Well-known as an international winter retreat and ski destination, Colorado is also well-known as a family state, offering multiple cities and neighborhoods with amenities and long-term community benefits. Famous for Aspen and Vale, Colorado also offers residents major access to some of the biggest and fabulous natural parks as well as significant agricultural assets and farming as well. Developed areas are primarily in the center of the state near the capitol of Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Aurora, and Lakewood. Tourism, government, sports, environmentalism and natural resources/mining offer the major industries for the state.
The average home value in Colorado is a healthy yet affordable $230,000 as of 2013, which is about an 8% improvement over 2012. In 2012, CNN Money ranked the cities of Boulder, Castle Rock, Centennial, Fort Collins, and Highlands Ranch among the top 100 American cities to live, tied for the most of any state. If you are undecided on where to purchase a new home, beautiful CO is certainly worth a look.
By area, Colorado is the 8th largest state in the United States. With a population of just over 5 million, it is the 22nd most populated. The state is very economically successful, with a GDP of over $250 billion and a per capita income of over $50,000, 11th best in the US. The federal government is a large employer, and the state is also home to companies such as Coors, Crocs, Qwest Communications.
There are clearly many great places to live in Colorado, some that you may have heard of. In this section, we'll give you some details about the largest, most populous cities in CO.
Population: 634,265
The Mile-High City is both CO's largest city and the state's capital. In sports, it is home to the NFL's Broncos, the NBA's Nuggets, MLB's Rockies, and the NHL's Avalanche. The Denver metropolitan area serves as a storage and distribution hub for much of the western and southwestern United States, and the metro's GDP is over $150 billion.
Population: 431,834
Colorado Springs, also known as the Springs, has placed first in multiple "best places to live in America" lists. The city's economy is driven by high tech and defense, and the largest employers are Fort Carson, the Peterson and Schriever Air Force Bases, and the US Air Force Academy.
Population: 339,030
Aurora is a close neighbor of Denver, sometimes considered a suburb, and makes up part of the Denver-Aurora-Broomfield Metropolitan Area. The biggest employers are the Buckley Air Force Base, the University of Colorado Hospital, the Raytheon Company, Kaiser Permanente, and The Children's Hospital of Aurora.
Population: 148,612
Fort Collins, another highly regarded city, is the fourth largest in Colorado. Home to Colorado State University, Fort Collins is something of a college town. The university the the city's largest employer, followed by Hewlett Packard, the Poudre Valley Health System, and Agilent.
Population: 145,516
Lakewood is also part of the Denver-Aurora-Broomfield Metropolitan Area and home to the national fast food chain Einstein Bros. The Denver Federal Center, home to numerous government agencies, is the largest employer in Fort Collins.
The state of Colorado offers a wealth of choices for consumers searching for financial products. The state has a number of local banks, credit unions, and branch locations for large national brands. Every institution will offer something a little different, so it's important to do your research ahead of time to make sure that you're getting a competitive rate and the level of service that you need. Though our lists are not exhaustive, here are a few options to consider.
RateZip.com offers significant opportunities for mortgage rate comparisons when considering properties in Colorado, which can be extremely helpful for purchasing a newer home or relocating to the state. After all, your home is likely to be the largest purchase that you will make in your lifetime. Shopping around for the lowest mortgage rate could add up to thousands of dollars in savings over the life of your loan.
The first step in shopping for your mortgage is to determine whether you prefer a fixed or adjustable rate mortgage. Over the past few years, fixed rate mortgages have dominated the marketplace as interest rates sat at record lows. Consumers realized that it was unlikely they'd ever see lower rates and chose to lock in a 10, 15, or 30 year mortgage with a low fixed rate over the life of the loan.
As mortgage rates steadily climb, more borrowers will begin to consider adjustable rates (ARMs). With an ARM, a borrower enjoys a low rate over the first few years of the loan, and then the mortgage rate adjusts to market levels every year. The most popular ARMs are the 1/1, 3/1, and 5/1, where the first number represents how long the initial rate will last, and the second reflects how often the rate will adjust in the future.
