The Foundation: A Denver Real Estate Blog by Feaster Realty

Denverites are all feeling the squeeze of rapid growth in our beloved Mile High City.  The growth has no foreseeable end, either. The Denver Office of Economic Development places Denver at 2.7MM people, with an expected growth rate of 50% by 2030. While the growth is obvious, the question is WHY? Here’s our top 10 explanations of why so many people are moving to Denver.

1. The Media - Every week or so another national publication puts out an article about how great Denver is.  In fact, the US News & World Report just ranked Denver as the #1 Place to Live.  As locals, we get a sense of pride, but out-of-towners are hearing this message too...and packing their bags to move here as soon as possible.
2. Thriving Economy - Forbes ranked Denver as the #1 Best Place for Businesses & Careers in 2015. With the high quality of life, highly educated residents, and diverse economy, more companies are choosing to call Denver home. 
3. J-O-B-s - A great economy means plenty of jobs. Denver’s unemployment rate is currently 3.1% which is 1.9% lower than the national average. Plus, the median household income is 15.6% higher than the national average.  All this equals a green light for job seekers.
4. Marijuana - One of the two states to first legalize pot, Colorado is finding that marijuana plays a major role in why many new residents, especially millennials, are choosing the Mile High City. 
5. Weather - Cue Colorado’s infamous 300 days of sunshine a year.  There's nothing like skiing in a t-shirt and sunglasses.
6. Baby Boomers Love Grandkids - The average age in Denver is 36, a prime age for couples with young kids. As a result, Colorado’s seen an uptick in Baby Boomers relocating to Denver as well. 
7. The West is Best - Five of the ten fastest growing states are out west, according to the most recent estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.  Even with the lack of water, people are drawn to the mountains, lack of humidity, and the west's carefree attitude. 
8. Infrastructure - While it’s hard for any government to take such rapid population growth in stride, the City of Denver seems to be taking a pretty good shot.  Two great examples: the new RTD Rail System to alleviate traffic from suburbs and the city's support of the huge renovation project of LoDo’s Union Station and surrounding area.
9. Middle is Good - With typically lower crime rate, traffic, and density issues, midsize cities are all the rage these days. In fact, all of the top 5 cities in the US News & World Report's Best Places to Live are mid-size, including Austin (TX), Raleigh-Durham (NC) and even our neighbor, Colorado Springs (CO).
10. All Around Amazing - It’s hard to put it into words, but there’s just something about Colorado.  Perhaps it’s the daily rainbows, killer mountain views, and overall friendliness, but whatever it is, newcomers and locals all just love living here. 

Bottom line, the secret is out.  In our next post, we’ll share how all this is affecting the Denver Housing Market. If you think we’ve missed any additional reasons of why so many people are moving to Denver, please comment as we’d love to hear it.

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• relocating to Denver (1)
• moving to Denver (1)