COLORADO NEWS

Colorado shines bright: 2 of the nation’s ‘Top 25 Places to Live’ are here!

Mar 2, 2024, 4:50 PM | Updated: Mar 23, 2024, 7:42 am

Colorado shines bright: 2 of the nation’s ‘Top 25 Places to Live’ are here!

Boulder has the second highest quality of life in the country according to a new study from U.S. News and World Report.

The ranking considers various factors such as crime rates, education quality, and well-being. Boulder, with a metropolitan population of slightly over 320,000, is renowned for being home to the University of Colorado Boulder, the largest university in the state.

Consequently, it is unsurprising that Boulder holds the distinction of being the most educated metropolitan area in the United States, with 63% of individuals aged 25 and above possessing a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Colorado shines bright: 2 of the nation's 'Top 25 Places to Live' are here!

Getty Images

U.S. News highlights the abundance of nature in and around Boulder as one of its notable features. Additionally, U.S. News acknowledges the vibrant downtown scene in Boulder, particularly the Boulder County Farmers Market, which operates from April to November.

Colorado shines bright: 2 of the nation's 'Top 25 Places to Live' are here!

Getty Images

Fort Collins, also made the top 25, coming in at No. 15.

The top 10 places with the highest quality of life:

  1. Ann Arbor, Michigan
  2. Boulder
  3. Madison, Wisconsin
  4. San Jose, California
  5. Portland, Maine
  6. Boston
  7. Green Bay, Wisconsin
  8. Hartford, Connecticut
  9. Rochester, New York
  10. Trenton, New Jersey
Colorado shines bright: 2 of the nation's 'Top 25 Places to Live' are here!

Getty Images

The report describes Boulder:

Snug against the foothills where the Great Plains give rise to the Rocky Mountains, Boulder is nothing if not a looker. This city reveals its spectacle at the crest of a hill on U.S. Route 36 from Denver with its iconic sandstone slabs rising from the mountains, prefaced by pine-clad mesas and cradled within the backdrop of the snow-capped Indian Peaks.

See the entire list of cities here

Colorado News

Photo by Mark Sagliocco/Getty Images for Everything But The House...

Shawn Patrick

Want a private pool this weekend? There’s an app that lets you rent backyard pools by the hour — and Denver is on the map

You don’t have a pool, but your neighbor might — and thanks to a “Shark Tank” reject turned multimillion-dollar platform, you can rent it by the hour. Swimply, a mobile […]

3 hours ago

(Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)...

Shawn Patrick

Vice President Vance to speak in Denver on May 28

If you’re into politics, you may want to attend… If you’re trying to drive on I25 and see a ruckus, this may be why! Vice President JD Vance will make […]

4 hours ago

Photo by Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images...

Shawn Patrick

Freedom Plane lands at Denver Airport, bringing rare founding documents to Colorado for first time

The Freedom Plane touched down at Denver International Airport on Tuesday, delivering some of the most important documents in American history to Colorado for a free, limited-run exhibition that opens […]

4 hours ago

(Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images for iHeartRadio)...

Shawn Patrick

Kane Brown bringing Military Appreciation concert to Colorado this weekend

Colorado is country concert heaven this weekend! Of course, there are the two Morgan Wallen shows in Denver, but don’t sleep on Kane Brown! Brown is headed to Colorado Springs […]

4 hours ago

Deion Sanders...

Kevin Kissner

Kickoff times revealed for three Colorado games

The Big 12 Conference and its television partners revealed kickoff times for three Colorado football games for the 2026 season. Game times set. ⌚️ 1:30PM MT vs Weber State 5:30PM […]

4 hours ago

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images...

Shawn Patrick

Colorado-grown grass headed to the World Cup: Platteville farm supplying fields for three host stadiums

Denver may have gotten left off the list of host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but a big piece of Colorado will still play a role in many […]

1 day ago

Colorado shines bright: 2 of the nation’s ‘Top 25 Places to Live’ are here!