Millennials aren’t the only generation enamored with the idea of moving to metro Denver.
Generation X and Baby Boomers also ranked the Mile High City at the top of their “I’d be willing to move there” list, according to a new study from Clovered, an online insurance provider that sponsored a survey of 1,108 adults.
Seattle made the top of the list with millennials, but metro Denver was right behind it. That isn’t a big surprise. Young adults have been moving here in droves this decade.
What is surprising is that members of Generation X, those born between 1965 and 1981, actually put metro Denver first on their list of prime places to move to, followed by Nashville. And Baby Boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964, placed Denver second to Virginia Beach, Va.
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“A competitive housing market, a healthy job market, five-star weather … it’s no wonder that Denver was the only city to make all three generations’ top two most desirable cities,” said Sean McMahill, in a report on the survey results.
But is that reputation deserved? Clovered also asked what people most valued in a city and they ranked affordability, livability, low crime, job opportunities and short commute times at the top of the list.
Those items were scored to create a desirability index. Denver ranked 25th on that index, while Seattle, the nirvana for relocating youth, came in at 40th. At the top of the list were El Paso; Portland, Ore., and Raleigh, N.C.
Portland aside, there seems to be a big disconnect between the places where people would love to move to, and the places that would love them back.
“Despite a strong economy in Colorado, plenty of people still struggle to make a living in Denver. Consumer prices are up in Denver more than the national average, too,” said Brad Daiber, a spokesman for Clovered.
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Although Denver got dinged for longer commute times and slightly higher crime rates, what pushed it down the most in the ranking was a higher relative cost of living.
Rents have shot up this decade and home prices have shot up. Denver is among the cities where affordability compared to its historical averages has deteriorated the most, according to John Burns Real Estate Consulting.
Daiber said there are other areas that can offer a much lower cost of living and abundant job opportunities. People may dream of Denver, but they don’t appreciate the price they will have to pay to actually live here.
“Those who prioritize lifestyle can likely find as much satisfaction in a place like Colorado Springs,” he said. Colorado Springs ranked 11th on the desirability index.
