Many people who are moving to Colorado Springs CO ask me questions about what it’s like here. I’ve compiled a list of 7 things to know about living here, to help you learn more about what it’s like to live in Colorado Springs CO, especially if you’ve never been here.
I’m Iris, a local here in the Colorado Springs area. I come from an army background as a kid, so we’ve lived in several different places like Korea and Kansas and of course right here in Colorado. I sell homes to great people like you. I’d love to help you make your move to Colorado Springs and start building wealth and equity in the city of millionaires.
There’s so much to unbox here but I’ll start with these seven things people want to know when they move to Colorado Springs.
Colorado Springs Weather
If you’re coming from a climate like California or Florida, beware. It’s cold! What’s nice is that it’s not cold every day. Most days are sunny. To give you an idea, today’s weather is warm but it’s supposed to snow tonight. For several days, we’ve been waiting for nicer weather. When it does get cold you will not catch me outside. I will be inside with several layers in front of my fireplace with a hoodie and my slippers. I hate being cold. The irritation is instant sometimes.
So, even though I was born in December and I’ve lived here since third grade, I am not getting used to it and I don’t think I ever will. I mean I put my seat warmer on in the summertime. I love the sun which is why California is one of my favorite places to vacation. Unfortunately, for me, the cold weather is pretty bearable right up until about February. Then it starts to get on my nerves.
Things to Do in Colorado Springs
Unless you’re the outdoors type and you love to hike and bike, you might get bored. I’m a homebody so I don’t get as bored as most people would. I’m ok just to just be in my house and watch Netflix or Keeping Up With The Kardashians or make these videos and blogs for you guys. Colorado Springs is getting better with things to do, but with inflation, it’s so expensive. To take our family out you don’t want to know what it costs. We would have to get two hotel rooms to visit Great Wolf Lodge or something like that because the suite is always sold out. Same with Mount Princeton. But that’s 4 hours away.
Our kids love it though. They always want to go in the hot tub but are never old enough or it’s frowned upon because they like to splash too much. We all know a hot tub is not for splashing. In Mount Princeton, it’s perfectly fine. We did have fun taking a day trip to Scheels and they like the trampoline places but you can only do that so much. We’re cooped in the house half the year because of the weather but when it’s sunny and warm out we can go to the parks. My kids love to explore Red Rock Canyon or other hiking areas with interesting things to look at.
Diversity
It feels like we are just a melting pot of other states. There are many people from everywhere. With the military bases here, we get consistent new faces that are either stationed or passing through.
Colorado Springs is Generally Friendly
Rumors about residents disliking transplants are…partly true. There are groups of people who are frustrated with transplants moving to Colorado Springs, but that’s mostly on social media. But, even still, you will find others in some of the Facebook groups that are also transplanted. You have to find groups where you’ll fit in. People joke that Colorado Springs is closed and there is no vacancy. It’s true that some people are upset at how big the city has gotten. People are still kind and friendly. Much more friendly than most places I’ve visited actually. There are plenty of people willing to help a neighbor or lend a hand to others needing help.
Colorado Springs Airport
Even though it may be expensive, we can fly in and out of Colorado Springs. This is so much easier than flying from Denver. You can take an Uber to the airport or have a friend or family member drop you off when you travel. Traveling this way is less complicated and we in Colorado Springs still have plenty of places to fly to. The Colorado Springs airport is nice and clean and easy to park and the ability to get to your gate quicker is a huge plus.
Snow in Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs weather is so up and down. One day it’s sunny and bright and warm in the middle of winter and the next day there’s a snowstorm. This is the result of the proximity of the mountains. The weather gets pretty interesting around here. We get a lot of snow, typically about 57 inches whereas the national average is 28 inches per year. In regards to rain, we get less than the national average of 38 inches of rainfall per year and that’s 18 inches. Some areas get more snow than others. All of this is ice and snow yet in other areas there may not be anything on the ground.
Housing in Colorado Springs
Our median housing price is almost $100,000 more than the national median price. Affordability issues make it difficult for those who want to buy a house. Homes less than $400k on the market are getting multiple offers with appraisal guarantees makes it harder for people to compete financially. For example, if you want to buy a house listed at $380k, you may need to offer a higher price and provide a guarantee if the home does not appraise at the offer price. This means you could be forking out another $15k in cash American dollars in addition to what you were already going to put down and any closing costs you may have.
Though appraisers are doing better with the housing demand and the reality of the housing crisis making appraisal amounts higher, it’s still not a risk you should take when considering your offer. Don’t get me started on rent. Rents have soared over the last few years. You’re still looking at about $2,000 or more to rent a house in Colorado Springs. I guess they don’t call us the city of millionaires for nothing. To start your home search, visit the Home Page.
If you need a relocation guide, download one here.
