People are drawn to Colorado’s Rocky Mountains for breathtaking views, seemingly endless outdoor activities, or a beautiful place to exhale. Colorado’s ski towns rank high on most, if not all, best ski resort lists. Ski Powered by Outside ranked Aspen, Telluride, and Crested Butte among the best in their article, “The Top 30 Ski Resorts in the West (2025).”
The Centennial State undoubtedly tops the list of US travel destinations for skiers, outdoor enthusiasts, and anyone in between. With 14 million people visiting Colorado’s ski resorts between 2023 and 2024, some visitors and residents will make the leap as ski or mountain town residents. As so many Coloradans have found, the logistics for buying a home and moving in are more complex. Explore ski-town living with us – the most coveted and expensive, top alternatives, and best moving-in advice from our Colorado moving company professionals.
The Best Ski Towns in Colorado & Can or Should You Move In?
Luxury and proximity to Colorado’s prime ski resorts place certain towns, such as Aspen, Telluride, Vail, and Crested Butte, on aspiring mountain residents’ wish lists. Many Coloradans already live in these charming towns. Housing prices and scarcity are discouraging homeowners and renters from moving to the region. These local areas are expensive and hard to get into. Read on for snapshots of these popular, but elusive, local areas and a few more attainable, equally appealing alternatives.
Moving to Aspen
Known as luxurious, this ski town is high-end everything, whether you’re visiting to ski, shop, or live in the community.
Situated in Pitkin County and close to the Maroon Bells, according to World Population Review data, Aspen has over 6,000 residents with a median age of over 40 and a high $189,599 average household income.
Nearby cities:
- Woody Creek
- Snowmass Village
- Norrie
- Basalt
Moving to Telluride
Many locals and visitors consider Telluride “the next Aspen.” According to the World Population Review, San Miguel County has a population of 2,459. The median age is 42 years, and the average household income is $142,830.
Nearby cities:
- Mountain Village
- Ophir
- Ouray
- Sawpit
- Silverton
Moving to Vail
We can’t talk about Colorado ski towns without mentioning this A-list gem nestled in the White River National Forest. Visitors and many Coloradans would love to pack up and move into this community. Data from World Population Review says that over 4,000 people live in Eagle County. The median age is higher than in Aspen and Telluride at 49.5, and the average sits below Aspen’s at $184,630.
Nearby cities:
- Minturn
- Avon
- Red Cliff
- Copper Mountain
- Heeney
Moving to Crested Butte
Often affectionately called "crusty butt" by locals, this town is highly regarded as a ski destination and is recognized as Colorado’s “Wildflower Capital.” This area in Gunnison County has a smaller population of 1,662 residents. Its median age is 44, with an average household income of $109,489, based on World Population Review data.
Nearby cities:
- Mount Crested Butte
- Marble
People dream of living in these ski towns for good reason. Economy, availability, and mortgage rates now push homebuyer dreams further out of reach.
Thank goodness Colorado has over 270 rural communities for mountain-home dreamers. There are some affordable yet rustic areas with breathtaking views, proximity to ski resorts, and a small-town culture without mile-high costs.
Read our article, “Top Reasons Moving Happens in 2025: Local CO Trends & Why It’s More Stressful,” for more on mountain counties and commute times.
Affordable Choices: Move Here if You Dream of Life in a Local CO Mountain Town
You’ve seen the big-name ski towns, but what about affordable options for mountain living? Let’s look at communities where you don’t need a millionaire’s budget to enjoy small-town culture and big scenery.
Almost half of Colorado is mountainous, so there are a lot of charming towns, ski resorts, hiking trails, and city escapes to love. Some you might know and some you won’t.
If you dream of mountain life but worry about the cost of living, there are affordable, higher-end alternatives and growing rural areas. Read on to learn more about more affordable options, why they are catching attention, and special local move-in tips in the mountains. Let’s explore a few nearby resort alternatives, including upcoming, most popular, and hidden gems.
Moving to Paonia
This lesser-known local alternative has a smaller community but landed on several lists as a great mountain town to live in. World Atlas mentioned it first in the “11 Best Places to Live in Colorado in 2025” article. A 2.5-hour drive from Aspen and 1.5 hours from Crested Butte, residents can soak in the small-town feel and enjoy the outdoors.
Looking at World Population Review’s data, this Delta County community with fewer than 1,500 residents has plenty of room to grow. The average household income here is $66,927, and the median age is 51 years.
Where is Paonia on affordability?
Best Places gave Paonia a cost-of-living score of 93.2. While this may seem high, it’s 22.7% lower than Colorado’s average. It typically costs $388,800 to buy a house and $1,050 a month to rent a two-bedroom apartment here.
Moving to Leadville
Named in iHeart’s article, “Colorado Town Among The ‘Most Affordable Mountain Towns’ In the US,” Leadville is another ski-town option. What the World Population Review data said – in Lake County, the town’s 2,631 constituents are a 45-minute drive from Vail. The average household income is $107,043, and the median age is 38.
Where is Leadville on affordability?
Don’t let Leadville’s 94.7 cost-of-living score from Best Places scare you. Areas with scores under 100 are below the US average. Buying a house here costs around $428,800. Renting a two-bedroom apartment costs $970 monthly.
Moving to Montrose
A favorite with outdoorsmen, Montrose is about 1.5 hours from Telluride. Located in Montrose County, this mountain town has a larger population of over 21,000. They have an average household income of $83,388 and a median age of 45, according to World Population Review.
Where is Montrose on affordability?
Best Places gave this charming town a 95.4 cost-of-living score, which is 4.6% below the US average. The typical home price of $421,400 is above the national average but below Colorado’s. A two-bedroom apartment rents for around $1,070 a month.
Do you want to reduce local moving costs? Find “Expert Tips on Reducing Local Moving Costs from Bailey’s Moving & Storage.”
Ready to Move into a Rural Home? Read These Moving Tips First
If you are ready to move into a local Colorado ski resort-adjacent home, do yourself a favor and incorporate these moving tips into your professional or DIY plan. The high elevation can quickly derail your move-in day. We asked our professional crews to share their expertise.
Here are their best tips to meet mountain moving challenges and avoid pitfalls.
- Plan for elevated & narrow driveways – Mountain homes are notorious for steep and hard-to-park driveways and roads. If you can’t back the truck up to the driveway, parking as close as possible and shuttling your stuff is the next best thing. What is a shuttle? It’s using smaller trucks and trailers to move the furniture and boxes to the house or apartment.
- Add additional time to your schedule – Local moves in cities and suburbs take a day or two, depending on the size of the move. Even smaller moves mean hours of heavy lifting, squeezing bulky items through doorways, and lugging boxes into and out of one or more moving trucks. Mountain moves take longer, from driving over winding roads to carrying the stuff farther from the truck parked down the street.
- Have more people – Higher elevations make everything harder. The air is thinner up there. Literally. You’ll feel it faster in the mountains, so spread the load across more people to make it easier for everyone.
- Prepare for uneven walkways & dirt – Mountain towns have more dirt roads and driveways to trip on and kick up dust. Bring cardboard or something else to walk across and blankets or plastic wrap to protect your stuff from dirt and mud.
Talk to Bailey’s Moving & Storage about handling all or just the hardest parts of your local move. Try our online Moving Cost Calculator or schedule an estimate.
Conclusion: The Appeal of Mountain Living
We get it - Nearly half of Colorado is mountainous, so living in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, surrounded by 10,000-foot peaks and fourteeners, is appealing. While resort-town goals can be challenging to achieve, there are more affordable alternatives. If you plan to move to the mountains, prepare for high-altitude challenges and be proactive to avoid or reduce common pitfalls. Estimate your moving costs before planning your move.
