01
CO
Photo by Abhi Verma on Unsplash
Denver
CO · 3.0M metro
Denver tops the mountain list with an OutdoorScore of 85, $1,863 median rent, and a 3.0M metro behind it.
85
OutdoorScore (0 to 100)
$1,863
median rent / month
3.0M
metro residents
Mountain living has an obvious appeal and a less obvious cost structure. The places with the best access tend to be either tiny resort towns with no economy or front-range cities that have absorbed a decade of demand. The useful question is which ones combine real terrain access with a functioning city underneath it.
This list covers Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and New Mexico, filtered to an OutdoorScore of 65 or higher and no more than 30 extreme heat days, then ranked with parks weighted most heavily. The heat cap keeps the desert metros out of a mountain list.
the ranking
- see the full dispatch for Denver
02
IDPhoto by Will Smith on Unsplash
Boise
ID · 827k metro
Boise lands second: an OutdoorScore of 82 at $1,794 a month, in a 827k metro.
see the full dispatch for Boise82
OutdoorScore (0 to 100)
$1,794
median rent / month
827k
metro residents
03
UTPhoto by Saul Flores on Unsplash
Salt Lake City
UT · 1.3M metro
Salt Lake City takes third with an OutdoorScore of 78, $1,608 median rent, and 1.3M people.
see the full dispatch for Salt Lake City78
OutdoorScore (0 to 100)
$1,608
median rent / month
1.3M
metro residents
04
UTPhoto by Quang Vuong on Pexels
Provo
UT · 733k metro
Provo pairs an OutdoorScore of 81 with $1,743 rent at a 733k metro size.
see the full dispatch for Provo81
OutdoorScore (0 to 100)
$1,743
median rent / month
733k
metro residents
05
UTPhoto by Chase Charaba on Unsplash
Ogden
UT · 658k metro
Ogden earns its spot on access and cost: OutdoorScore 80, $1,641 a month.
see the full dispatch for Ogden80
OutdoorScore (0 to 100)
$1,641
median rent / month
658k
metro residents
06
Colorado Springs
CO · 769k metro
Colorado Springs is the mid-list pick that holds up: an OutdoorScore of 71 at $1,733 median rent.
see the full dispatch for Colorado Springs71
OutdoorScore (0 to 100)
$1,733
median rent / month
769k
metro residents
07
COPhoto by Simon Goetz on Unsplash
Boulder
CO · 327k metro
Boulder clears the bar with an OutdoorScore of 79 and $2,216 rent in a 327k metro.
see the full dispatch for Boulder79
OutdoorScore (0 to 100)
$2,216
median rent / month
327k
metro residents
08
COPhoto by Frankie Lopez on Unsplash
Fort Collins
CO · 371k metro
Fort Collins keeps the terrain close: OutdoorScore 69, $1,971 a month, 371k people.
see the full dispatch for Fort Collins69
OutdoorScore (0 to 100)
$1,971
median rent / month
371k
metro residents
09
COPhoto by Griffin Wooldridge on Pexels
Greeley
CO · 359k metro
Greeley rounds out the list with an OutdoorScore of 67 and $1,698 median rent.
see the full dispatch for Greeley67
OutdoorScore (0 to 100)
$1,698
median rent / month
359k
metro residents
how we ranked
We rank by 35% parks and OutdoorScore, 25% affordability, 20% weather, 10% things to do, and 10% walkability across CO, UT, ID, MT, WY, and NM, filtered to an OutdoorScore of 65 or higher and under 30 extreme heat days a year.
common questions
- What counts as a mountain town here?
- Cities in Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and New Mexico with an OutdoorScore of 65 or higher and fewer than 30 extreme heat days a year. The heat cap keeps desert metros out.
- Why are the big metros included?
- Landable covers metro areas rather than resort villages, so the list favors places with an economy attached. Several entries are small metros under 400,000 people.
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