Three Colorado cities along the Front Range ranked in the top 25 in U.S. News and World Report’s annual “Best Places to Live” report on the 150 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S.
Boulder’s “blissed-out” vibe, endless outdoor recreation nearby and many wellness and alternative healthcare opportunities earned the city the No. 4 spot on the list, which also puts it as the No. 1 best place to live in Colorado, according to the report.
“This blissed-out enclave attracts young professionals, families, academics, scientists, transplants from both coasts, old guards who insist it was way cooler in the 1970s, and, above all, lovers of outdoor recreation,” the report states. “Trail runners, hikers, climbers, cyclists and more move here to live in this perpetual playground, where the answer to ‘What do you do?’ is often one’s activity of choice, not occupation.”
The city was also rated the second-best place to live for quality of life, right behind San Jose.
The next Colorado city also broke the list’s top 10. Colorado Springs came in at No. 9 on the list, making this the sixth consecutive year Colorado Springs ranked inside that section, the city of Colorado Springs said in a news release.
“I am proud that once again we are listed as one of the top ten Best Places to Live,” Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers said in the release. “U.S. News and World Report realizes what a treasure the City of Colorado Springs is and all we have to offer our residents, current and future. It is a credit to all those in our community who continue to work to make General Palmer’s vision, set forward more than 150 years ago, a reality.”
U.S. News cites the city’s economically diverse sections as part of its appeal: “the booming suburbs in the north and east; the bustling yet easily navigated downtown; the elegant, rustic south side defined by Cheyenne Cañon and the century-old Broadmoor hotel; and the west side, occupied by eateries and shops in what was the old Victorian center of the 1890s gold rush.”
Fort Collins rounded out Colorado’s entries in the top 25, ranking 23rd.
“Fort Collins was once overshadowed by Colorado’s heavily populated Front Range and famous mountain ski towns,” the report states. “That status has changed as new residents – increasingly priced out of the Denver or Boulder markets – have moved an hour north to join a growing community that retains a small-town feel.”
The city’s proximity to Rocky Mountain National Park and other outdoor excursions and its nickname as the “Napa Valley of craft beer” all contributed to its spot on the list, according to the report.
Fort Collins also ranked on the list of best places to live for quality of life, coming in at 15th.
Denver, the only other Colorado city in U.S. News’ report, ranked 99th on the list out of 150.
The 10 Best Places to Live in the U.S. in 2023-2024:
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Huntsville, Alabama
Raleigh and Durham, North Carolina
Boulder, Colorado
Sarasota, Florida
Naples, Florida
Portland, Maine
Charlotte, North Carolina
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Fayetteville, Arkansas
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