View Full Version : Pueblo/Colorado Springs
My Mom has a friend that wants to move out to Colorado from Minnesota (with her adult son), and was thinking about moving to Pueblo or Colorado Springs (somewhere affordable.) She works at Walmart, and wants to transfer their jobs.
I don't know much about the Springs or Pueblo, so I was hoping that those of you that do could give me some general info that would help her. She can't afford much beyond $700/month for a place to live. I know there are Walmarts everywhere. What can you guys tell me about these areas? Are there other areas I should suggest to her that she check out?
Please save that "don't move here!" comments.
BushMasterBoy
09-13-2015, 11:19
Pueblo West has its own Walmart. Less crime than Pueblo city. Probably could buy a house in Pueblo West for $700 a month, if she qualifies. No public transportation in Pueblo West. Check realtor.com. Google "Pueblo West". Visit and see if it is her cup o' tea. New houses popping up all the time in my neighborhood. A brand new double wide was put up a few hundred yards from me, it has to be on concrete foundation though. Apartments and mobile homes on the south side. North side is all single family units. Horse and dogs allowed.Rarely any problem snow. Wide open spaces...
Good info, BushMasterBoy! Thanks. :)
spqrzilla
09-13-2015, 12:08
Pueblo used to really be a dump in my opinion, but with a renovated downtown area, a nice library (and good friends of the library bookstore), I actually find my self going to Pueblo a couple times a year and enjoying myself. Its a bit warmer than I care for these days in the summer.
Just how hot does it get in the summer?
Any other nice places I can suggest to her for living besides Pueblo and Colorado Springs? It just needs to have a Walmart that's not closing within the next year...
BushMasterBoy
09-13-2015, 14:10
Here are some reviews below. It does get hot as hell in the summer. It is 97 degrees right now. I have a window swamp cooler that cools and humidifies the whole house cheaply. I have ever seen one scorpion. Other places fairly local are Florence, Canon City, & Penrose. It is considered the "Banana Belt" due to mild winters. I seriously doubt local Walmarts will ever close. Lots of marijuana stores here and I bet Pueblo county will become the largest producer of MJ in the state. Down side is the wind and the dust as my road is not paved. Best part is that it is least expensive in the state with close access to Safeway, Walmart and state of the art Emergency Room, small with helipad. Read the reviews...
http://www.bestplaces.net/comments/city/colorado/pueblo_west
Check out Widefield/Security area. 80911 zip. Not as hot as Pueblo and easy access to downtown CS or various mountain attractions and hiking.
HoneyBadger
09-13-2015, 15:25
Colorado Springs has several walmarts. The further from Fort Carson, the better (crime/safety, traffic, quality of homes, etc), but things get pricy really quick.
SSChameleon
09-13-2015, 16:26
I moved from the Denver area to Pueblo about 6 years ago. Initially I was skeptical about the town. Turns out, a lot of the bad you hear is from people who haven't lived in Pueblo. It's probably the most affordable decent sized city in Colorado. Like every town, there are good and bad neighborhoods.
You can buy a decent house for $700 per month. It can get hot, but the past two summers haven't been too bad (hit 100 for a few days, otherwise about 90). Less snow than denver/springs, access to the Arkansas river valley, the Riverwalk, and good food.
I think she would like it here. There are two walmarts in pueblo and one in Pueblo west, transferring shouldn't be too difficult.
There are Walmarts in La Junta and Lamar as well if she is looking for less expense and smaller.
Are there things she absolutely has to have access to besides a job at Walmart?
Has she considered Trinidad?
Woodland Park has a Walmart.
Housing is more expensive, but it is a much better place to live than the larger cities.
HoneyBadger
09-13-2015, 20:53
Woodland Park has a Walmart.
Housing is more expensive, but it is a much better place to live than the larger cities.
Property taxes alone on any size house in Woodland Park are probably more than her whole housing budget...
Great information and suggestions, all. She will certainly appreciate it, just like I do!
I'll let her know about the heat- I think it is the humidity and harsh winters she's trying to avoid. Summers in Minnesota often reach the 90s.
I'l add Colorado Springs, Florence, Canon City, Penrose, Widefield/Security, La Junta and Lamar. I don't know if she's considered Trinidad, so I'll add it to the list.
I'll ask my Mom to check with her and see what else she absolutely needs to have access to; all I know is she needs housing that doesn't exceed $700/month and close to Walmart.
She will likely be happier in a smaller town; she's not from a big city.
I agree that Woodland Park would be a wonderful place for her to live, but it's likely beyond her budget. She can definitely visit, though!
Living in Colorado Springs I don't know about living in pueblo and it doesn't really seem like a great place to live just driving through but that's just my opinion. I've only just driven through pueblo and from what others Have said it gets hot there and just seems kind of ... Boring. That being said, for $700 a month she wouldn't be in a very nice area in springs. The housing market is really high here.
hurley842002
09-14-2015, 06:47
There are Walmarts in La Junta and Lamar as well if she is looking for less expense and smaller.
Are there things she absolutely has to have access to besides a job at Walmart?
Has she considered Trinidad?
Born and raised in La Junta, and i'll never live there again. With that said, it would probably be a pretty decent option for her, as there is a Wal Mart, and housing (literally a house) can be had for $500-$700 a month (last time I checked). The Job market isn't real good in La Junta, so that forces quite a few people to work at Wal Mart, meaning I'm not sure how easy it would be to get transferred to the LJ Wal Mart. Summers are pretty hot, and it's not uncommon for LJ to have the state high for the day. Winters are cold with the wind chill (plains), but snow is fairly infrequent (rain also for that matter). Being in the southeast corner of the state, tornadoes are not uncommon. If I can think of anything else, i'll add it, and if she were to choose LJ, I'd be happy to try and be of more assistance on the in's and out's of the place.
Zundfolge
09-14-2015, 08:27
Woodland Park has a Walmart.
Housing is more expensive, but it is a much better place to live than the larger cities.
They're building a brand new apartment complex just up the road from the Walmart in Woodland Park as well ... so there may end up being some affordable housing up there.
Colorado Springs is IMNSHO much nicer than Pueblo, but the $700/mo housing is going to be in the worst parts of town (or down in the Fountain Valley south of town). If she comes to The Springs, just avoid the Walmart on East Platte and she should be safe (the 8th Street Walmart is close to Old Colorado City which may have some housing in her price range and is closer to the mountains if that's why she's coming to CO ... thats why we came here).
There is a Walmart down in Trinidad. I'd much rather live in Trinidad than Pueblo. If she doesn't need to live on the Front Range, there's also ones in Alamosa, Salida, Pagosa Springs, Gunnison, Rifle, Montrose, Glenwood Springs, Avon, Craig, Steamboat Springs and 2 in Grand Junction ... all of which are places I'd rather live in than Pueblo (and many of which should be comparable to live price wise).
I'll let her know about the heat- I think it is the humidity and harsh winters she's trying to avoid. Summers in Minnesota often reach the 90s.
That sounds like Pueblo (only without the humidity).
With the 8th Street Walmart in mind I did find a pretty good apartment for $650 http://ppar.com/search/listing.aspx?q=24217170
The building itself doesn't look like much but its in the middle of a very nice area of middle and upper middle class homes (and right near the Broadmoor area with its million dollar homes and 5 star internationally ranked hotel). Its also only a few blocks from the 8th Street Walmart.
Have I told you guys how awesome you are? :)
This s all great information. I'm going to be taking with her this afternoon, so I'll find out more information at that time.
BlasterBob
09-14-2015, 16:31
After living just outside of Trinidad for the past twenty years, we pulled stakes and moved "bag and baggage" to central Illomois (Peoria) last Thursday. We REALLY enjoyed the small town, country atmosphere how ever there is a serious lack of decent medical care/facilities for us older folks. This lack and the sudden over abundance of vagrants, homeless folks and beggars on so many corners coupled with numerous break-ins have made safety kinda questionable. This is most likely due to so blasted many "pot shops". There is a big Walmart in Trinidad and they are quite friendly in that store but all the other negatives have prompted us to haul ass out of Colorado. Perhaps we will eventually run into a cluster of negatives here too but we'll just have to live with them. Good luck!
Dlesh123
09-14-2015, 21:08
I have lived in Fountain for 19 years( just south of Security Widefield). There is a Walmart, about half the difference in temperature from the Colorado Springs official temp at the Airport and Pueblo Airport. About 5 cooler than Pueblo, 5 warmer than Colorado Springs. Very large military influence from Ft Carson, but then to me, the planes on final to COS I like to hear and the occasional very loud concussions from Ft Carson are the sounds of freedom to me. Pueblo west is very dry and dusty. If she wants to get away from the cold, Gunnison is not the place. At -51, coldest place I have ever lived, mud season can be miserable as well but what summer there is can be nice.
I grew up around Greeley, there are Walmarts there, but I hear the housing prices are going up, but I am still partial to that area being I grew up on a farm, I like that environment.
Lived in Rocky Ford( down by LaJunta with their Walmart) , enjoyed my time there ( again the farm environment) but not much else going on there. Not much medical care, people there go to Pueblo or more likely the Springs for serious issues or just for shopping. But you definitely find the cheapest prices for housing.
All the places had their politics, it will depend on what else they are looking for; scenery, activities, health care, temperate or more weather extremes and how long of the year for the extremes. Best of luck to them.
rock_castle
09-16-2015, 20:42
Pueblo West has its own Walmart. Less crime than Pueblo city. Probably could buy a house in Pueblo West for $700 a month, if she qualifies. No public transportation in Pueblo West. Check realtor.com. Google "Pueblo West". Visit and see if it is her cup o' tea. New houses popping up all the time in my neighborhood. A brand new double wide was put up a few hundred yards from me, it has to be on concrete foundation though. Apartments and mobile homes on the south side. North side is all single family units. Horse and dogs allowed.Rarely any problem snow. Wide open spaces...
This^^
Pueblo West is nice. Stay away from Pueblo itself, though. Big crime problem.
BushMasterBoy
09-17-2015, 00:06
Other options are Divide, Cripple Creek and Victor. All high country with serious snow in the winter. I lived in Victor for a year. Closest Walmart is Woodland Park. About the most beautiful place I ever lived. Houses are fairly cheap, dining out is cheap as it is subsidized by gambling. Summers are fairly cool, winters can be brutal at 10,000 feet. In 1994 at the Midnight Rose Casino a pitcher of draft beer cost me a $1.29...lol
There's a damn nice WalMart in Elizabeth, only 3-4 years old, if that. Really nice one. Don't know about the cost of living there though. Nice area, we'd like to live there.
hurley842002
09-17-2015, 03:08
There's a damn nice WalMart in Elizabeth, only 3-4 years old, if that. Really nice one. Don't know about the cost of living there though. Nice area, we'd like to live there.
That is a nice WalMart. I definitely would consider Elizabeth if I was planning on staying in CO.
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