Denver ranks dead last in U.S. for return-to-office trends

If your commute has felt a little light lately, there’s data to back that up. According to the Denver Business Journal, citing foot traffic data from Placer.ai, Denver ranked worst among major U.S. cities for return-to-office trends in May — and it wasn’t close. Per-day office visits in Denver actually fell last month while most other major cities were posting gains, leaving the city a staggering 48.4% below pre-pandemic office visit levels from 2019. That’s well behind the national average, and it comes as Denver’s downtown office vacancy rate sits at a painful 38.9%.

It’s a trend that’s been building for a while. Denver has consistently lagged other big cities when it comes to getting workers back in their chairs, and experts say the Mile High City’s own appeal may be part of the problem. “What makes Denver so unique is that people come here for a kind of live, work, play lifestyle, and it’s very outdoor forward,” said Harrison Archer, senior vice president with CBRE’s occupier leasing services group. “And for those reasons, I think our downtown office market post-COVID has just seen more challenging times than some other markets.” In other words, when the Rockies are right outside your window and the trails are calling, the cubicle loses some of its charm.

The bigger question is what this means for downtown Denver long-term. Businesses, developers and city leaders are all watching closely as foot traffic patterns reshape the city’s core. While some companies are experimenting with new incentives to lure workers back, Denver’s workforce seems pretty comfortable with the flexibility — and for now, at least, they’re winning that negotiation.