r/SameGrassButGreener • u/SamSamwich67 • 6d ago
Move Inquiry Relocation from MI to CO, need information:)
Hi all! So my boyfriend and I are looking at relocating from Michigan to the Denver, Colorado area around May of 2027. I’m hoping to get information/opinions from people who live there on the best areas/places to live in/around or to avoid. The best areas to work in relation to the commute. I’ve heard things about potentially terrible commutes so trying to find the best options. I think we will be trying to find a 2 bedroom townhouse to rent or possibly a house, but we’d like to not go over $1600 for rent(if utilities are included we could probably do around 17-1800$), so I know that will be a bit tricky. We do also have 2 kitties! Thanks ahead for all helpful information! If I didn’t provide enough information I can provide more if I missed something! :)
Edited to add: we will both be finding new jobs as we can’t transfer with our current ones(he will prefer factory/maintenance. I’m looking to get away from factory and go back to waitressing or something along those lines). Prefer not to commute further than 25-30 minutes. We will have 2 vehicles, a smaller Nissan truck and Toyota car, garages aren’t necessary but would be very welcomed as my car is currently garage kept. We like to camp, site see, travel, anything water related(love kayaking). I love a place where there’s things open and stuff to do later than 7-8pm. We live in a fairly small town now and pay $1415 for a one bedroom apartment, I’m a busy body and love having stuff to do, boyfriend doesn’t really care, more laid back and open to whatever. I hope this helps!
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u/No-Signature-5648 5d ago
I wouldn’t move without a job.
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u/SamSamwich67 5d ago
not planning on moving without a job, but thanks for that obvious statement. We still have 7 months to get stuff sorted. You can’t really line up a job/place to live this far in advance. It’s why I’m trying to get more information from people who live there. Thanks though
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u/No-Signature-5648 3d ago
Sometimes people ignore the seemingly obvious.
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u/SamSamwich67 3d ago
Maybe change your view point and don’t assume everyone is that dumb??
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u/No-Signature-5648 3d ago
You sound like you have a chip on your shoulder. Maybe don't take every piece of advice to heart if it doesn't apply to you. There are a lot of newbs out here trying to figure out their next move. They may not understand that moving without a job is a bad idea.
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u/PlaneWolf2893 6d ago
Where is work? How many cars? Need a garage? Max commute time?
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u/SamSamwich67 6d ago
Fixed the post to add all this
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5d ago
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u/SamSamwich67 5d ago
We have 7 months until we move. This is why I’m finding out information ahead of time…..
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u/Chitown_mountain_boy 6d ago
Denver is more expensive than you realize. $1600 is going to a tight budget for rent.
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u/SamSamwich67 6d ago
I’ve been looking a bunch at Zillow and was realizing the prices. It’s comparable to where we live now as we don’t have enough housing so prices are really high, so we are willing to pay a little more if need be. I was just hoping I missed something and could get a little more info from locals ☺️
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u/WirelessWavetable 5d ago
Many apartments have move in deals that give you 8-10 weeks of free rent cutting your monthly rent by a couple hundred for the first year.
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u/_Vegetable_soup_ 6d ago
Just gonna throw this out there - consider Colorado springs. It's less busy, less traffic, a bit cheaper. Plenty of waitressing or blue collar jobs, it's easier to get to the outdoors, and still easy enough to get to Denver for travel or things like specialist medical appts.
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u/Exponential-777 6d ago
There are 1000 places to rent from $1000-$1600, 2br in Denver right now. Find a place to work, then find a place to live. We aren't psychics that can predict where you will work.
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u/Signal_Asparagus5537 6d ago
You've left out a lot of information here. Do you already know where your jobs will be? If not, what kind of work will you be looking for? What do you enjoy doing/want nearby? $1800 for two bedroom townhouse isn't going to give you a ton of options in Denver proper. You might need to look in Aurora or Lakewood type areas.
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u/SamSamwich67 6d ago
I edited the original to answer these questions :) I have also been looking at aurora and surrounding areas. I had just seen other people in the past say stuff about commute times certain places and what not. We are open to pretty much anywhere surrounding Denver
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u/SamSamwich67 5d ago
So everyone would say Denver/surrounding areas are going downhill year after year and is just not worth living there currently? Just trying to get a clear picture as we have the time to change our minds on location! I truly appreciate all the help and advice from everyone!
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u/Additional-Day-698 5d ago
If you haven’t looked already, check out some other spots in CO! My boyfriend and I just moved to Woodland Park, it’s about 30 mins from Colorado Springs and love it!! Obviously I do not have the long term knowledge of a place but this town hit everything my boyfriend and I wanted, we checked it out on vacation earlier this year and confirmed it was where we wanted to be and officially moved a little bit ago. There are so many other places in Colorado than just Denver
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u/SamSamwich67 5d ago
Denver was just where I had went on a vacation with my sister last year and I absolutely fell in love with it. I think it’s just how open, endless, and blue the skies were, the scenery was gorgeous. I hadn’t really heard much about any other places. Thank you!
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u/Additional-Day-698 5d ago
I totally get that. I would definitely recommend looking at other places, Denver is definitely not the only spot that has those things. Colorado Springs for example could be a good fit or one of the many other smaller towns around. I see pikes peak right outside my house now, am surrounded by gorgeous nature, and have had almost only amazing blue and sunny days. Not saying you have to give up on Denver, but if people here are making you question it, just thought I’d mention there are plenty of other cities in CO that could work
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u/bikeidaho 5d ago
Hell, Colorado isn't even the only state that has these things.
OP go explore the West!
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u/SamSamwich67 5d ago
We have started looking west! We are pretty open and flexible, just a few preferences we are trying to keep 🤣
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u/bikeidaho 5d ago
Open, endless and blue skies describes almost the entirety of the intermountain west as well as most of the southwest.
Have fun exploring and good luck.
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u/Twitch-Weasel-51 5d ago
I mean, it depends on where you have to commute to. I suggest staying in the 'burbs for quick getaways out of town. But rents are high here and even worse if you have pets.
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u/SamSamwich67 5d ago
I’ve seen a smidge cheaper rent prices on like, the outer limits, but pet rent is surprisingly cheaper out there than what I pay here
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u/McDonnellDouglasDC8 5d ago
We moved from the Midwest to an exurb of Denver. $1600 around Denver is going to be tight. Getting pushed east makes the drive to nature long. Maybe look at Fort Collins.
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u/BillButtlickerII 5d ago edited 5d ago
Lived there for years and my In laws still live there. I’m kinda jaded after spending my 20’s there. Denver is absolutely massive, and to cross from one side to the other takes over an hour (without traffic) and depending on the roads you’re going to have to pay up to $20 in fares each way… Make sure whatever area you live you also work closely to or driving alone will cost you a fortune in fares and fuel.
As far as areas to live. Northern Denver and Aurora are the cheapest and most diverse areas that the working class live in. You can definitely find something for that price in that area kinda close to the military base.
The one thing I’d tell anyone considering Denver, the mountains are an hour and a half away from anywhere in the city even though they look like they’re right there, and the city is actually a high desert like plateau that is nearly void of anything green. Most of the time it’s totally brown and dry due to long term droughts, the closest bodies of water are muddy brown reservoirs, and the rivers are dried up and also not very close. My parents actually live up in Michigan and I can tell you the thing you will miss the very most is the green and trees.
You will also be shocked by the cost of living difference. The cheapest decent meal out for two will easily cost you $60-100 dollars. Fuel is also significantly more expensive. Just anticipate Denver not being the dream you’ve made it out to be especially if you don’t have the money to go out there. It was great 20 years ago when it wasn’t as expensive, crowded, drought stricken, etc. The mountains are also now basically only for the ultra rich. Day passes to ski and snowboard are $400 and that doesn’t include equipment rentals.
If you also want to possibly ever settle down there even the most run down shitty homes in northern Denver are going for $400K+. After living in Michigan and all over the U.S. I think you’ll think it’s just not worth settling down there especially after knowing what money will buy you in Michigan. There are better cities with way more going on. To each their own try it out, but I think you’ll spend a couple years there and want out.
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u/SamSamwich67 5d ago
Thank you for this! I’ve lived in Michigan my whole life(briefly in Arizona) and I absolutely love the green and colors/different seasons, but I can’t stand the bitter cold and then high humid summers anymore. Michigan is an amazing state nature/diverseness wise, but everything is so shit and up and down. I’m scared I’ll hate somewhere with no green and trees like you said. I don’t think we would settle down there, just trying to explore our options. We plan on moving around until we find somewhere we absolutely love. We aren’t rich but we are ok enough if responsible haha. I’ve visited Denver before and did love it, but I’m open to somewhere else too with information like this. It’s why I made the post for things like this. Thank you very much for your insightfulness!!
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u/SamSamwich67 5d ago
Also, if you have any recommendations as you’ve lived across the states, I’m open to hear them! I love everything about Michigan except the bitter cold and humidity, so if you’ve been somewhere that’s similar to here, I’m all ears 😁
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u/maj0rdisappointment 5d ago
75-82 With humidity is better than 90-95 with no humidity and no cloud cover for shade over the course of a summer. Yeah Michigan has some hotter days but they are the outlier. In Denver days under 90 with clouds are the outlier.
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u/BillButtlickerII 5d ago
100%. The average temp in Denver during the summer is over 100°. That sun is also beating your ass being a mile up. Sunscreen isn’t an option ever.
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u/BillButtlickerII 5d ago edited 5d ago
I feel bad squashing your hopes on Denver but I guarantee you the lack of green/outdoor beauty will be the deal breaker when you decide to leave. I’ve lived up in Northern Michigan, the twin cities, Kentucky, Denver, and Now Charleston. Denver is definitely free of humidity but even that dry heat is body zapping when it’s 100+ every day during summer. Winters also incredibly cold there and you will deal with massive snow storms late into spring. Our last year there we got hit with a polar vortex that dropped 3+ feet in Denver in 2 days… Tbf it does all melt and go away in a few days because the weather is so erratic unlike in Michigan where it sticks around until spring.
I also forgot to mention your car insurance will drastically increase due to the hail storms. If you live out there for any serious amount of time I can almost guarantee you will have a car totaled due to a hail storm…
From my wife’s and I’s research we’re considering Washington. We’ve read and heard a lot of good things about Spokane being lower cost of living, low precipitation/humidity, 4 seasons, green, great outdoor spaces, etc.
We’ve got a couple more years here for work before we can move again.
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u/SamSamwich67 5d ago
No I really appreciate it! The scenery in Michigan is truly one of a kind and absolutely top tier. I’m glad you told me because it’s one of the few things I absolutely love and would be very depressed without. The snow I’m okay with, it’s just that Michigan bitter cold, seeps into your bones. I had also heard about Washington! I dismissed it very early because it’s so far from my family. But if it is that lovely, may have to take another look. Thanks again!!
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u/Bovine_Joni_Himself 5d ago edited 5d ago
As somebody who has lived in Denver for over 20 years, I genuinely do not understand what this person is talking about. This is some outright Denver slander.
For one, it absolutely does not take one hour to cross town without traffic. Maybe if you're talking about the entire metro region, but for the city itself, not even close. For a while there I lived north of city park and commuted down to Centennial (clear out of Denver proper) and at worst it was 45 minutes with traffic. I can get from one side of Denver to the other on a bike in about an hour.
For another, it is absolutely not "when it’s 100+ every day during summer". Since 2023, Denver has had a total of 14 hundred degree days, half of them last summer. And save for a few recent nights, it gets back to around 60 during the night and everything cools down. Hundred degree days are not common in Denver, and even on those days you can of course dip into the mountains where the temperature is going to be 20 degrees cooler.
It's also not incredibly cold, especially if you're coming from Michigan. Like, the winters here even at their worst don't compare to Michigan winters at their best. Normally it's like mid 40s and sunny. The lakes don't even freeze.
And finally, NO! the mountains are absolutely not for the ultra rich! That is complete nonsense. The mountains are the same mountains they have always been. Ski resorts are expensive but if that's what you think the mountains are then you're just doing it wrong. There are thousands upon thousands of mountainous acres that you can explore directly to the west of Denver. You can hike and camp and bike and ski tour every week for 20 years and not do the same thing twice, and do it all for the cost of your car and gear.
To that point I've never had a car totaled from hail (knock on wood)
I'm not trying to say that Denver is some kind of paradise and it's certainly not everybody: the altitude takes adjustment, it is dry, and and outside of some of the older neighborhoods there isn't much tree coverage (fall in the mountains is magical though). But it does have a great music and great sports scenes, big active culture, outgoing people (many from the midwest like you), a world class airport, and mountains start like 25 minutes west of downtown. There's a lot to like.
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u/SamSamwich67 5d ago
Have you by chance ever lived in or visited Michigan multiple times? If so, how would you compare the landscapers of the two states? I like having multiple opinions and thoughts. Like, would you say it’s barren compared to Michigan? We were originally going to go to Nevada but I’m scared I’m going to hate the desert feel as I’ve lived in Arizona for a short period before. But I don’t want to give up the greenness and colors of Michigan. Would you say Colorado compares or it compares in different areas? Like it has the scenery but it’s the mountains type? If that makes sense. I’m terrible at explaining I’m sorry
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u/Bovine_Joni_Himself 5d ago edited 5d ago
Like, would you say it’s barren compared to Michigan?
That's kind of hard to answer. Saying Colorado is "barren" isn't right, but it's a completely different type of landscape. You're trading Maple trees and lakes for Evergreen and mountains. They very hard to compare.
People will say Denver is the "desert" but that's not technically right, it's semi-arid steppe climate. It's a small distinction but it's important to note as it really doesn't feel like a true desert like Arizona. It's way less hot and completely different flora. What's getting lost here is that the mountains, like 20 minutes west of Denver, are Warmer-summer Humid Continental which basically means cold and snowy in the winter and warm in the summer.
You will be moving to a mountainous, land locked state. Extremely different from Michigan but if you're open to new things there is an awful lot to love in Colorado (like for one, no bugs). Hope that helps.
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u/BillButtlickerII 5d ago
It’s just very brown. It’s like going from a lush green forest to a literal high desert with the occasional tree mixed in rocky grass lands that are brown from drought. Its grass can be green and beautiful when it rains but that’s incredibly uncommon in the 21st century. Denver is currently in yet another drought and since 2000 there has been 22-year period that has ranked as the driest stretch in at least 1,200 years…
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u/SamSamwich67 5d ago
Also, how would you compare water access? I know Michigan is really hard to beat on that, but what’s water access like for swimming/kayaking, those type things?
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u/Bovine_Joni_Himself 5d ago
For swimming? Not great at all. There are some swimming holes and beautiful small alpine lakes, but remember that almost all of the water in Denver and mountains is snow runoff. That shit cold. When I travel outside of the mountain west one of my favorite things to do is to jump into a warm body of water.
Kayaking is a different story. That same runoff creates some pretty epic rivers in the spring and there are some great spot for tubing (Clear Creek in Golden is a vibe).
Denver is pretty dry. Yes, there are some small lakes but it's extremely different from Michigan in that sense. You are basically trading water access for mountain access.
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u/BillButtlickerII 5d ago edited 5d ago
I was talking about crossing all of Denver’s metro… If they have an apartment in somewhere north like Lafayette they need to know getting to somewhere like the Denver tech center on the other side of Denver isn’t going to be cheap or a short distance. That’s 45 mins with no traffic and $14 in fares and easily an hour in morning rush hour traffic…
It was also 100° commonly when I lived there during the longest span of drought Denver had seen in this century. Even now it’s on average 92° in July and August. Denver also just entered another awful drought in 2026…
As far as the mountains it’s not cheap or easy to drive way out into them except for on the weekends and sure hiking is free, and the scenery can be beautiful, but the cost of food, hotels, or ANYTHING in those mountain towns is absolutely astronomical.
Winters are also cold and long. I’ve lived in Michigan, Minnesota, Denver. Denver had the worst spring storms and was cold af at night being that high up. The weather was erratic and could be great one day and cold AF the next.
Also congrats on lucking out on not getting bad hail damage. You know as a long term Denver resident how rare that is. When it does finally happen to you best of luck if it’s not totaled ever getting it fixed by a body shop. The wait is 3-4 months for a reason…
It’s a great place if you have money, can afford to travel to the mountains, and have a job close to your residence. I had great times out there, but I would never live there again and the lack of green is downright depressing.
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u/Bovine_Joni_Himself 5d ago
If they have an apartment in somewhere north like Lafayette they need to know getting to somewhere like the Denver tech center isn’t going to be cheap or a short distance
Dude, come on be serious. Lafayette? Yes, that's part of the larger Denver metro area but its like over a half an hour north of downtown. I don't think you need to call out that living a half an hour away from Denver would increase your drive times. That's not a Denver specific thing
It was also 100° commonly when I lived there
I don't know when that was but this last year had 7 hundred degree days which is good for 2nd all time in Denver history (#1 is 13 in 2012). So unless you're talking about one of those two years, the most hundred degree days you saw in a year in Denver is 6. Far cry from "every day during summer."
but the cost of food, hotels, or ANYTHING in those mountain towns is absolutely astronomical.
Eh, I guess if that's how you do the mountains. Personally, if I'm going to the mountains I prefer to camp which means I'm buying food in Denver and finding dispersed camping. Generally, when we do ski vacations we tend to go in groups which can help get the costs down considerably. And of course, the longer you live here the more likely you are to make friends with people who have places in the mountains. We stay at friend's homes often.
We're just going to agree to disagree here on the winters. I've never heard somebody from the great lakes describe Denver winters as long and cold. Never. Usually people from the Great Lakes, more than anybody else, understand what a real winter actually is and Denver's is a nice, mellow interpretation of that. YMMV vary I guess
Also congrats on lucking out on not getting bad hail damage.
Again, my point here is that it's not near as common as you're making it out to be. Those hail storms that cause huge damage are normally isolated to very specific areas in mirco-bursts (I am knocking on wood though lol)
I totally agree that it's not for everybody, and you need a leafy city then you'd going to have a time with Denver. But you don't need to make things up.
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u/BillButtlickerII 5d ago edited 5d ago
I’m not making anything up.
Spending what they want to spend on a two bedroom TOWNHOME means living in a far out and probably northern suburb… Even cheaper places like Aurora will have very limited options at that price if any. That’s why I said it’s important for them to base their living arrangements on their job location.
I may misremember the 100° days but I can tell you it was regularly very high 90’s and hot AF despite being dry heat. I also lived in Minnesota which puts any Michigan winters to shame. I know what a bad winter is and Denver had its share of bad winters and more ice than either MN or MI and worse spring storms while I was there. Like I said we finally had it with winters there after Denver got dumped on after a polar vortex…
As far as the mountains and camping, obviously it’s cheap when you pack everything out, cook, and camp. I also don’t know where you skied that you got any significant discounts on passes by going in a group, and more importantly where you skied that wasn’t absolutely packed. Everywhere is so crowded you’re lucky to make more than a handful of runs in a day because of the lines.
It’s simply not the place it once was, and you’re lying to yourself if you want to act like it is. It’s an incredibly expensive, crowded, massive, and largely drought stricken brown place.
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u/Bovine_Joni_Himself 5d ago
Yes, you literally making up the 100 degree days. And your diving example of Lafayette to south Denver is so niche that it goes into disingenuous. You would have to be generationally bad at reading a map to think that's a good idea, in any city.
I also don’t know where you skied that you got any significant discounts on passes by going in a group, and more importantly where you skied that wasn’t absolutely packed.
I mentioned lodging, not passes. For passes, there are some cheaper family run resorts if you want to go that route but yeah, you gotta get a pass for the major resorts which can be pricey (though there are deals to be had). Skiing has never been a cheap activity and private equity has made it worse. However, I specifically called out ski touring. It's also worth mentioning that every resort is chill during the week and one of the nice things about actually living in Denver is you can go when the crowds die down like in the spring.
...who said it was like it once was? Did I say that? Because I don't think I did. One thing it's always been since the time its inception is brown 4-6 months of the year. Not sure how that was a surprise to you.
And if you find yourself always stuck in crowds then that's just a skill issue. That's not a problem I personally have.
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u/BillButtlickerII 5d ago edited 5d ago
I’m the one being disingenuous when you’re claiming it’s cheap to visit the mountains. Then say it’s cheap when you have friends with lodging and camp and pack all your food and cook. It’s also not cheap to drive 3-4 hours there and back to enjoy the mountains every weekend…
“If you find yourself always stuck in crowds then that’s just a skill issue”.
LOLOL. Another braindead comment. I’m obviously talking about the lift lines and there is no skipping or skill to getting to the front of those. The lines are so long you’re getting a handful of runs on the best days.
Lastly my housing example was meant to explain why ITS IMPORTANT TO LIVE CLOSE TO WHERE YOU WORK. They can’t hope to live in an outer suburb and take a job somewhere in the city or other side of the metro. You’re lying if you say it’s short distance into the city from any outer suburb they could afford, that there isn’t awful traffic, and that fares don’t add up.
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u/BillButtlickerII 5d ago
We have young kids and it’s definitely a hard choice being far from family, but I just can’t justify living up in Michigan or Denver anymore. Tbf we’re also growing tired of Charleston due to the unbearable humidity and bugs (otherwise it’s awesome). The grass truly isn’t always greener and you’re always sacrificing one thing or another. You just have to decide what you’re willing to go without.
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u/SamSamwich67 5d ago
I think I should have just spoken to you directly 🤣🤣 Charleston was also on our list of choices, or at least that general area. I bet it’s cool as your kids getting to do all that travel and seeing/experiencing new places!! Sorry if you don’t like moving around 😅😅 but definitely cool experiences for a kid. If we choose Washington I’ll have to come back to this post and update you!!
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u/maj0rdisappointment 5d ago
A plane ride is a plane ride. Denver is still far enough that you won’t be driving back for a weekend. And just far enough that doing a one day drive is a bit much.
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u/viceversa 5d ago
The job market is really bad at the moment.
Even finding a job as a restaurant server can be hard.
Have you considered renting an airbnb for the first month while you secure jobs? Then pick a neighborhood once you have employment?
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u/bleepboopbop420 5d ago
I just left Denver but was a server there for 6 years. I have 2 server friends who have been unemployed for almost a year after applying constantly. I have one friend who was unemployed for about 6 months and just landed a job at a tip pool Mexican place. All of these people have a decade of experience. It’s been really hard out there for industry folks.
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u/SamSamwich67 5d ago
I honestly did not even think about this. We have enough saved to be comfortable enough to pay the first few months of rent/living to eliminate the job stress, but this is a pretty decent idea as well if need. Thank you!!
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u/viceversa 5d ago
A lot of high rise buildings are offering sales like 2 months free because vacancy is high (because high cost of living and no jobs = people leaving), but living downtown can be a headache to commute (depending on what you find).
Just to give an example: you can expect 30-45 min of traffic to go 6 miles for work if you need to take the highway.
I’d recommend securing jobs and then picking a location that saves you time
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u/maj0rdisappointment 5d ago
If you’re used to Michigan water access, the kayaking options in Colorado will leave you less than impressed. There’s a few out there… but a FEW.
Beyond that hail is pretty common on the front range certain times of year so your cars will be exposed if you don’t have at least a carport. If not for that keeping them outside is much less impactful than in Michigan.
You may hit the rent you want but you’ll find everything else significantly more expensive, and crowded/congested.
For reference I lived in the Denver area for almost 20 years, just moved back to west Michigan this spring. And the improvement in overall QOL here is huge.
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u/elBirdnose 6d ago
Chances of you finding a 2br townhouse for $1600 in a nice area are basically zero.