The Denver Metro area is not the only place in Colorado that is gaining popularity with new movers. Northern Colorado not only offers the Colorado lifestyle most crave when moving to the Centennial State. It also provides quality healthcare, top- notch education and more house for the money.
Located north of the Denver Metro area along I-25, east of the Rocky Mountains, Northern Colorado terrain ranges from the plains in the east to the mountains out west. Covering more than 6,646 miles and a population of close to 690,000, Northern Colorado popularity is growing among new movers to Colorado.
Northern Colorado is comprised of the following counties, Boulder, Larimer, Morgan and Weld. The major cities are, Boulder, Brighton, Broomfield, Fort Collins, Greeley, Berthoud, Lafayette, Loveland, Longmont, Louisville, Superior and Windsor. Smaller but notable cities include, Wellington, Timnath, Mead, Severance, Mead, Johnstown, Estes Park, Firestone.
Several cities in Northern Colorado have been recognized by Niche.com, Wallethub and Smartasset. Those noted mentions include:
2018 – Most affordable city in Colorado – Fort Collins (Liviability)
2018 – 2nd most affordable city in Colorado – Loveland (Liviability)
2019 – Best Place to buy a house – Wellington (Niche.com)
2019 #2 city to live in Colorado – Frederick (24/7 Wallstreet)
2017 – Best city in Colorado to raise a family – Windsor (Wallethub)
2018 – #4 Best place to raise a family – Fort Collins (Liviability)
2019 – #5 Boomtown in America – Greeley (SmartAsset)
2018 – One of the best small towns to move to – Estes Park (Thrillist)
ECONOMY
Northern Colorado’s economy mirrors Denver’s. It is strong with a pool of talented and educated workers. Located within an hour drive of Denver, top industries include Advanced Manufacturing, Aerospace/Aviation, Bioscience, Creative industries, Energy, Food & Agriculture, Health & Wellness and Information Technology. Home to two major universities, Colorado State University (Fort Collins) and University of Northern Colorado (Greeley), employers have access to an educated talent pool.
Top employers in Northern Colorado
| Anadarko Petroleum | Energy Exploration & Production |
| Anheuser Busch | Brewery |
| Banner Health | Healthcare |
| Broadcom Ltd. | Semiconductor Components |
| Hack Company | Analytical Instruments |
| Hallibuton Energy Services, Inc. | Energy Exploration & Production |
| Hewlett Packard Enterprise | Technology Product Design |
| JBS Swift & Company | Food Processing |
| Leprino Foods | Food Processing |
| McLane Company | Food Processing |
| Noble Energy | Energy Development |
| OtterBox | Protective Case Manufacturing |
| Odell Brewing | Brewery |
| Qualfon | Customer Care Center |
| Select Energy Services | Energy Services |
| State Farm Insurance Regional Offices | Insurance |
| TTEC | Customer Experience Technology |
| UC Health | Healthcare |
| Colorado State University | Higher Education |
| University of Northern Colorado | Higher Education |
| Vestas | Wind Turbine Manufacturing |
| Woodward | Industrial Controll Systems |
| Advanced Energy | Energy & Manufacturing |
HOUSING
In 2019, Wallethub named Greeley as one of the best cities for new home buyers. This is due to the best kept secret in Northern Colorado, housing cost. As of January 2020, the median sale price in the Denver Metro Area is $435,200. However, in Northern Colorado, in Weld County the median sale price is $360,200. Cities in Weld County include, Severance, Eaton Keensburg, Ault, Greeley, Kersey, Lasalle, Evans and Pierce.
In Larimer County the median sale price is $397,500, cities in Larimer County include, Estes Park, Fort Collins, Livermore, Loveland, Wellington, Laporte, Bellvue, Drake and Red Feather Lakes.
Boulder County is the exception for housing cost. Cities in this county include, Boulder, Niwot, Louisville, Erie, Lafayette, Nederland, Ward, Longmont and Allenspark. Median sales prices average higher in this county, coming in at $573,720.
If you are interested in renting upon moving to Norther Colorado, average rent is $1,795 for Weld and Larimer Counties and $2,295 for Boulder County. Denver’s average monthly rent is $2,150.
HEALTH CARE
Like it’s neighbor to the south, Northern Colorado offers top notch health care. Several health care systems extend from Denver into Northern Colorado, including: UC Health, Children’s Hospital Colorado and Kaiser Permanente. Banner Health also has a very bid presence in Northern Colorado.
The 12 major hospitals in Norther Colorado are:
