7 Reasons to Move to Colorado Springs, CO

Colorado Springs, located in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, is a vibrant and beautiful city that offers residents a wide range of benefits. Colorado Springs has something to offer everyone, whether you are looking for outdoor activities, a strong job market, or a great place to raise a family. Here are just a few reasons why you may want to consider moving to Colorado Springs:

Colorado Springs Olympic City USA

Outdoor activities

Colorado Springs is known for its beautiful natural surroundings, including Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods, and the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. These natural attractions provide residents endless hiking, biking, and camping opportunities. With a couple different state parks, you can never be too far from nature.

Job market

Colorado Springs is home to a strong and diverse economy, with a focus on technology, defense, and healthcare. The city is also home to several major employers, such as Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Memorial Hospital. We have Penrose Hospital and hundreds of teaching opportunities. Our restaurant market is growing fast as well.

Education

Colorado Springs is home to several highly ranked universities and colleges, including the United States Air Force Academy, Colorado College, and the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. Check out these linked resources for rankings on Niche.com.

Lower cost of living

Compared to other major cities in Colorado, the cost of living in Colorado Springs is relatively low. This means that residents can enjoy a high quality of life without breaking the bank. With the average home price hovering around $500,000, you're sure to find something you love.

Great place to raise a family or for the single life

Colorado Springs is home to a strong and supportive community, with highly rated schools and a wide range of activities for all.

Small-town feel

Colorado Springs is a city of around 480,000 people and has a small-town feel, with friendly people and a strong sense of community. We still have all the amenities of a larger city with all the things to do, but small enough to feel important.

Weather

Colorado Springs, being in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, has a semi-arid climate with little humidity, low precipitation and a lot of sunshine. It's not uncomfortably hot nor is it uncomfortably cold-at least not for too long!

The Keys 🗝️

Overall, Colorado Springs is a fantastic place to live and offers residents a wide range of benefits. From the beautiful natural surroundings to the strong job market and excellent schools, there are many reasons to consider moving to this vibrant and growing city.

IRIS BURTON | REALTOR®

RE/MAX PROPERTIES, INC.

102 SOUTH TEJON STREET

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO 80903

719.315.5016

IRISBURTON.COM

LIVINGTHESPRINGS@GMAIL.COM

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13 Things to Know Before Moving To Colorado Springs

Hey guys! Welcome! Today I'm going to be sharing 13 things about Colorado Springs that you need to know before moving here. Make sure to read to the end to know the number one thing that you should know before making the move to Colorado Springs.

Colorado is a Dog Friendly City.

People love their dogs here. We even have a restaurant called Lazy Dog. I don't think it's only here in the Springs but, we do have a lot of dog lovers. I see people bringing their dogs everywhere. I mean everywhere; parks, restaurants, Home Depot, retail stores. We also have a lot of dog parks. They're an extended part of the household, part of the family. We are a very dog friendly area. So, if that kind of freaks you out, you may want to re-think moving here. But, if you love dogs then you definitely want to come!

Colorado Springs is the 2nd Largest City in Colorado

We are the second largest city in Colorado. If you're kind of wanting something that is mid-range between a large city like Denver but not too small, so you still have plenty of things to do then this is definitely a great place to live. Colorado Springs is growing so fast. Population wise, we are second to Denver. We have a lot of job opportunities available. There are a ton of interesting things to see and do. If you want to go to a bigger city and indulge in the big city vibe, we are only one hour away from Denver. Denver International Airport is about an hour north of us.

Home to the Olympic and Paralympic Training Center

We are home to the Olympic and Paralympic Training Center. We’ve been dubbed “Olympic City, USA”. A lot of athletes come here to train for the Olympics which I think is really cool. We also have some fun rodeo stuff. Home of the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame and Museum. So, if that's your thing, the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo is every summer and is a fun event to attend.

Cost of Living in Colorado Springs

The cost of living now really just depends on who you're comparing the cost of living to. We're less expensive than most large cities but, we are more expensive than some of your smaller cities. We used to be a lot more affordable but, many people found out about us and started moving here. So the cost of living has gone up significantly. Gas prices are roughly around four dollars a gallon for regular. So it's not too bad. We're kind of middle of the road (no pun intended) when comparing us to least affordable and most affordable. And guess what, we're still #2 in the nation for best places to live.

Colorado Springs Housing Market

Housing has gone up. We have seen anywhere between 15 up to 18 percent year-over-year increase in home equity. Our prices have risen drastically. Again, it's a very popular place to move to. The housing market has gotten a lot more expensive. You’re looking anywhere between two thousand to twenty five hundred a month for a three or four bedroom property with a two car garage. I mean, you could get something a little bit less expensive towards the south end of town. Overall, affordability just depends on who you ask.

How Much Do I Need to Survive in Colorado Springs?

A lot of people ask, how much income do you need annually to be able to survive in Colorado Springs? On a single income, you're probably looking at around 80 to 100k to live a modest life. Of course, a lot of people here are trying to find roommates to help offset that expense. Which can be a really good idea. Maybe you're getting a job transfer here or going to UCCS or any of the colleges. If you have more people pitching in on your bills like your utilities and your mortgage or rent payment it helps ease that stress tremendously. Something to think about: a lot of times people are going to ask for proof that you make at least two and a half times your monthly rental payment in income. So if you’re looking at a $2000 a month place just multiply that by 2.5 or 3. Your mortgage is kind of similar. If lenders are suggesting 30% of your income going towards your mortgage, it's kind of the same math. Multiply by three or so. I have seen lenders go up to 50%. But, that's all on you how much you are comfortable with spending.

What is Colorado Springs Known for?

Colorado Springs is known for Garden the Gods Park. When most people think of Colorado Springs they think of those big red rock formations at Garden of the Gods. Kissing Camels is definitely the most popular and recognizable formations at the Park. People come from all over the country to check it out, it's a really neat place. Beautiful rock formations, a lot of history, interesting things to look around at, and hiking trails. They've got a visitor center to check out the different types of animals that live in the area. That's pretty cool! A lot of schools do field trips to the Garden of the Gods. People get married there. I mean, it's a big deal. We're also known for the Manitou Incline. This is an incline that goes up, I mean up like forever it seems. It's just a really nice hardy hike. People have been hiking this incline for years and it's kind of this challenge. Like when you go to Colorado Springs you want to try and knock out “The Incline” as it's known by locals. For me it takes an hour, sometimes an hour and a half to get all the way up. Some people do it in 45 minutes. There are different records that you can try and beat. I just enjoy being in nature, so it's not a race for me. I like to go up and see the whole city from the top. It's just an incredible view. We are known for being active, especially in the great outdoors. Doing outdoor things, being in nature, being around trees. That’s really a beautiful thing about Colorado Springs.

Colorado Springs Weather

Our weather. It depends again on where you're comparing it to. If you're comparing the weather to somewhere like warmer weather or maybe like Minnesota, we're right in the middle. We're generally mild and mostly sunny. People love the weather here. It is pretty dry though, so your skin gets dry. You want to drink a lot of water and stay hydrated when you're here. The altitude can have a negative effect on some people. Some people it doesn’t affect at all. We do get a little bit more than average snowfall and rainfall some years. Some years it rains a lot and some years we worry about drought.

The Military Town

We have a huge military presence. There are several different bases here. The Air Force Base, Peterson, NORAD, Fort Carson. I mean, a lot of military presence here. You can see them flying all the time which is an amazing sight. It's a little intimidating but, these huge military planes flying over sometimes shake the house a little if you live on the southeast side of town. There is an air flight path that you have to keep in mind that they fly over. It can be a little bit loud. We also have a lot of military contractors that help to serve our military bases.

The legalization of Weed

Many people ask about the marijuana here. Yes, we do have a lot of medical dispensaries. That's big here. We were one of the first few states to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. You do have to go to Manitou Springs to buy it for recreational use as far as I know at this point in time. Head to Manitou if that's your thing. You will smell it as you're out and about around the city so just be aware of that.

Colorado Beer

We love beer! We as in Colorado in general that is. We’ve been called “The Napa Valley of Beer”. Colorado is home to Coors and there's a ton of different craft breweries. Although that's not really my thing, I know a lot of people like it. There are microbreweries all over town. We have several popular ones such as Bristol, Nano 108, Red Leg, and Trinity. There’s a place downtown called Phantom Canyon. There's a lot of different places that you can go to test out different beers and have a good time with good company.

What's the Traffic Like in Colorado Springs?

Traffic. When you're comparing us to bigger cities our traffic isn't that bad. I know I complain about it a lot because it's more than what I’m used to but, when I go to other large cities I do notice that there’s a huge difference. I guess I’m grateful that it's not as bad as other bigger cities. There are certain times of the day that are more congested than others and navigating your routes during that time is going to make a huge difference. Like taking different streets during busy times. We do have a lot of distracted driving here. According to CBS News, we were ranked like number 45 for worst distracted driving in the entire nation.

Keep Colorado Safe and Clean!

The number one thing that you should know before moving to Colorado Springs is that we are protective of our clean city. We don't like when people throw trash out the car window or leave garbage lying around. We have a lot of pride in our city and how clean it is. The air is clean and a lot of people here (including myself) are pretty traumatized from the last fire. It's been several years but we're still very conscious about the Waldo Canyon fire because it was so close to us. If you're a smoker we really really don't like it when people throw cigarettes out of windows. First of all it's littering. Second, you could start a fire because of the dry climate. So please please please be very careful about that. Clean up after yourself. Clean up after your dogs. We hate it when people don't clean up after their pets. Just have some baggies with you. Most parks and lots of neighborhoods actually provide baggies and a little place to put waste. It’s really imperative to pick up pet waste (as well as garbage) to keep our water clean. Because when it rains that goes right into our sewers and waterways. That’s just gross!

IRIS BURTON

Prosperity Group

Brokered by eXp Realty LLC

3361 N Academy Blvd

Colorado Springs, CO 80917

719.315.5016

irisjburton@gmail.com

irisburton.com

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Moving to Colorado Springs 2022: Checklist and tips

Today we're going to be talking about common questions you guys have been asking about relocating to Colorado Springs. Whether you are moving to a military base here, or you're getting relocated for a job position, or just looking for a change. I've got all the details so stick with me.

I’m with Prosperity Group Brokered by eXp Realty, right here in beautiful Colorado Springs. I'm always posting videos about living in Colorado Springs. Moving here, the housing market, and things of that nature. I have a free relocation guide as well. Give me call, text, or email if you’d like a copy. I’d be happy to send it to you.

Moving to Colorado Springs Checklist and Tips

How Much Money Do I Need to Move to Colorado Springs?

The first question that we will be addressing today is how much money you need to move to Colorado Springs. Now, this really just depends on where you're moving from as to how much of a moving service you're going to need. If you're moving all the way from one side of the country to here, that's definitely going to cost you a lot more versus just moving from a couple states away. The last time I got a quote for the movers to pack your stuff for you and load it onto the truck, it was about $2,500. That was just moving your stuff, maybe one truck. If you have a lot of stuff or moving from further away, you're probably going to be looking at a lot more.

You're going to have to hire someone to move your vehicles as well, if you have that. It's just such a huge scope of moving services that you might need. I have a couple references for you. Just so you can get a few different quotes. You're going to want to call two to three different companies and make sure that they have good reviews. Just because they might be cheaper doesn’t mean that you should use them. If you want all your stuff to show up on time, don't go with the cheapest person. Go with the person that has a good amount of reviews and actually read the reviews. Don't just look at how many stars they have. Go through and read them, make sure that they are legit.

Is Colorado Springs a Good Place to Live?

The second question that gets asked a lot is if Colorado Springs is a good place to live. Colorado Springs is definitely a great place to live. We have so much to offer. We've got mountains, we've got views, we've got clean air-fresh air but, the traffic isn't the greatest. Overall though Colorado Springs is one of the best places to live. We've topped several charts including Bankrate and Forbes and the list goes on. Our houses used to be a lot more affordable, five or 10 years ago. As of late, it's gotten really popular and less affordable than before. But, if you're comparing us to places like Hawaii, California, or New York, you can get more house for your money here in the Springs. People that have lived here for a long time will say that it's not affordable anymore. Whereas new people really enjoy the prices here, the cost of living. I do have a video about that so I won't go too deep into it. Check out my YouTube channel here. I have a couple of different videos on the cost of living. There are more stats about the housing market as well.

"From hiking and biking trails in Garden of the Gods Park to the notorious white-knuckle drive up Pikes Peak, the city is a gateway to natural beauty" – Bankrate rates Colorado Springs #22

Get information. Not just based on what you hear from other people but, get actual data and facts. Not all these hyped-up click-bait videos and headlines. Make sure that you're getting real information from a local (like me) or, other people that are in our market on YouTube. There are other agents that are providing good value. Just make sure that you’re doing your homework and research. And maybe come out and visit. I always recommend that you visit because the climate is so different here. Depending on where you're coming from. Even a lot of places in the Midwest might not have the same weather or climate here. I know that some people have a hard time breathing, like if you have asthma. A lot of people have a hard time with the altitude, they’ll get what’s called altitude sickness. So, you really want to make sure that you're going to be comfortable when you're living here. It's a very dry climate as well.

What Do I Need To Know Before Moving to Colorado Springs?

The next question is, what do I need to know about moving to Colorado Springs? I actually have a playlist called living in Colorado Springs, just click here. Go ahead and watch the video and just let me know if you have any questions. If there's something specific that that you're looking for please feel free to reach out!

I also have in my relocation guide all of the school districts. So, if you are wanting to know which neighborhoods are in the district that you want to be, I have a map. Now, even with the map make sure that you call the district first. If you have a house that you're looking at in a specific district, you want to make sure that you'll actually be going to the school you’re interested in. You can click on the links inside of the map and it'll direct you to that school. Call the school district and make sure that the home you’re interested in is going to be in that school or district now in Colorado Springs. You can choice into other schools but, that's kind of a gamble and a risk. If you want to do something like that, you got to get it in early.

Don’t wait until the last minute right before school starts to get your kids registered. A lot of them will have what's called a “choice-in” cutoff date. That could be before school is even out for the current year. So, this could be in February. If you're thinking about "choicing" your child into a different school or district, you're going to have to get that done right when you sign up or, they'll tell you when the open enrollment is. Each district and school is different. Make sure you call.

Do a virtual tour of the school. Some of the schools will allow you to come visit and take a tour. I recommend that. If you're going to come out and visit make sure that you have that on your to-do list.

Make sure you visit the DMV. I have all those links on my website for the county, just a bunch of resources. You don't want to be here and not be able to do whatever you need to do when you get here. Just have it all planned and ready to go.

Setting Up Services for Your Home

Last thing, make sure that you get your utilities set up. Don't wait until the last minute. You might get a disconnection or a reconnection fee. If you buy a house out here make sure that you call the right utilities company. We've got Colorado Springs Utilities, Black Hills Energy, and Cherokee Metropolitan District just to name a few. You can download your free checklist on all those relocation items from my website. It'll have the different utilities companies and all the stuff that you need to do. Get set up with some of the companies we use. A lot of banks in the area are convenient to you. So, download that checklist.

Ready to Download Your Relocation Guide?

Let's face it. Moving across states can be overwhelming. But, why make it harder than you need to? Let the experts work for you. Book a call with me below, or download your free guide.

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IRIS BURTON | REALTOR®

PROSPERITY GROUP BY EXP REALTY

3361 NORTH ACADEMY BLVD

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO 80917

719.315.5016

IRISBURTON.COM

IRISJBURTON@GMAIL.COM