Colorado Springs Ranked 4th Best Value City 2011
By Kathy Kristof
Like so many Colorado Springs residents, Hayes Nash came for a visit but returned to stay. This burgeoning Western town is filled with transplants drawn by spectacular outdoor beauty, 300 days of sunshine a year, a relatively low cost of living and a vibrant business community that finds little conflict between economy and ecology. Now an eight-year native, Nash says that the cost of living is affordable here. That’s especially true, he says, “when you compare Colorado Springs with other places that have as much to offer. Besides, this place has a happy vibe.”
Many residents first landed in town because they were members of the military or attended school here. The city is home to five military bases, which employ 10% of the workforce, and more than a dozen colleges.
To keep employment rising, the city woos companies with tax incentives and its highly educated workforce (nearly 36% of residents are college grads, compared with 28% nationwide).
Colorado Spr...