Why Colorado Should be the Next Place You Look to Work and Live
Thinking about making a move? Here's why you should consider Colorado for your next home base.
Colorado is well known for its natural beauty, but you may not know Colorado is also a great place to grow a career.
There is a vibrant economy that exists throughout Colorado, with major corporations, exciting industries and a supportive entrepreneurial climate. Furthermore, the state has a wealth of highly-skilled talent that helps feed its economics engine, and it’s quickly becoming a top place for Millennials to move to grow their careers.
If you’re looking to take the next step in your career and Colorado isn’t already on your radar as a possible destination, consider the following factors.
In This Article
An Outdoor Adventurer’s Paradise
If you like the great outdoors, you’ll love living in Colorado. The state has year-round options including hiking, skiing, snowboarding, camping, boating, fishing, golf, kayaking, rafting, paragliding and even hot air ballooning. Basically, every day is a choose-your-own-adventure opportunity.
An Urban Adventurer’s Paradise
If want to live in a walkable neighborhood with farm-to-table restaurants, see public art installations, attend professional sporting events and frequent regular street festivals, Colorado has those urban lifestyle experiences in spades.
Cultural Experiences
Foodies know Colorado for the Food & Wine Classic held in Aspen each year, and music fans know the hallowed ground that is Red Rocks Amphitheater. However, there’s more to Colorado culture than those two institutions. The Denver Performing Arts Complex, Aspen Art Museum, Denver Art Museum and Vail International Dance Festival are all, individually, reason enough to move to Colorado.
Festivals Galore
There are too many great Colorado festivals to count. Here are some of the best: Telluride Balloon Festival, Colorado Brewers Rendezvous, Crested Butte Wildflower Festival, Gold Rush Days, Denver Underground Music Showcase, Evergreen Fine Arts Festival and Colorado State Fair.
A Diverse Economy
Colorado has a very wide range of environment and because of that an extremely varied economy has sprung up. Healthcare, military, aerospace, biotech, agriculture, culinary, tourism and logistics industries all have major presences in the state.
Well-Educated Population
Kevin Hougen, president of the Aurora Chamber of Commerce, points out that Colorado’s wealth of high-skill jobs results in a very well-educated population.
“We have a very, very highly-educated workforce because of our healthcare and aerospace clusters,†he says. “One healthcare campus (in Aurora) has three hospitals with over 40,000 jobs already and the campus isn’t even 10 years old.”
Work-Life Balance
In most parts of Colorado, a mountain bike trail or campground is just a short drive away, and Hannah Parsons, chief economic development officer for the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce & EDC, notes that direct accessibility to Colorado’s recreational options drives both employer and employees to embrace a healthy work-life balance.
“Increasingly, employers have to go where their employees want to be, and what we’re learning is – employees want to live and work in Colorado Springs and in Colorado in general,†Parsons says. “So employers are paying attention and starting to look at Colorado as a desirable location.”