The Latest Guide to Moving to Colorado Springs

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A Snapshot of Colorado Springs

The Garden of the Gods, the Royal Gorge and Pike’s Peak—Colorado Springs’ natural wonders have made it one the most popular places on Colorado’s Front Range. But this rugged, ruddy terrain in the Rocky Mountains draws more than just outdoor enthusiasts. It’s also a hub for research, enterprise and creative culture.  

The seat of El Paso County, Colorado Springs is the second-most populous city in the state and the largest by landmass. Nearly half a million people now call the city home, and the population has grown rapidly since 2010, gaining more than 70,000 new residents in that time and continuing to expand post-pandemic, even as Denver and Boulder saw declines. 

NORAD, Fort Carson, Peterson Space Force Base, Shriever Space Force Base and the U.S. Air Force Academy make this mountain town a major military one, as well. But the industry base in Colorado Springs is diverse, so you’ll find career opportunities in tech, tourism and beyond.  

When you’re not at work, few cities in America offer more fulfilling ways to spend your free time. Tackle the intrepid Manitou Incline or take a scenic train ride through the Arkansas River gorge. Feast your eyes on art during First Fridays or sample the suds at a brewpub downtown. Witness the astonishment of the sandstone monoliths at Garden of the Gods and the colorful stone outcroppings at Painted Mines. Or behold athletic greatness at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center, where America’s next great talents practice for the world stage. 

If you’re ready to move to Olympic City, U.S.A., learn about the pros and cons of moving to Colorado Springs below in our moving guide, from the relatively affordable cost of living to the fun neighborhoods and the job market. 

Get a quote now on moving to Colorado Springs, Colorado. 

What’s Great About Living in Colorado Springs?

Spectacular Outdoor Living

Colorado Springs’ signature sunny skies and low humidity make stepping outdoors a treat all year round. Here are a few of our favorite places to visit. 

The city is best known for two geologic wonders—Pikes Peak and the Garden of the Gods. Those who want to summit the famous mountain face a daunting 13-mile ascent to the 14,115-foot-high peak of “America’s Mountain,” usually stopping overnight. Reserve a spot at Barr Camp, where you can stay in a tent or cabin, and they’ll cook your dinner and breakfast to help you refuel. If the trek on foot does not appeal, why not take the train? Ride the famous Cog Railway to the top and take in the soaring views without a sweat.  

If a grueling climb is exactly what you seek, just head across the street from the Cog Railroad and try your luck on the Manitou Incline. While it sounds like a railway, this steep stairway to heaven is tough on even seasoned hikers, as it gains 2,000 feet of elevation in only a mile. You must book a reservation to attempt the hike.  

After all this exerting activity, you might want to replenish your stores at one of the famous Manitou Springs. Eight natural springs throughout the area provide mineralized water that has been transformed from rain and snow on Pike’s Peak into a restorative elixir via underground aquifers. Twin Spring has a sweet undertone, while the Navajo Spring is naturally carbonated. These waters do contain high amounts of manganese, though, so go easy on them.  

The aptly named Garden of the Gods certainly feels divinely constructed. The sedimentary rock formed after eons of erosion, glaciation and geologic forces worked their sculptural magic, leaving behind striking, ruddy monoliths beloved by hikers, rock climbers and wonder-seekers from far and wide. The hiking trails around the base are easy and low-grade, but if you’re looking for more of an adventure, just head across Highway 24 to Red Rock Canyon Open Space, where you’ll find numerous trails, a dog park and a terrific terrain park for bikes.  

Paint Mines Interpretive Park contains another one of Colorado Springs’ geologic miracles. Amongst the hoodoos and soaring spires are colorful rock formations with naturally occurring bands of pigmented clay, imparting the pale stones with fuchsia and orange hues that were once used for making paint.  

Nature sightings can be hit or miss at most parks, but when you visit the Colorado Wolf & Wildlife Center, you are guaranteed to meet the kings of the canines. There are standard tours, meet & greets and full moon howlers—all are fun, educational and unlike anything you’ll experience at a regular zoo.  

Colorado Springs doesn’t receive the same amount of snowfall cities to the north do, but there are some great options for skiing just 2-3 hours away. You can skip the expense of tourist towns like Vail and Beaver Creek for local favorites like Monarch Mountain, which also has a snow-tubing lane with a lift. When the snow does fall in Colorado Springs, you’ll want to sled close to home. The Fine Arts Center has one of the favorite local sledding hills, but there are great spots at many area parks, too, like Quail Lake, Mountain Shadows and the Rampart Reservoir, which has a couple of thrilling bumps midway down. 

A Booming Economy

Like its counterparts in Denver and Boulder, Colorado Springs is a hub for aerospace and defense. Collins Aerospace, Lockheed Martin and Boeing are just three of the heavy hitters in this arena. Technology is similarly strong, with more than 350 companies in the region providing critical cybersecurity and software support—Auria, L3Harris and CISCO among them.  

But Colorado Springs’ economic prowess doesn’t rest on these giant’s shoulders alone. In fact, the regional job market—which supported 337,800 nonfarm civilian jobs as of October 2024—is remarkably diversified and balanced.  

Thanks to the four military installations in the region, Colorado Springs’ largest sector is the government, which employs 61,600 individuals. Professional and business services is a close second, with its workforce of 54,700. Trade, transportation and utilities employees’ 49,500 workers and education and health services support an almost equal number. With 44,000 workers, the leisure and hospitality sector demonstrates the strength of tourism in the region, which is expected to generate more than $2.8 billion for Olympic City, U.S.A., in 2024.  

For much of 2024, the unemployment rate in Colorado Springs fluctuated between 4 and 4.5%, just above the national average. A few industries experienced small declines, including manufacturing, which fell 2.4% and information, which shrunk by 5.8%. But many industries expanded, including leisure and hospitality, which added 3.5% more jobs, and education and health services, which grew by 6%.  

A Community Ranked Among the Best

When you’re moving to one of the most desirable cities in the nation, it can be hard to narrow down which neighborhood you want to live in. Colorado Springs was ranked the #3 Best Place to Live in 2025-26 by the U.S. News & World Report, so there are plenty of great spots to choose from. Let’s take a look at three of our faves.  

Downtown Colorado Springs is a walkable, shoppable and enjoyable district that is the envy of many mid-sized cities. This vibrant area is not only filled with fun local boutiques and restaurants, but there are museums, galleries and historic sites to enjoy, from the Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Museum to the Fine Arts Center at Colorado College. All the university students in the area make this district feel like a true college town, so the downtown scene never feels strictly business. Apartments, condos and trendy lofts are the norm, but there are also some cheery single families with lots of vintage charm. 

Head west over I-25, and you’ll find Old Colorado City. This rapidly developing near-town district has an eclectic mix of residential styles and price points in this area, from quaint and cozy clapboards to enormous McMansions and reserved ranches. There’s an equally distinctive array of attractions. During Old Colorado City’s First Friday Art Walk, you can experience a little of everything the neighborhood has to offer, from the art galleries to the brew pubs, bakeries and tapas joints. No Western outpost would feel complete without a haunted attraction or two, and the Wild West Ghost Town Museum is happy to fill that bill here. One of our very favorite spots in this neighborhood is the magical Michael Garman Museum & Gallery. This depot of miniature marvels showcases Garman’s signature “cityscapes,” which children and adults alike will enjoy.  

If you want to be close to the wilderness without actually having to rough it, check out the Manitou Springs area. Spacious homes, both new and old, offer gorgeous mountain views and put you within easy reach of the Garden of the Gods and the Manitou Cliff Dwellings. Along Manitou Avenue, the neighborhood’s main drag, you’ll find casual bistros, taco and BBQ joints and upscale establishments, too. In Manitou Springs, it’s as easy to pick up a trailhead as it is a good pizza, so reward yourself after a day on the mountain with a pie from Savelli’s.  

Solid Education Opportunities

Colorado Springs has a lot to offer in the way of education. Some of the state’s top high schools are located in the district, from the Vanguard School to Classical Academy to Cheyenne Mountain. Colorado Springs School District 11, which was established in 1874, has 22,744 students enrolled across 58 institutions, including charter schools. 

If you are hoping your college-bound kids will stick close to home for their bachelor’s degree, Colorado Springs makes a compelling argument for local learning. In the immediate area, you’ll find the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS), The U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Technical University and Colorado College. CU Boulder, Naropa University and CU Denver are all within three hours of Colorado Springs, too.   

Endless Entertainment and Activities

There’s no doubting the greatness of the great outdoors in Colorado Springs, but there are plenty of wonders in its built environment, too.  

One of the architectural stars of the city is the Cadet Chapel on the campus of the U.S. Air Force Base. This interfaith sanctuary is one of the most unusual on earth, both because of its aerospacial design and because it contains separate chapels for several different religions. The building is undergoing renovations until 2027, but there’s one other campus spot you shouldn’t pass up—the Planetarium. They offer free, star-studded shows nearly every day, so there’s no excuse not to brush up on your knowledge of Saturn’s rings, black holes and auroras.  

History buffs will want to pay a visit to Glen Eyrie Castle. This elaborate mountain estate was formerly the residence of an Army brigadier general followed by a Texas oil baron, but the Christian ministry known as the Navigators acquired the property in the 1950s and converted it into their headquarters. You can drop in for a spot of tea or even stay overnight. If your interests lie more in the state’s industrial past, visit the Western Museum of Mining & Industry. Kids will be awed by the working machinery and steam engines and dazzled by the large collection of fluorescent minerals.  

Some of the best views of the area, though, can only be had by train—on the Royal Gorge Route Railroad, that is. You’ll ride in style through the mountains and along the Arkansas River gorge in nearby Cañon City, marveling at the vistas and wondering why all travel experiences aren’t this pleasant. There are open-air cars when the weather is nice, and the Santa Express train in December is a special treat for kids, who can meet the jolly old man on their dazzling journey to the North Pole, the landscape decked out with holiday lights.  

Archaeologists young and old will find the Colorado Springs area a hotbed of prehistory. In Woodland Park, the Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center will take you on a trip back to the Cretaceous Period, where you’ll meet gargantuan reptiles of the land, sea and air. Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument is just a short drive away, where petrified redwood stumps, pronghorn antelope and red foxes are just a few of the notable attractions.   

But Colorado Springs isn’t known as Olympic City U.S.A. for nothing. The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum—one of the city’s newest attractions—is the place to experience some of the greatest athletic moments in history, from Carl Lewis’s medal haul at the L.A. games in 1984 to the team gold won by the U.S.A. Gymnastics’ Magnificent Seven in 1996. Olympic hopefuls now train there, so you just might bump into the next Michael Phelps.  

Affordable Living in an Expensive Market

Real estate in Colorado seems to get more expensive by the minute, and communities in Denver and Boulder are increasingly feeling the pinch. But the housing market in Colorado Springs hasn’t been squeezing residents as much as the state’s other major metros have.  

Between 2018-2022, the median home value in Colorado Springs averaged $383,000. This is $100,000 over the national average, but it’s still affordable enough here that 61.1% of city residents own their own homes, in line with the 64.8% of Americans who do.  

Compare those figures with Boulder’s, where the homeownership rate is a paltry 47.2%, and the median home value has skyrocketed to $919,700. Denver residents pay an average of $540,400, those in Fort Collins spend $497,400, and Aurora residents shell out $409,700 on average. The statewide median is $465,900.  

If you intend to rent in Colorado Springs, you’ll also find savings, but the contrast here is not as stark. The citywide median is $1,464/mo, but Denver’s—the highest among the bunch—is only $1,853/mo. 

At $79,026, income levels in Colorado Springs sit roughly $4,000 above the national average, but its poverty level of 10.4% falls below it. These numbers are far better than in pricy Boulder, where poverty rates now exceed 22%. If you are looking for a central Colorado city with a reasonable cost of living, Colorado Springs may be one of your best bets. 

Why Wait? Make a Move to Colorado Springs

If you are ready to move to sunny central Colorado, professional movers from United Van Lines can help you make the journey. With our nationwide network of professional, long-distance movers, you can leave all the details to us. One million families across the country have trusted United Van Lines with their moves. 

Get a moving quote now for Colorado Springs.  

Making a long-distance move to Colorado Springs? We can make moving cross-country easy for your family. United Van Lines offers full-service moving packages and customized moving options, and we can tailor your moving services to your needs. Let us handle the packing and unpacking for you. We can also provide storage services for your move, ship your car, and even remove debris from your residence. 

If you’re moving locally to Colorado Springs, either from another residence within the city or from another city in Colorado, United Van Lines’ interstate Colorado Springs agents/movers can provide local moving services independently under their own businesses and brands.  

Committed to moving by yourself? Even if you’re tackling your own move, following United Van Lines’ packing tips, moving checklist and our step-by-step guide to moving long-distance can help you avoid costly mistakes. 

However you choose to move to Colorado Springs, you can learn tips from the pros on United Van Lines’ moving blog and in our digital moving guide, House Key magazine.   

Get an insider’s look at the Rocky Mountain State in this Moving Guide to Colorado. Still deciding which city you want to move to? Peruse our city guides and state guides to discover what areas of the country appeal most to you. 

Get a quote today on moving to Colorado Springs, Colorado. 

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