The 10 Best Places To Retire In Colorado For 2023


We analyzed over 36 places in Colorado to identify the ones that offer the most to retirees.

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Editor’s Note: Data has been updated for 2023. This is our tenth time ranking the best places to retire in Colorado.

Want to know where you can live out your best years in Colorado? HomeSnacks knows.

Yes, if you are looking to hike 14ers outside of Steamboat Springs, golf Jack Nicholson's courses in Denver, or just hang with your friends at a brewery in Montrose, then look no further than HomeSnacks' list of the best places to retire in ColoradoColorado for 2023.

But, you better put some pep in that retirement step because Colorado is one of the fastest growing states in the country with the 65 and older population expected to increase to 15% of the state's population by 2023.

Not to mention, The Centennial State's best places to retire are some of the best places in the state in terms of safety, affordability, amenities, and distance to closest international airport. But, what really makes Colorado great for retirees, is its down-to-earth, active people and creative, friendly communities. And while the whole place is downright lovely, some spots in Colorado deserve special attention for standing out as truly extraordinary for anyone looking for a great place to spend their golden years.

So, grab yourself a cold Fat Tire and a sunny spot on Aspen Mountain's sundeck and read on as we uncover Colorado's top ten best places to retire.

The 10 Best Places To Retire In Colorado For 2023

  1. Windsor
  2. Littleton
  3. Montrose
  4. Loveland
  5. Steamboat Springs
  6. Sterling
  7. Englewood
  8. Lafayette
  9. Centennial
  10. Fruita

Why did Windsor take the top spot? And where are Denver and Colorado Springs?

HomeSnacks is also happy to report that Colorado's best places to retire have great neighborhoods, parks, and programs to keep its residents happy, healthy, and you guessed it, safe.

So, what's the best place to retire in Colorado for 2023? According to the latest FBI and Census data, that would be, Windsor.

To see how your favorite places in this Rocky Mountain paradise compared, take a look at the list below; and if you don't see it there, head to the bottom.

For more Colorado state reading:

The 10 Best Places To Retire In Colorado For 2023

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 31,972
Rank Last Year: -
Median Rent: $1,498
Distance to Closest Airport: 44 miles
More on Windsor: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Windsor, CO

Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 45,465
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Median Rent: $1,414
Distance to Closest Airport: 26 miles
More on Littleton: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Littleton, CO

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 20,098
Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 2)
Median Rent: $959
Distance to Closest Airport: 195 miles
More on Montrose: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Montrose, CO

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 75,938
Rank Last Year: -
Median Rent: $1,447
Distance to Closest Airport: 43 miles
More on Loveland: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Loveland, CO

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 13,193
Rank Last Year: 3 (Down 2)
Median Rent: $1,581
Distance to Closest Airport: 121 miles
More on Steamboat Springs: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Steamboat Springs, CO

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 13,976
Rank Last Year: 5 (Down 1)
Median Rent: $789
Distance to Closest Airport: 94 miles
More on Sterling: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Sterling, CO

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 33,500
Rank Last Year: 6 (Down 1)
Median Rent: $1,314
Distance to Closest Airport: 22 miles
More on Englewood: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Englewood, CO

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

7.5
/10

Population: 30,307
Rank Last Year: 7 (Down 1)
Median Rent: $1,733
Distance to Closest Airport: 24 miles
More on Lafayette: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Lafayette, CO

Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 107,972
Rank Last Year: 8 (Down 1)
Median Rent: $1,810
Distance to Closest Airport: 21 miles
More on Centennial: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Centennial, CO

Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 13,296
Rank Last Year: 21 (Up 11)
Median Rent: $1,280
Distance to Closest Airport: 205 miles
More on Fruita: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Fruita, CO

Source: Public domain

Methodology: How We Determined The Best Places To Retire In the Centennial State for 2023

To create our list of the best places in Colorado to retire, we first used Census data to find all places in the Centennial State -- 450 cities and towns.

We then narrowed it down to places with at least 10,000 people that weren't townships. This left us with 42 places from across the state.

For these 42, we looked at the following criteria taken from the Census, the FBI's Crime Report, National Weather Service, and OpenFlights:

  • Low cost of living as measured by rent
  • Low crime
  • Things to do (Museums, Colleges, and Libraries in town)
  • Nice weather
  • Distance to the closest international airport
  • Other retirees (High median age)

We then ranked each of these places for each criteria from one to 42, with the lowest number being the best.

Finally, we took the average rank across these criteria. The place, in this case Windsor, with the lowest average rank was crowned the best of the best, a place for you to start your second careers. You can download the data here.

Summary: Maybe You're Not Ready To Retire In Colorado Yet...

So there you have it, the best place to retire in Colorado goes to Windsor.

If you're not ready to hang up your office apparel yet, then these places might be up your alley:

  1. Fountain
  2. Lone Tree
  3. Boulder

For more Colorado reading, check out:

Where Are The Best Places To Retire In Colorado?

Rank City Population Median Rent
1 Windsor 31,972 $1,498
2 Littleton 45,465 $1,414
3 Montrose 20,098 $959
4 Loveland 75,938 $1,447
5 Steamboat Springs 13,193 $1,581
6 Sterling 13,976 $789
7 Englewood 33,500 $1,314
8 Lafayette 30,307 $1,733
9 Centennial 107,972 $1,810
10 Fruita 13,296 $1,280

How Is The Area In ?

About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.