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