a year. And for this reason, Steamboat Springs is a small town that really shines as a place for an extended stay. The waterway is saluted during the FibArk (First in Boating on the Arkansas) festival and there's a hot springs pool in town, too . Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. The 5 Most Affordable Cities in Colorado - Livability However, I heard from one of my friends that the town has now become nosier and lacks walkable space compared to the western side of the town. In fact, this park is home to a steep canyon that has the Gunnison River running through it, making it an ideal spot for a bit of white water rafting and kayaking. While a median rent of $1,484 does seem super low, the median price tag of a home is only $364,100, John has some of the most affordable homes for sale in colorado. You can hit the trail on the best Vail hikes, backpack to Gore Lake, bike the ski hills, or take a scenic gondola ride. Looking for off-the-wall? And, I believe, the most scenic towns in Colorado - tucked in mountains are affordable too. Whatever you do though, dont miss BrewSki in March. If you love reading, read the books of Louis LAmour, youll know why he loves Mancos so much! Be sure to bundle up if you visit Leadville in the winter. From here you can explore Clear Creek, either by rafting down the river or climbing the rock walls of the canyon. Hesperus Ski Area is one of the most affordable ski resorts in Colorado. Nowadays, visitors peruse the farm markets, take in a cattle auction, or keep an eye out for dinosaur tracks and ancient Native American petroglyphs and pictographs in the magnificent Comanche National Grassland. Error! Courtesy of Colorado Tourism/Dolores Chamber of Commerce, Museum of Western Colorado: Dinosaur Journey, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. At nearly 9,000 feet at the summit, the mountain offers 700 feet of vertical downhill. Fancy designer boutiques and incredible dining options aside, Aspen is pretty darn beautiful too. These small towns in Colorado are filled with everything you would imagine, from historic buildings, art galleries, delicious restaurants, famous breweries and beautiful mountain scenery. I came here in winter and loved it. While its costs are the same as the Colorado state average, it is clear that the city is far from average. Its a win-win. Stroll your way downtown where you'll find everything from trendy mountain boutiques to outdoor gear stores, and a colorful collection of restaurants and breweries. The town is best known for having inspired the popular TV show South Park. Telluride. If youre interested in history, youll also enjoy the range of museums that the town has to offer. The activities in Leadville include the scenic Leadville Southern Railroad, which offers a. and incredible alpine scenery that will not fail to impress. Everyone dreams about living a quaint and rugged life in the Rocky Mountains, but many of the famous ski towns like Aspen, Vail, Telluride, and Breckenridge have gotten way too expensive in the last few years. Fairplay is a Statutory Town in South Park sitting at an elevation of 9,954 feet above sea level. Head to the Centennial State for sweet ski towns and artsy villages galore.