Durango

Durango is certainly one of Colorado's hidden gems. I first discovered it when I had some friends go to school at Ft. Lewis College and I was immediately impressed. Although the town has almost 17,000 residents, in so many ways it seems smaller and more intimate. The homes are all charming and many of them have front porches where residents can sit and enjoy the views. Many of the homes are older and have a victorian look to them and from what I've seen they are all well taken care of and the area as a whole looks nice and well kept. There are some newer, more modern homes for sale up near the hospital though.

This predominantly white town (79%) works mostly in accommodation and food services, followed closely by educational services. The median household income is $44,209 and the average price for a detached home is $441,620. While this is really high, it does take into account some of the larger homes on some acreage which can go for well over several million dollars. However, when I looked online I found several of the smaller homes in town (typically less than 1,000 sq. ft.) were going for the low $300,000s which I personally think is highly overpriced.

There are numerous things to do in and around Durango that you're really only limited by your imagination. There's tons of hiking, camping, fishing, whitewater rafting, hunting, and more. It really is an outdoor lovers dream come true. In addition to all the outdoor activities, there are some pretty incredible views. Only about a half an hour away is Mesa Verde National Park which is a wonder to see in itself.

The one big drawback to Durango is the crime rate which is extremely high. I can only assume this is due in part to the college students and 'opportunistic' crime which is common near many campuses. Other than that one issue, I think Durango would be a great place to live for anyone who likes being near the mountains and loves the outdoors.

I have spent time as a tourist in Durango and really loved it! There is so much in and around town for anyone. It feels like a mountain town but it almost a little city. This would be an amazing place for a family or retirees to settle, live and enjoy southern Colorado and the four corners area.

Magical Mesa Verde is less than an hour away, and there are countless forest roads, creeks, mountains, trails and outdoor adventures-so so much to explore in the area. Telluride is only an hour and a half drive away and the Ouray hotsprings isnt too too far. Moab and the beauty of Utah and the even the Grand Canyon are in reach compared to traveling from the Denver area the Durango area has a lot of wilderness to offer. Plus there is great whitewater rafting!

There is an indian food restaurant in a historic corner downtown building that I loved, the buffet was delicious. The historic Abbey Theatre is a great venue where I saw Colorado's own funky band The Motet playing a live performance earlier this year. I really was impressed with how fun Durango is in the day and night, the town is a hidden secret in Colorado.

Considering the few neighborhoods that I did see I was impressed, I didn't see any subdivisions or cookie cutter homes. There are a lot of old historic and victorian looking homes there, but I bet its not cheap. Well worth looking into property there!