More Coloradans moving out as population growth brings traffic headaches, higher home prices.
This is the headline in the Denver Post this week.
People have been moving West since Lewis and Clark in 1804, actually, since way before Lewis and Clark. How about since 1607. Manifest Destiny.
Denver has always enjoyed a very healthy amount of transplants not just from the East Coast, but also from California, Texas, etc. This has been especially on the upswing post-recession, as Denver has been an absolute boom town, with cranes everywhere, building new commercial buildings, apartments everywhere to the tune of 10,000 units a year, and by some estimates as many as 1,000 people a week moving to the city of Denver.
This explosion in growth has come with some tradeoffs as anyone who’s been here more than a year or two can surely notice.
The elephant in the room here is affordability. Rental housing and For Sale housing has increased exponentially over the past 7 years, again to the tune of 10% a year, all the while wages are flat or stagnant. This a recipe for disaster, or at least a recipe for a tipping point.
Have we reached a tipping point?
Perhaps. Anytime the cost of living in an area relative to the wages available gets so far out of whack that it starts to squeeze out opportunity.
I feel the opportunity factor here in Denver has taken a huge hit over the past say 3-4 years. There is just not as much opportunity for younger people. The unemployment is low but there seems to be just a plethora of low and mediocre paying jobs available. Denver is absolutely a service-oriented city. There are not many corporate headquarters here. Add in giant college debt loads and paying 40% or 50% of your take home money to rent just doesn’t seem cool. Nowadays, even places like Omaha, Nebraska have all sorts of craft coffee shops, farmer’s markets, brew pubs, etc. with a cost of living that is a fraction of what it is here.
If things continue on their current trajectory I could totally see a net out-migration, at least until housing costs become more affordable or wages increase. It’s just out of whack right now.
A similar problem is occurring and is well-documented in the Bay Area.
Quality of Life/ Traffic
I personally think the traffic issue is overblown. People who are leaving cite traffic as a major actor. I’m still of the opinion that Denver’s traffic, for a major city, is actually not very bad at all. Major urban areas have bad traffic; that’s a fact. Unless your commute is up and down I-25 to the tech center from the Northern Metro, and that’s admittedly a bad commute, but it begs the question why are you doing that voluntarily?
With that being said, I do think the quality of life potentially could be taking a hit, as the drag on city resources grows bigger, and the city needs to step up and reinvest in proper infrastructure, and I’m not talking about adding lanes to the interstate. We NEED meaningful intra-city transit. Denver’s mass-transit is lacking in real-world applicability. We have suburban light rail and the airport train, but they just don’t serve city residents that well. Start with better bus service and go from there. We’ll have more on this topic in a future post.
Out-Migration
In conclusion, out-migration could have a big impact on housing in particular moving forward. So many apartments have been built on the premise that we will get a never-ending supply of new residents who will pay for luxury apartments. We are starting to see the first cracks in the dam of that notion.
So many newcomers to Colorado are young, don’t have extended family here, haven’t established their own families, and I fear could leave as quickly as they came.
Denver was once a great value of a city, great weather, mountains, skiing, easy to get around, cheap real estate in beautiful neighborhoods, affordable dining, etc, etc, some of those qualities may be changing for better or worse. For some people its still a great value, for others, not so much.
What do you think? Is this a non-story or is there something here? Are we reaching tipping point?
I guess we haven’t reached it yet. A lot have changed, yes, but we are able to go with the flow with the changes. Hopefully we won’t reach that point.
As someone who grew up in Denver, I can understand why many would now choose to leave. For many years, our housing costs were affordable and the sprawl that has taken hold in the last decade has become too much for a lot of people. We had previously seen some very low home prices traditionally. My parents bought their 4 bedroom, 3 level home, in 1989 for $75k. We saw some increases in prices during the early 2000’s era, but even $200-$250 for an average Denver area home during that time was not too out of reach for most residents and we saw a sales boom of sorts before the 2007-09 timeframe. Around 2008, prices had reverted back to 1980’s levels and you could once again, seek out homes for less than $100k. Also during that time, the city itself had not been altered and overbuilt like it is now to the point where you really can’t see the mountains now. Big areas of Northeastern Denver and Aurora, for example were almost like “country living in the city” but those days are gone and it seems to be endless sprawl, everything is being filled in rapidly, and its frankly just become ugly and overpopulated. I can literally see the increase in poverty in places like North Aurora on the Colfax Ave corridor. Colfax has never been the cream of the crop as far as poverty has ben concerned, but one who pays attention could hardly think that 2008 was worse than now. $1,000 a month in rent used t0 get you a pretty nice apartment in the metro area, or even a decent rental home. Now that gets you a studio or one bedroom, usually in a formerly desirable, run down part of town. The housing costs have become to ridiculous, especially for those of us who have grown up here. Investors have also ruined a lot of the original charm of many neighborhoods with their remodeling for the sake of profit. I love where I grew up, but I never have thought that a house near the Aurora Mall is worth over $400k, a home in Montbello over $400k, or crap apartments on 6th and Havana going for well over $1,300 A month. only in the last five-six years have we seen this type of overinflation here and I think that it has a lot to do with the increased numbers of homeless on our streets. Prior to the Weed legalization, Denver had been pretty affordable. A lot of folks that I grew up with here, had parents that had already long ago paid their homes off because they were so affordable, but now most of them have left, selling out because of the huge equity increases, and so we are also left with neighborhoods that rapidly went through these changes and there aren’t hardly any original reisdents there anymore. As someone who grew up here it’s pretty sad to see. In my old neighborhood, many had been there for years, which helped to contribute to a sense of real community. Those days are gone. I still have love for Denver but, even I ended up relocating south of the city to the Springs. I like it a lot. feels like the “Old” Colorado many of us knew and loved.
Yep, on the same page as you and and sounds like I grew up here in roughly the same timeframe as you. For years I’ve been looking around asking myself how this place can support these prices given the incomes people have and the job opportunities. And as you may know, Denver has not just “always been a boom town,” but rather “a boom and bust town.” It’s really sad what has happened to this area, and has been spoiled from what it was in the 70/80/90s
Awesome post. I am looking for such an informative post for a long time. Thank you for this post
After 4 years of calling Denver home I left for a multitude of reasons. Housing costs. Too high and for a landlocked, brown, treeless plain. Wages are not up to jar with housing costs. I’m making more in South Florida and without state income tax. Cookie cutter homes and apartments. Boring and zero character. They all look the same.
People are kooks. Artificially nice on the outside, but no one can make a plan to do something without it evolving around their mountain schedule. Can’t tell you how many times people bailed out on plans at the last minute.
Traffic is nothing there. Compared to my hometown of Chicago and now Miami where I live it’s gravy. People love to complain about it. It’s a joke there. Denver wants to be a big city but it’s not. Unless you plan to be in the mountains every weekend, you will see the same faces every weekend all the time. Seriously. The city is small.
Drug culture is bad there. Everyone is on substance it into heavy drinking. Denver is one if not the top binge drinking city in America. It’s also no secret it’s second (Colorado) in suicide rates next to Wyoming. Everyone is either on drugs or a alcoholic.
Nice weather and scenery yes. Enough to make me stay nope. Of you plan to move there good luck and Prepare to shell out half your income on housing and sky high auto insurance. Lots of hail means lots of claims every year. Have a very low comprehension deductible. Also, I swear, it’s the car crash Capitol. Every few miles you will see a car crash nonstop day and night. Drug and alcohol abuse equals car crashes. You’ll see. Trust me.
on point. Feel same. Getting ready to leave and am sad/glad at same time. Loved the old Colorado where a good mix of incomes and people made the place interesting. Now, it’s cut-throat ugly, competitive, and a lot of fluff, but no substance. Denver is fast becoming Aspen-like (where the billionaires are pushing out the millionaires)…soon needed people such as nurses, custodians, and support staff will have to move elsewhere to avoid constant financial stress brought on by a city bloated with self-importance with corresponding low wages to afford a roof, food, etc. Meaninful relationship are definitely not associated with Denver and its inhabitants playing a one upsmanship game with homes, status, credentials, etc. Sick of it, sick of them. Love the mountains, WHEN YOU CAN GET TO THEM.
I couldn’t have said it better myself!
Moved from LA to Denver and a couple of years ago and still have a “meh” feeling about it. Though I don’t miss LA, I think Denver is extremely overhyped by Midwesterners who have not been anywhere nicer.
Traffic is a non issue but the locals keep bitching about it as if it’s on par with LA traffic.
“Natives.” There are a bunch of two digit IQ individuals who drive around the down with their Native stickers to basically remind the rest of us we are inferior. They specifically hate California and Texas transplants.
People are nice on the surface, but gossip a lot. It’s hard to make friends as they’re only surface level friendly.
Granted, Colorado has gorgeous mountains, but so does Salt Lake with much closer proximity. Ski resorts are hours away from Denver and the city itself is rather dull, treeless, unsparing.
People all dress the same. There’s no fashion, diversity whosoever. Everyone looks like they’re about to go hiking.
I found a couple of good Asian restaurant but overall the food is pretty bad.
Not sure if it’s the effect of weed, but people are not driven, they get things done in a very slow manner and are incompetent. Fast food or grocery store workers may just close the doors and go home hours earlier. Starbucks baristas mess your order up then give you the eyeroll, when you ask them to fix it.
Lots of road rage and speeding. Basically everyone drives 15MPH over the speed limit and no one cares. Police are understaffed.
Loads of druggies. And if they’re not doing drugs they compensate with drinking alcohol.
You can’t find a decent apartment for $1200 anymore. Good units start at $1400 + Utilities, parking etc. Not California prices but getting close. There’s literally no reason for Denver not to be on par with Austin or Nashville rent wise. Colorado’s population has remained about even between incoming and exiting residents according to a 2020 data.
I DESPERATELY want to like Denver as I don’t want to move again, but for all the reasons above, I might end up relocating, yet again. It’s just not as developed as advertised.
You are right James, we do hate you. No need to “try” anymore to like it here, go back to LA where you belong.
Wow, JT, can’t handle some honest criticism?
Since leaving the mid west I have lived in 6 months LA, 6 months Seattle, 3 years Boulder then 10 years Denver. All these cities are expensive. I do not feel CO is plaqued by drug or alcohol users. The traffic is not terrible in Denver due to the light rail, bikers, and bus lines. The weather is great, food scene is blah not exciting, and nightlife is decent. I never saw the same face twice. I never settled in or knew if I had a future in Denver. Plenty of jobs, nothing that pays for a house, or even to rent a house. I lived in a unit in Baker paid $635 the whole time. While low price the unit had mold, lead paint, and a broken stove. Renters don’t have any rights in CO so do to cost I held onto it as long as possible. I didn’t want to move again. With covid and housing costs the time came. I like many others I meet in Denver moved home and some tried another city. I miss the weather, healthy lifestyle, quality of women. I don’t miss having trying to figure how I was ever going to pay for a house. I am debt free leaving with my parents and happy! I hope to move to the sw sometime soon.
Wife and I just moved away and know of several others who have done the same. We were both CO “natives” who got tired of watching our state transform into a liberal shithole. Yes, we hated people moving from California, but only the ones who left California and the policies that priced them out of it, only to come to CO and vote for the same failed policies. So leave California because it’s garbage, then come vote for the people who want to turn CO into California. Idiotic. Then the way the politicians handled COVID and vaccine mandates etc was finally enough to push us out and take our ballooned home equity with us. I won’t move back unless/until CO comes back to center on its politics and policies. Won’t raise a child anywhere that believes in transgenderism, infanticide, and living off the government’s teat. Which includes 99% of the population of Boulder and Denver.
You got that all right.
I moved to Colorado in 97 from the liberal hellhole of California. Colorado was calm, mostly quiet and safer. Much safer. It was a great place to have and raise a child, and so we did. Bill Owens, a conservative for the most part, was Governor and shootings were rare. Prosecutors prosecuted and criminals didn’t just walk free to commit more crimes the way liberal democrat policies, funded by the 13 families via surrogates Klaus Schwab and George Soros, allow them to do so as they do today.
But, after 16+ years of Democrats in the Gov mansion, Colofornia is becoming Chicago. Broomfield of all places went left and now has shootings. Another effect of liberal transplants who left California to escape the Utopia they voted for. They sincerely seem to not understand cause and effect.
I too sold my home, left the state, and took my and a liberals money with me in June.
I’m what people make fun of as a Colorado “native”, which by the way simply means you are from there, so no offense to those who are jealous, I know it’s pretty cool and envious to have the beautiful Rocky Mountains in your backyard growing up, not to mention camping anytime you want WITHOUT reservations needed, say whaaat?!, shooting guns off the beaten path in the mountains, and being pulled on a sled up snow packed mountain roads by a jeep blasting the best music. I get it, totally enviable. Anyhow, these are hilarious comments and correct for the most part. Scary fact. In the past 10 years, CO violent crime has risen 52%. Just last month, our neighborhood car dealer near Boulder was heisted and seven cars were stolen fast and furious style, drive through glass type of situation, yet cops said they would just have to wait until they were abandoned and couldn’t do anything about it. Criminals know they can get away with these types of crimes which they may think are petty now. I was Assaulted downtown in my 20’s and have never felt safe since. At least around LoDo. People drive insanely fast and reckless. I laugh because I am or was one of the ones that’s made fun of in these comments about having binge drinking issues in my past, and dad was an alcoholic. A Colorado thing? Maybe. Weed, been there done that before it was legal. Now it’s just a sad activity that zaps everyone’s common sense and decency. I’ve loved it here as an avid snowboarder of course, but its maddening traffic up to the mountains with only one highway to take, I70. I almost resorted to living in the mountains to escape this, yet you will just run into tourists, people who are either Uber wealthy and into their own thing, seasonal workers at the resorts, or drug users/alcoholics who are running from the law and hiding out up there. Nature and family kept my husband and I here, but in reality these factors and unaffordable housing and lack luster job opportunities will be why we leave. We love Colorado and always will, but as they say, sometimes love just isn’t enough.
I grew up in Colorado Springs and lived in Gunnison and Alamosa thinking it doesn’t gett better than this, that is until I joined the Navy. Don’t get me wrong because Colorado is beautiful, but the world has so much more to see and experience! Now when I go back it just seem dull, brown, and treeless. The people are desperate to “keep up with Jones” which gives the feel of cookie cutter homes and retail that can be found anywhere. Very few things left that seem like a Denver only feel except the Sunday Broncos GameDay feel 😃
I moved to Colorado in 97 from the liberal hellhole of California. Colorado was calm, mostly quiet and safer. Much safer. It was a great place to have and raise a child, and so we did. Bill Owens, a conservative for the most part, was Governor and shootings were rare. Prosecutors prosecuted and criminals didn’t just walk free to commit more crimes the way liberal democrat policies, funded by the 13 families via surrogates Klaus Schwab and George Soros, allow them to do so as they do today.
But, after 16+ years of Democrats in the Gov mansion, Colofornia is becoming Chicago. Broomfield of all places went left and now has shootings. Another effect of liberal transplants who left California to escape the Utopia they voted for. They sincerely seem to not understand cause and effect.
I too sold my home, left the state, and took my and a liberals money with me in June.
Here the information you included is very important to match the area of focus, besides we will be very happy if you regular set up like this post. Thanks in advance!!
At this point, the best thing about Denver are the Nuggets. Was born and raised in the city. Lived everywhere from Five Points (now the “RiNo District🥴) to Park Hill to Green Valley to Reunion. The city I called home makes me so sad to see. Areas that no one wanted to live in have been overhauled- pushing original inhabitants out and changing the whole landscape and energy of the area. If my Granddad knew his little house in the “bad” area of town which was valued a little over $100k is now worth nearly $700k, he would literally roll over in his grave. I got out of Denver 8 years ago. Left behind the cookie-cutter and lack of any real depth or culture. Reminds me of The Truman Show. New Orleans is where I call home now. I love it here. I’ll never leave… or least I’ll never go back to Denver for sure. Anyway, go Nuggets!
Denver’s growth vs. affordability: a precarious balance An intriguing dilemma impacting residents’ lives.