Similar to Northern Colorado, Southern Colorado is gaining popularity with people who want the Colorado lifestyle and a picturesque setting of the Southern Rocky Mountains and the famous Pikes Peak that over looks Colorado Springs with a peak of 14,115.
Southern Colorado is located in El Paso County and is the second to Denver County for most populous county in Colorado. Larger cities in Southern Colorado include Colorado Springs, Fountain, Manitou Springs and Monument. Smaller but notable cities include Woodland Park and Palmer Lake.
Economy
Colorado Springs is the largest city in Southern Colorado and it’s economy is rooted in technology, tourism and aerospace & defense. In fact, Colorado Springs is home to Fort Carson, Peterson Air Force Base, Schriever Air Force Base, NORAD and the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Drawn to the area by a highly educated pool of talent and relatively low operating costs, Progressive Insurance and Lockheed Martin are a few companies that are located in Colorado Springs. Other industries include healthcare, real estate, education food services, professional services and technology. Check out the Top Public Employers in Southern Colorado here.
Median Household Income: $67,819
Unemployment: 3.7%
Quality of Life
Nestled against the Rocky Mountains, Colorado Springs and Southern Colorado offer residence quick access to skiing, hiking, hot springs, camping and other ways to enjoy the outdoors. With an elevation of 6250, Colorado Springs is 1030 feet higher than Denver, which sits at 5280. This is important to keep in mind, moving to Southern Colorado requires a period of getting use to the altitude.
With the help of a mountains, providing downslope winds, summers in Colorado Springs are typically cooler than summers in Denver. Southern Colorado has a similar climate to Denver, with four glorious seasons the average temperature is 62 degrees. On average, Southern Colorado receives less snow during the winter months, with an average of an annual snow fall of 57 inches. Denver on the other hand receives an average of 60. Just in case you are wondering, that national average for snow fall in the United States is 28.
Healthcare
There are several options for quality healthcare in Southern Colorado. Most are located in Colorado Springs.
| St. Francis Medical Center | https://www.centura.org/locations/penrose-st-francis-health-services |
| Children’s Hospital of Colorado – Colorado Springs | https://www.childrenscolorado.org/ |
| UCHealth Memorial Hospital North | https://www.uchealth.org/locations/uchealth-memorial-hospital-north/ |
| Penrose Hospital | https://www.centura.org/locations/penrose-st-francis-health-services |
| UCHealth Grandview Hospital | https://www.uchealth.org/locations/uchealth-grandview-hospital/ |
| Memorial Hospital Central | https://www.uchealth.org/ |
Education
Education in Southern Colorado starts at the pre-K level and goes through higher education. Families have the choice of choosing a private or public school education. Below is a list of School Districts in Southern Colorado/Colorado Springs.
Public Schools
| Public School District | City | Total Schools | # of Students |
| Cheyenne Moutain School District No. 12 | Colorado Springs | 11 | 5274 |
| Academy School District No. 20 | Colorado Springs | 38 | 26178 |
| Fountain-Fort Carson School District | Fountain | 13 | 8298 |
| Manitou Springs School District | Manitou Springs | 4 | 1494 |
| Colorado Springs School District No. 11 | Colorado Springs | 56 | 26395 |
| Harrison School District No. 2 | Colorado Springs | 27 | 11735 |
| Widefield School District 3 | Colorado Springs | 16 | 9592 |
| Falcon School District No. 49 | Peyton | 27 | 22397 |
| Colorado School for the Deaf & Blind | Colorado Springs | 1 | 212 |
| Ellicott Schoot District No. 22 | Ellicot | 3 | 1116 |
| Colorado Digital BOCES | Colorado Springs | 4 | 2475 |
| Lewis Palmer School District | Monument | 10 | 6895 |
Private Schools
| The Colorado Springs School | Colorado Springs | PreK – 12th |
| St. Mary’s High School | Colorado Springs | 9th – 12th |
| Colorado Springs Christian | Colorado Springs | K – 12th |
| Pikes Peak Christian School | Colorado Springs | PreK – 12th |
| The University School | Colorado Springs | PreK – 12th |
| Evangelical Christian Academy | Colorado Springs | 1st – 12th |
| Pikes Peak Academy | Colorado Springs | 9th – 12th |
| Corpus Christi School | Colorado Springs | PreK – 8th |
| Divine Redeemer Catholic School | Colorado Springs | PreK – 8th |
| Hope Montessori Academy | Colorado Springs | PreK – K |
| Pauline Memorial Catholic School | Colorado Springs | PreK – 8th |
| Giving Tree Montessori School | Colorado Springs | PreK – K |
| Griffith Centers for Children | Colorado Springs | 3rd – 12th |
