7 Pros And Cons Of Living In Eagle, Colorado
Are you considering moving to Colorado and wonder whether you should relocate to a big city or a small mountain town? In this video, I'm going to give you seven pros and cons of living and moving to Eagle, Colorado. We'll look at this city's location, amenities, and cost of living so you can decide if it's right for you.
Verify your mortgage eligibility (Apr 25th, 2024)Welcome To Eagle
If you want to relocate somewhere in Colorado or to Colorado from a different location, you might be wondering where you should settle. Do you want to live in a big metropolitan area like Denver? Or would you prefer living in one of the great mountain towns you hear so much about? To help you decide, we're going to tell you all about Eagle, Colorado.
Most people know where the Denver Metro is, and Eagle is located about 130 miles west. It's one of the last cities in the Vail Valley. If you’ve heard of Vail Ski Resort or Beaver Creek Ski Resort, Eagle is right down the road from those two wonderful locations. Let's now look at seven things to consider if you're thinking of moving to Eagle, Colorado.
Verify your mortgage eligibility (Apr 25th, 2024)#7: Crime And Schools
Coming in at number seven, we’re going to talk about crime and schools. These are both pros regarding the ability of residents to walk around town without having to worry about who’s at your back. Crime is ranked on a scale from one to 100, 1 being low and 100 being high. Eagle's violent crime comes in at 11.8, while the US national average is 22.7. Eagle property crime is a slightly higher number than that, coming in at 18.2. Keep in mind that the US national average is 35.4.
A bunch of our friends, family, and clients that live here, have moved from the Denver Metro, or have come in from other states love the area for its schools. According to The Vail Daily, Eagle County High Schools make the Best High School list by US News and World Report. Some of the top-rated schools in the valley here are Vail Ski and Snowboard Academy, which ranks as an A+.
There's also Brush Creek Elementary School that rates A+, Eagle Valley Middle School that rates at an A, and Eagle Valley Elementary School which comes in at a C+. This school has been increasing its ratings over the last couple of years.
Verify your mortgage eligibility (Apr 25th, 2024)#6: Weather
The sixth thing to know about Eagle, Colorado is that we have weather. I’m going to call this a con and a pro, depending on where you’re coming from. If you're relocating from a warmer area, the weather is going to be a con. If you’re coming from somewhere like Chicago, where I'm from, the weather is definitely a plus that comes with all sorts of other things.
Let's first talk about the cons. The weather up here can change very dramatically. In the mountains, you really have to be prepared for all different seasons no matter what time of year it is. We’ve had snow, we’ve had rain, we’ve had wind, and we’ve had sun - where I got sunburned and sun poisoning. And then the next day the weather was wonderful.
So if you hate the snow, this is not the place that you're necessarily going to love. You might learn to appreciate it, but you’re not going to love it.
Verify your mortgage eligibility (Apr 25th, 2024)#5: Activities
Coming in at number five is our activities. This is, again, both a pro and a con. The pro of our activities is that no matter what time of year it is, you actually look forward to the seasons. You'll look forward to snow in winter, springtime, the summer, and the fall. Why? Because here in Colorado, your activities can change from season to season, which is awesome.
You can snowmobile in winter and go boating and mountain biking in the summer. There are so many hiking and mountain biking trails in Eagle. No matter where you live, you can literally find a trail right out your back door. The con of all of these activities is cash.
Most of the activities that you’re going to be doing come with a sizable entrance cost. For example, your ski pass could cost you about $800. Your ski gear is another $1,000, depending on what you get. If you're buying new, you’ll need the boots, the goggles, the outerwear, and all that type of stuff. However, you’re going to get way more addedbenefits in the life enjoyment that you get here in Eagle when you do. You can also always finance these activities.
Verify your mortgage eligibility (Apr 25th, 2024)#4: The Location
The fourth thing to consider is location. For me, Eagle's location is a pro. However, if you travel for work, the location can be a bit of a con. Right down the street, about 10 minutes away, is the Vail Valley Regional Airport. It’s a smaller airport, and there’s not a whole lot of direct flights. If you have to travel on a regular basis, that would definitely be a con.
The pro of the location is that you see deer, wildlife, and elk. I even saw an eagle yesterday, scooping up a fish out of the river. If you want a big city and a convenient location, Eagle isn't for you. You can go to Denver instead. But if you’re looking for a bit of activity and want to live in the mountains, this location in Colorado is fantastic.
#3: The Cost Of Living
Number three is the elephant in the room, and that's the cost of living. One of the big negatives of Eagle is that it's about 29% or so more expensive than the national average to live here. That's across the board for food, gas, housing, and more. However, let’s couple that with the positive.
Verify your mortgage eligibility (Apr 25th, 2024)The median income here in Eagle, Colorado is $114,000, which is well above the national average. The positive here is that the people that do live here can afford it. The negative is if you’re just looking to come here with no prospects, it's probably not the best path for you.
#2: Jobs
The cost of living brings us into number two: the pros and cons of our jobs. The biggest employers in the area are the Vail health systems and the resorts. Those type of service industries is what draws a lot of people to Eagle. One of the cool things that I’ve seen - which is a definite pro - is that the people who live here all own their own companies or have the ability to work remotely or work from home.
Here in Eagle, you have that "don't tread on me" mentality. People want to just do what’s best for themselves and their families while still fostering a tight-knit sense of community. So if you need a plumber, an electrician, a mortgage guy, or a realtor, likely there’s somebody in your network that owns their own company and would be able to assist. This is an awesome aspect of living in Eagle.
Verify your mortgage eligibility (Apr 25th, 2024)#1: Western Heritage
Finally, number one is Eagle's Western heritage. When you get to experience driving through Wyoming, Nebraska, and then start to see Colorado's landscape and the Rocky Mountains jut out of the plains, it’s one of those cool things that makes you see why the western expansion in the 1800s was a thing. It definitely caught me.
I feel like you’re either going to like living in the West - that Western heritage of pulling yourself up by your bootstraps and starting fresh - or it’s just not going to be for you. This Western, rancher, Colorado heritage is completely rad.
Experience The Colorado Lifestyle In Eagle
Here's a bonus tip for you: one of the really cool things about living in the mountains of Colorado is that it gives you time to reflect. You'll realize how small and insignificant you really are in the grand scheme of things. We all think we’re super important, but if you get out by yourself, take the dogs out for a walk, or ski by yourself and look around on the chairlift, you'll see how big everything is.
Verify your mortgage eligibility (Apr 25th, 2024)The mountains are big, the rivers are big, the Elk are big, and some of the houses are massive. It's one of those things where you really realize that just going with the flow and letting yourself immerse into what the Colorado lifestyle has to offer is the best path. While that's my personal opinion, Colorado has treated me very this last decade. It's just a wonderful, wonderful place to call home.
So if you'd like to explore your real estate options in Eagle, Colorado, feel free to reach out to me and I'll be happy to help. Make sure you also subscribe to my channel so you never miss an episode of my show, all about living in the Denver Metro area. Stay tuned to see what I feature next!
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