New Study Finds the Worst Colorado Cities to Move To

Recently, Colorado has been slipping in the rankings as one of the best states to live in.

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In the past, we were one of the top in the entire country. Now, we’ve slipped down to 15th, which is a far cry from the past. 

In terms of crime, we’ve slipped all the way down to 45th in the country, which is absolutely reflected in the Top 10 most dangerous cities in Colorado. 

They even rank our grocery stores low, with a study controversially ranking King Soopers as the worst grocery store chain in America. 

However, a new study by USA Today has found the five worst cities to move to in Colorado for 2024.

The criteria for the study is based on life expectancy, median income, typical rent, typical home value, and unemployment rate.

Let’s dive in to see what they believe are cities you should avoid moving to this year.

5th Worst Colorado City to Move To: Pueblo

In a different study, Pueblo West was named the worst small city in Colorado. However, its neighbor comes in at fifth place on USA Today’s list.

The average life expectancy is 75.1, which is the worst on the list. Also, the median income is also the lowest, with people making $52,794 on average.

However, Pueblo is a relatively cheap place to live by Colorado standards. The average rent is $1,341, along with a typical home value of $283,725. However, the unemployment rate is the highest in the study, sitting at 5.3%.

4th Worst Colorado City to Move To: Denver

Denver used to be the preferred destination for transplants, but now is one of the worst cities to move to in the entire state.

It has an average life expectancy of 78.9, which isn’t too high. Its median income sits at $85,853. 

That’s tough when you see the average prices for rent and home value, with the two of them sitting at $1,984 and $563,372 respectively.

Finally, the unemployment rate sits at 4.2%, above the average. Interestingly, the rest of the cities on this list will all have a 4.2% unemployment rate. 

3rd Worst Colorado City to Move To: Thornton

Thornton takes the 3rd worst spot on the list.

It has an average life expectancy of 78.6 years old, and has a median income of $95,064.

Its average rent costs are up at $1,945, and it also has a typical home value of $524,041.

2nd Worst Colorado City to Move To: Brighton

Taking the 2nd spot is the Denver suburb Brighton.

It has an average life expectancy of 78.6 years old, and has a median income of $86,975.

Rent is quite high here, with the average monthly rent coming in at $2,143. The typical home value comes in at $506,397.

Worst Colorado City to Move To: Commerce City

Finally, the worst city to move in Colorado for 2024 is Commerce City.

The average life expectancy is the same as the last two cities, coming in at 78.6 years old. The median income sits at $96,484.

However, rent prices are absolutely astronomical, sitting at $2,485 a month. This is also paired with a typical home price of $506,397.

Something the study doesn’t mention is the air pollution in Commerce City, which is so bad that the oil refinery in town, Suncor Energy, got hit with the largest air pollution penalty in state history.

What do you think? Do these picks make sense to you, or were there any surprises?