Finding the Best Places to Retire Since 2006!
Lafayette, Colorado
Surrounded by Open Space Outside of Trendy, Collegiate Boulder, Lafayette is a Peaceful Town With a Nice Old Town and a Growing Arts Scene
Founded by farmer Mary Miller in 1888, peaceful Lafayette has grown from an agricultural center and coal mining town to an inviting bedroom community. It is only 18 miles north of Denver, Colorado's capital city, and 10 miles east of Boulder, the home of the University of Colorado. It is, though, surrounded by enough open space and farmland to give it a rural quality. The Rocky Mountains sit in the distance.
Lafayette's Old Town is small but cute with eateries, museums and shops, many adorned with murals. Locals enjoy numerous celebrations, including an art night out and a Peach Festival. An arts commission and Arts Lafayette supports the burgeoning arts scene. The Theater Company of Lafayette, the Book Arts League, and the Colorado Center for Musical Arts all make their home here. The town maintains 20 neighborhood parks, and Waneka Lake has boat rentals and fitness trails. The Burger Recreation Center has racquetball courts, a running track, and a 3-pool aquatics area. The city's Indian Peaks Golf Course was designed by Hale Irwin and boasts sweeping views. Thomas Open Space has a solar project and sustainable farming outreach.
Neighborhoods range from very modest to very expensive and well manicured. Many residents are white collar and commute to Boulder for work.
Population: 32,000 (city proper)
Age 45 or Better: 38%
Cost of Living: 45% above the national average.
Median Home Price: $675,000
Climate: Summer temperatures are in the 80s and 90s, and winter temperatures are in the 20s, 30s and 40s. On average, the area receives 14 of rain and 43 inches of snow per year.
At Least One Hospital Accepts Medicare Patients? Yes
At Least One Accredited by Joint Commission? Yes
Public Transit: Yes
Crime Rate: Below the national average
Public Library: Yes
Political Leanings: Liberal
College Educated: 55%
Is Colorado Considered Tax Friendly for Retirement? Yes
Cons: None
Notes: Lafayette is a nice town and has grown 14% within the last decade. The parks and recreation department has a good menu of senior activities. The median home price has increased 2% since last year.
Recommended as a Retirement Spot? Yes
Colorado:
Similar to California, the Colorado area was surrendered to the United States in 1848 at the end of the Mexican-American War. It did not become a state until 1876, 100 years after the nation's birth.
The Centennial State's geography includes high plains, deserts, foothills, and mountains. Its Rockies are part of the 3,000-plus mile geologic uplift known as the North American Cordillera. More than 50 of the Cordillera's peaks taller than 14,000 feet are in Colorado. Outdoor recreation ranges from backpacking and climbing to road cycling and skiing.
With roots in mining and agriculture, Colorado's economy has branched in many directions. It currently has a high concentration of tech and scientific research companies. Food processing, manufacturing, and tourism round out the state's industries.
The Centennial State maintains a long list of superlatives. It has the highest paved road, the deepest geothermal hot spring, and the nation's largest concentration of scenic byways. Colorado is the only state in the Union to reject the Olympics and one of the first to legalize recreational marijuana.
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