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 Nick Tininenko/Getty Images for Bud Light...

Shawn Patrick

Three Colorado towns named among best summer getaways in the U.S.

Colorado claimed three of the 10 spots on Travel + Leisure’s list of the best small towns in America for a summer weekend getaway, with Crested Butte, Telluride and Salida […]

20 hours ago

(Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Discovery Times Square)...

Shawn Patrick

Immersive Harry Potter exhibition is coming to Denver this summer

Denver is about to become the most magical city on the Front Range — and not because of the May snowstorm. “Harry Potter: The Exhibition,” described as the most extensive […]

21 hours ago

(Photo by Anne Cusack/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)...

Shawn Patrick

The top 10 best places to get green chile in Denver

IT’s Cinco de Mayo, and that instantly gets me thinking Mexican food. There is no Mexican dish more Denver than green chile. Not the thin, bright-green New Mexico version (no […]

21 hours ago

Water World...

Shawn Patrick

Two water slides in Denver named among the best in all of America

Denver is known for a lot of things; beer, mountains, and music… But who knew Denver was such a mecca for water slides? Two water slides at Water World in […]

2 days ago

Good Luck Club...

Shawn Patrick

Denver finally has a Y2K themed bar after months of delays

The Nintendo 64 is plugged in. The VHS tapes are stacked. Mr. Brightside is the closing anthem. And after months of city permitting delays that nearly killed the concept before […]

2 days ago

Photo by Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images...

Shawn Patrick

What’s the biggest May snowstorm in Denver’s history?

As I write this on on Monday afternoon, it’s 71 degrees in Denver. By Wednesday morning, the city could be under half a foot of snow… The National Weather Service […]

2 days ago

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