TL;DR – Denver appeals to people considering a move because it combines a diverse job market, extensive outdoor recreation, major-airport connectivity, and urban amenities. Before moving to Denver, compare current apartment costs, neighborhood options, transit access, and employment opportunities.
Wondering whether you should move to Denver? Perhaps the Southern summers in your hometown slipped into the dog days, making you feel miserable. Perchance the hustle and bustle of the big city you live in now has lost its charm and entered bedlam. Or, could it be that you love where you live, but the mountains are calling, like they have for so many before? Whatever the reason, Denver bestows ample excuses to ditch your day job and head west.
What Is the Quality of Life?
The reason so many people move to Denver: this city and its residents push the ‘work hard, play hard’ mentality to its limits. Many city dwellers will put in long hours during the week at tech startups, string together multiple freelance gigs, or pick up doubles just to earn some extra play money or time.
Denver is no stranger to after-work happy hours, lunch hour jogging groups, and weekend warriors who head to the Western Slope on Fridays at five. And, although they might return to their desks on Monday bruised and beaten, they’ll arrive with a new stock of stories about mountain biking, skiing, climbing, or rafting.
Denver prides itself on its open-minded, progressive culture with an inclusive and welcoming attitude. Denver also supplies so many entertainment options around every corner. You don’t need to come here with a certain purpose, desire, or goal. You can simply show up and hit the town – the friendly people of Denver, its blue skies, and vibrant city life will take you in and show you around.
Related: Denver Apartment Spotlight – AMLI RiNo
Mountain Views
Life in America’s big cities often feels claustrophobic, leaving little escape to nature besides manicured parks and crowded lakeshores. Denver’s mountains await just a short drive away, and the foothills in Golden and Boulder are even more accessible, allowing city dwellers to play outdoors after work during the long summer evenings.
Weekend getaways assume new meaning when the road map leads into the mountains. Colorado’s beautiful ranges are vast and varied, as are the adventures they hold before you. More than just ski towns, Colorado’s mountain villages contain cultures of their own, history, and pristine beauty, transforming each weekend that you spend exploring into a life-changing experience.
What is the Job Market Like?
In Colorado, the unemployment rate remains lower than the national average, and the average salary holds steady at slightly above the national rate, with Denver leading the way, accompanied by job growth in the surrounding areas of Boulder, Fort Collins, and Colorado Springs. Denver’s expanding resume reflects its roots in agriculture, energy, and finance as well as its ever-growing list of industries that now include technology, aerospace, tourism, and more. Whether you want to continue in your chosen career or start something entirely new, Denver compares favorably to many other metro areas in regards to job prospects.
Related: The Best Luxury Apartments in Denver
Is Transportation Accessible and Affordable?
As Denver continues to grow, so too does the number of travelers who go through the airport. Flights into and out of Denver’s busy International Airport are fairly inexpensive and readily available to almost everywhere in the U.S. Friends and family can visit for holidays and catch the leaves changing on the aspen trees, or play in Summit County’s dreamy frozen powder.
The Regional Transportation District (RTD) also provides access to Denver’s farther-flung neighborhoods. Veo bike and scooter companies give members an easy, quick way to get around the city without the cost and hassle of a car. As Denver grows, the city works to combat traffic issues by increasing public transportation options. It will only continue to improve.
However, Housing Demand Remains High
With that said, the cat has long been out of the bag, and Denver has become increasingly notorious for high demand and expensive rent. It can take renters time to secure a place that resembles what they originally wanted. Also, if you’re new to the area and have just dropped a chunk of change on the move out here, you won’t possess a ton of spare cash for Airbnbs while you set up back-to-back house tours.
Overall, Denver presents an approachable take on big-city living. If Manhattan is too pricey, and Chicago is too cold, set your sights on Denver for a perfect combination of the two. We look forward to hearing from you soon!
How Can I Get Free Help with Finding a Denver Apartment?
Now that you’ve read all of the reasons you should move to Denver, let AptAmigo do the searching, tour scheduling, and vetting for you, making it your job to just pack up and drive west. Give us a call to get started on the easiest apartment search of your life!
* The original version of this article was first published on March 5, 2019.
Related: Where To Live in Denver
Abigail is a freelance writer who loves exploring new places, especially in the Southwest, and lived in her van during the Covid-19 pandemic. When she's not working on writing gigs to support her #vanlife endeavors, she loves packrafting alpine lakes, floating lazy rivers, and trail running.
