The best and worst Colorado cities to move to in 2025, according to new report

DENVER (KDVR) -- The state capital ranked in a recent report among the state's overall worst places to move to this year, but some metro-area cities may be good alternatives.

A research team at ConsumerAffairs, a consumer news and advocacy organization, analyzed the 30 most populated cities in the Centennial State to determine which cities are the best to move to in 2025.

Researchers scored and ranked cities in five categories:

• Safety: Violent and property crime rates (30 points)
• Affordability: Median incomes and housing costs (30 points)
• Economy: Poverty, unemployment and home value appreciation rates (20 points)
• Health care and education: Number of healthcare professionals and percentage of the population with high school education (10 points)
• Quality of life: Amount of trails and percentage of residents who live within a 10-minute walk of a park (10 points)

While Denver ranked among the worst in multiple categories, the report found that cities in the vicinity are some of the best places to move to in the state this year. There are even nearby cities where rent is cheaper than in Denver, according to rental market data.

The study also found that those looking to move away from the metro area have some of the best options.

Best cities to move to in Colorado in 2025

ConsumerAffairs named Louisville the No. 1 best city to move to in Colorado in 2025. The city ranked at No. 6 for safety, No. 2 for affordability, No. 7 for the economy, No. 2 for health care and education, and No. 4 for quality of life.

"A combination of affordability, high-quality education and health care, and quality of life factors put this city on top. The middle-class, suburban town near Boulder offers a plethora of job opportunities, including in the biomedical and aerospace fields," the report reads.

The report found that on average, median housing costs cost about 18% of the median income in Louisville, which was the lowest rate among all 30 cities.

Louisville was also recognized for its parks and green spaces. According to the report, 97% of Louisville residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, and 26% of the town is dedicated to open space, parks and public spaces.

Here are the top 10 best and worst cities to move to in Colorado in 2025, according to ConsumerAffairs:

However, some of the top-ranked cities ranked among the worst when it comes to specific categories. For those moving to another city in Colorado or for those who are new to the Centennial State, it may be good to know which cities are the best for individual needs and preferences.

Best and worst cities to move to for safety:

Windsor ranked at No. 22 for economy and No. 29 for quality of life but came out on top at No. 1 for safety.

Best cities to move to for affordability:

The top cities to move to are not necessarily the most affordable. For example, Erie, No. 8 overall, ranked at No. 26 for affordability and No. 25 for quality of life.

At the same time, some of the most affordable ranked among the worst cities to move to in the state. Pueblo, for example, ranked at No. 1 for affordability, but No. 30 for safety and economy and No. 29 overall.

Best cities to move to for economy:

The best cities for economic reason were also among the best overall. ConsumerAffairs noted that Centennial had the best economy score, with only 3.1% of residents below the poverty line and home values appreciating 2.35% from 2023 to 2024.

Best cities to move to for health care and education:

Most of the best cities overall were also some of the best for health care and education. Broomfield was deemed the best with nearly 32 health care practitioners per 1,000 people, which was the second most in the study only behind Denver.

Best cities to move to for quality of life:

Both the best and worst cities overall were among the best when it comes to quality of life. Parker reigned as the best thanks to its 115 trails per 10,000 people, the most of any city, according to the report.

The full list of rankings and more statistics can be found in the full ConsumerAffairs report.