An attractive metropolis in the middle of the great outdoors, moving to Denver is a dream for many people. From nature-loving free spirits to burgeoning artists to tech-savvy entrepreneurs, the city has something for everyone.
Find out why more people are moving to Denver and which neighborhood would be a good fit for you.
Living in the Mile High city
Historically, Denver was an old western cow town, where gold miners resided during their season and ranchers had sprawling acres for raising their livestock.
Fast forward to current-day Denver, which is brimming with arts, sports and culture, and it bears almost no resemblance to its rural past. Having evolved from the original town of mountain folk, Denver is now modern, gorgeous and growing. And with a recreational marijuana pass, it’s become one of the more progressive cities in the nation. It’s not hard to see that Denver caters to a vast array of lifestyles
Below are some statistics to give you an overview of Denver:
- Population: 727,211
- Population density (people per square mile): 3,922.6
- Median income: $68,592
- Studio apartment average rent: $1,588
- One-bedroom apartment average rent: $2,097
- Two-bedroom apartment average rent: $3,161
- Cost of living index: 114.5
Popular neighborhoods in Denver
Whether you have a family and are looking for a tranquil-yet-hip hideaway or you’re a young professional looking for nightlife, Denver has a neighborhood for everyone. The residential areas vary widely in what they offer. It varies even more so when it comes to the rent they charge.
Here are some of the best Denver neighborhoods:
- University: As you might guess by the name, this neighborhood is where you can find the University of Denver. This is one of Colorado’s most prestigious colleges, known for its formidable ski team. Late-night food and sports bars are abundant in this mini college town. There’s also a light rail stop for quick access to downtown.
- Lincoln Park: This area is home to Denver’s Art District on Santa Fe. The First Friday Art Walk on Santa Fe takes place monthly. The street shuts down to make way for food trucks, live music, boutique shops and gallery showings. Just a few minutes from downtown, Lincoln Park is an older, eccentric neighborhood full of creative types and artistic visionaries.
- Downtown: Denver’s polished, gleaming heart of the city has the price tag to prove it. Everything, including chic restaurants, trendy lounges, extensive public transportation, Coors Field and Union Station, is at your fingertips.
- Washington Park: This neighborhood is an ideal area for families. And the park it’s named after offers everything from yoga to paddle boating. This community has the serene feel families crave without the commute that comes with moving to the Denver suburbs. Plus, it’s packed with some of the best restaurants and nearby farmer’s markets in Denver.
- Highland: This eclectic neighborhood is where a lot of young families and Denver newcomers congregate because it combines the best of all worlds. Commuting Downtown is a breeze, but the rent is usually cheaper. Local shops and artisanal restaurants are found on virtually every corner.
- Capitol Hill: Full of old Victorian mansions and incredible period buildings near the capitol building, the Cap Hill neighborhood is eclectic and lively. Full of bars and trendy coffee shops, you can find anything from a quiet place to read to a buzzing bar with live music.
There are plenty of other great neighborhoods to explore, such as Park Hill and Cherry Creek. It’s a large city, so each neighborhood will have its own diverse set of offerings based on your interests and needs.
The pros of moving to Denver
Ask any long-time Denverite, and they’ll tell you that Denver was a different city 10 years ago. After experiencing record-breaking growth for almost a solid decade, in many ways, Denver is just learning the ways of a big city. The population explosion has been both a blessing and a curse, but the inconvenience of Denver’s growth spurt hasn’t seemed to slow the influx of people.
Moving to Denver means more than unbeatable weather, all the professional sports you care to watch and mountains to ski, climb or bike. Below are the reasons that Denver offers what very few cities can.
Revitalization is in progress
Like many other cities that have been around for a while, Denver started to see some normal wear-and-tear. But in recent years, Denver and its residents have worked towards revitalizing the parts that need it. That means restoring and renovating buildings, adding new shops and businesses and flooding the area with restaurants to keep the crowds rolling in.
With this revitalization, Denver’s job market is growing and creating new jobs in the metro area. Especially for young professionals looking to jumpstart their careers.
Denver’s food scene is its best-kept secret
When people think of what to eat in Denver, foods like green chile and burgers come to mind. And, though you can’t go wrong with those choices, surprising options abound for Denver foodies. From award-winning, ocean-fresh sushi at Sushi Den in Washington Park to regional Chinese at Hop Alley on the edge of Cole, Denver gives bigger cities’ international food scenes a run for their money with a wide variety of fare that demands tasting.
Many of these restaurants are found in lower Downtown Denver. However, there are plenty of lesser-known parts of metro Denver that have unique food experiences for anyone that’s looking.
The beer scene is one of the best in the U.S.
Denver is home to lots of local breweries and the locals love to enjoy them and spread the word. You can attend one of the many beer festivals throughout the year, including Beer Week. Although it’s not necessarily a festival as much as it is a beer competition (and it’s the biggest one in the nation!).
And when a festival isn’t happening, it’s not hard to come across a place where you can drink craft beers loved and recommended by the locals.
Rocky Mountain National Park is a quick day trip
Just 75 miles from Denver, you’ll find Rocky Mountain National Park and its 265,807 acres of stunning scenery and wildlife. It’s about an hour and 45 minutes to drive there — perfect for a day trip or a weekend getaway. This national park has something for everyone — even if you don’t consider yourself the “outdoorsy” type. Go on a hike, take an up-close look at wildlife, enjoy a horseback ride through the mountains or take a scenic drive and catch the views of our nation’s largest mountain range from the comfort of your car.
The surrounding recreation
The Denver area is the perfect hub for weekend getaways for both city dwellers and nature lovers (or maybe you’re both!). The natural beauty of the state and national parks make camping here like nowhere else and the world-renowned ski resorts offer winter sports like nothing you’ve ever seen. The Rocky Mountains are full of incredible cities and landscapes that anyone can enjoy.
Just 30 minutes away, you’ll find Boulder — a college town that’s home to not only higher education, but fantastic hiking, lively brewpubs and local shopping. Check out Chautauqua Park for incredible hiking and head to Pearl Street for local shops, restaurants and vibrant crowds.
Take a drive to Mount Evans for a scenic view of a beautiful green space. Or, if you’re wanting to move closer to Denver, find one of the many city parks where you can relax and enjoy the green spaces and mountain views in all directions.
On top of that, there are plenty of swanky, stylish mountain towns only a few hours away, where celebrity sightings are not uncommon. Spend less than an hour in your car and you can find yourself in Lyons, Idaho Springs, Golden, Georgetown or Evergreen, just to name a few of the nearby locations.
Most of these areas have access to everything from sports games to mountain biking to horseback riding. It’s not hard to find an outdoor adventure in Colorado.
Downtown Denver has diverse offerings
All great cities have a fun downtown area with restaurants, entertainment and a vibe where locals and visitors alike can feel like they’re part of the community.
Head to 16th Street for daytime shopping or for a relaxing nighttime stroll. Spend the day at Elitch Gardens, a theme park full of thrill rides and water slides that are perfect for a hot day. Discover Denver’s contemporary art scene at the Denver Art Museum. Get local produce in Olde Town Arvada, where a local farmer’s market is held in summer. And don’t miss the Skyline Beer Garden for delicious street food and the chance to taste the many craft beers offered by local breweries. Not to mention there are many dispensaries in the area since Denver allows recreational marijuana use.
If you’re a sports fan, you can attend games for one of the many professional sports teams, such as the Denver Broncos, Colorado Rockies, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche and the Colorado Rapids. And, if you’re not into the professional stuff, you can head to the city park for recreational sports of all types.
And there are many other fun attractions and activities in Downtown Denver for whatever your interests might be!
The arts and shopping
While many think of Denver as more of a hub for outdoor recreation, there’s art and shopping within the Denver city limits, too. It’s truly a millennial city when it comes to shopping and art that are unique and even a bit weird. Cherry Creek is a large shopping district with more than 600 businesses. And if you want both shopping and nature, you can check out the Cherry Creek bike path nearby and take a bike ride through the scenery.
You can also find galleries scattered throughout Denver, where you can check out local artists. Particularly, you can check out the River North arts district. Here, there are not only local galleries but concert venues. So, you can enjoy art in its musical form along with the visual.
The job market is booming
Denver’s economy has a diverse set of industries that attract talent from other states, from aerospace to medicine and energy to financial services. But one of the biggest contributors to the booming job market is technology. The tech industry in this major city is growing by the minute. And with a place like the Denver Tech Center, also referred to as the DTC, it’s even beating out the other tech hubs in the nation, including San Francisco, Seattle, San Diego and Austin.
The Mile High city has attracted major companies like Finder, FileInvite and Lockheed Martin, just to name a few. And there are many others that are not only starting in Denver but picking up everything from more expensive and crowded places like California and New York to relocate to Colorado’s capital city. The Denver job market isn’t slowing down, so you’ve got a good chance of landing a decent gig, even with many other people moving to Denver.
The pay is higher than the national average
Not only is the job market growing like crazy, but the pay is better than most other U.S. cities. The average annual salary is $68,592, while the national average sits at $62,843. And with the growth of Denver’s economy and the number of jobs open in the area, there’s a good chance this number will increase in the future. Especially considering the number of tech companies expanding into Denver. They often bring good pay (not to mention good employee benefits on top of that).
The cons of moving to Denver
Living in the Denver metro isn’t all sunshine and après ski. Just like any other city, there are some disadvantages to living here and it’s best if you know them in advance.
You might want a different car
Being that Denver is in the Rockies at a higher altitude, you can expect cold weather — including lots of snow and ice. If you can swing it, an all-wheel-drive vehicle will come in handy more often than you may realize. Especially if you plan to take frequent winter trips heading west to the ski resorts. If you can’t, you’ll get by, but remember that those mountain curves have surprised even the most veteran snow drivers. The snow here means business, so prepare to alter your driving accordingly.
Denver doesn’t have all the amenities of big cities — yet
The traffic here is more than a nuisance. Many of the roads weren’t originally designed for the heavy traffic of a large population. And though the public transportation system continues to expand and bus routes are covering more roads, it’s not as comprehensive as in cities like Chicago or Seattle. So, if you don’t own a vehicle, getting around is tough. Though Denver’s metropolitan area is bikeable, if you’re going to move further out to the suburbs, you’ll almost certainly need a car.
You might not love the altitude
At more than 5,000 feet above sea level, the altitude of Denver has a significant impact on some people. Sunburns happen quickly here, and alcohol will have a more substantial effect. Even exercise is more difficult here since the high elevation means your body has to work harder to provide oxygen. This is why Denver is a renowned training spot for athletes. For some people, the lack of oxygen is just not worth it. But on the plus side, your tee shots will go farther and your bar tab will be cheaper.
As an additional note, those who aren’t used to high altitudes can sometimes get sick when they first arrive in Colorado. Your body will adjust to the thin air, but it’s a little uncomfortable until you get used to it.
The air is extremely dry
Although it gets snow during the winter months, Denver is still considered a desert climate. Because it’s far from a large body of water and sits high above sea level, the air is far from humid. You’ll probably find that your skin feels more like that of a reptile. This happens especially in the winter when you’re braving the dry air that has turned extremely cold. You can also expect to feel the difference in your hair. If you don’t condition it frequently, it might start to feel a little like the hay you feed to farm animals.
It’s becoming a crowded hot spot
Denver’s population is growing due to a booming economy and access to outdoor recreation. Not to mention the state’s decision to legalize recreational marijuana. And even those that aren’t looking to live there are using it as a vacation destination.
That means you’re dealing with lots of tourists throughout the year. Whether it’s for skiing in the winter or hikes during the summer. You’ll deal with endless lines at stores and long wait times at restaurants. Not to mention the crowded roads and ski resorts. The weekend traffic is brutal as people come and go for a quick getaway. And even golf courses, where people want to relax on their day off, are becoming a hassle for locals to enjoy.
The rising cost of living
Colorado has historically been a fairly affordable place to live. But as we’ve noted, Denver is becoming a high-demand place to live and travel. And with that demand comes higher prices. Housing costs have increased significantly over the past few years as people flock to Denver. Average home prices have risen significantly, to the point that many can’t afford to buy a home. And even if you’re not trying to purchase a home, the rising housing costs have affected rent prices and rentals are going fast. So, if you’re wanting to relocate, get ready to pay the price.
How to get started on your move to Denver
If Denver sounds like your next home, the most challenging part will be choosing from the many desirable neighborhoods. Get started with a free moving quote, and you’ll feel at home here before you know it.
