Retirement Lists

Colorado Springs, Colorado

Skyline of downtown Colorado Springs, Colorado, March 2026.
Photo by Quintin Soloviev via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Overall fit
Strong3.9 / 5
Care access
Excellent
Safety
Good3.0 / 5
Climate
Moderate2.5 / 5
Daily life
2.9 / 5 · Good

Is Colorado Springs a good place to retire?

Colorado Springs is a city of 494,743 residents estimated in 2025, with 15.1% of residents age 65 or older. Its 195.4 square miles stretch from Rocky Mountain foothills toward the eastern plains at roughly 6,035 feet.

The city may suit a retiree who wants extensive trails, open space, cultural institutions, and high-acuity hospital care. Elevation, winter snow, wildfire, flood, hail, dry air, traffic, and the distance between a west-side view and ordinary services should shape the home search.

What it may cost

Start with the local estimate. Traveler and couple budgets show how the monthly total can change.

Local monthly estimate

$3,790

Traveler estimate
$5,415
Couple estimate
$5,480
Typical 1BR rent
$1,391
Cost pressure
Moderate
Check your budget

Everyday life

Nearby air service can make family visits simpler. There is an established 50+ community.

31.5%

Residents age 50+

Walkability
Good2.9 / 5Some errands may work on foot; a car may still be useful.
Median broadband
472 MbpsPlenty for video calls and streaming.
Family visits
Airport connected visit
Explore daily life

Colorado Springs, Colorado, in focus

Choose a Colorado Springs home around Memorial Hospital, wildfire and flood maps, altitude, trails, and Mountain Metro

A large city needs a neighborhood-level plan

The 2020 Census counted 478,961 Colorado Springs residents and the 2025 estimate is 494,743 across 195.4 square miles. The city is distinct from El Paso County and the broader metro area.

Compare the proposed home with Memorial Hospital Central, primary care, pharmacy, groceries, trails, library branches, transit, winter roads, wildfire evacuation routes, and the regional destinations used by family. Citywide averages cannot describe every neighborhood.

A strong service base still needs a realistic budget

For 2020 through 2024, Census estimates place the owner-occupied rate at 60.9%, median owner value at $452,600, median gross rent at $1,648, and median selected owner costs at $2,063 with a mortgage or $607 without one. Median household income was $84,818, and poverty was 9.0%.

Add taxes, insurance, utilities, heating, cooling, snow, repairs, transportation, parking, healthcare, prescriptions, and wildfire or hail coverage. A view of the mountains can add distance to daily services and evacuation routes.

Getting the care you need

Hospital access and everyday care both look strong.

11

Hospitals nearby

Healthcare access
Excellent
Country life expectancy
About 78.9 years
Primary care
Excellent
Pharmacy access
Excellent
Explore healthcare

Memorial Hospital Central provides southern Colorado's highest-acuity trauma anchor

UCHealth describes Memorial Hospital Central as an American College of Surgeons-verified Level I adult trauma center and the only Level I trauma center in southern Colorado, staffed around the clock.

That is a substantial regional care asset, not a guarantee of a particular physician, plan network, wait time, specialist, or follow-up route. Confirm primary care, specialists, rehabilitation, prescriptions, home support, and transport from the proposed home.

Understanding safety

Violent and property crime tell a similar story.

Overall safety

Good

3.0 / 5

Violent crime
Moderate
Property crime
Moderate
Explore safety

Public-safety improvement and wildfire exposure can both be true

CSPD reported 2025 year-end data with an average of 785 sworn officers, 86% of 911 calls answered within 20 seconds, and an average Priority 1 response time of 11 minutes 34 seconds. It also reported declines in property crime, burglary, vehicle theft, and crimes against people.

Those are city-reported changes, not standardized neighborhood rates. The fire department's risk assessment identifies wildfire, flood, hazardous materials, rockfall, and mud or debris flow as high-risk hazards, with a 32,655-acre wildland-urban interface. Review the exact parcel for evacuation, insurance, drainage, smoke, lighting, traffic, and emergency access.

Living through the seasons

Summers are the easier season. Winter comfort deserves a closer look.

Overall climate comfort

Moderate2.5 / 5

Summer

81°F

Average high

4 days/year above 90°F

4.8 / 5 · Excellent

Winter

16°F

Average low

187 days/year below freezing

1 / 5 · Poor

Air quality

Excellent

4.9 / 5

Explore climate

High-altitude sun, snow, and dry air shape the daily route

NWS 1991-2020 normals for Colorado Springs show a 50.4 degree Fahrenheit annual mean, 15.91 inches of precipitation, and 32.5 inches of snow. January averages 45.0 and 18.5 degrees for high and low temperatures; July averages 86.5 and 58.2 with 3.12 inches of precipitation.

Inspect heating, insulation, shade, hydration, roof, snow storage, ice, wildfire smoke, hail, drainage, power, and the route to care during a winter storm, high-wind day, or hot afternoon.

Retirement fit

Colorado Springs, strengths and tradeoffs

Care, costs, seasons, and local character can suit some retirees better than others.

Pros

  • Memorial Hospital Central provides Level I adult trauma care and a major regional referral base.
  • Garden of the Gods, North Cheyenne Cañon, Palmer Park, trails, and open spaces provide varied outdoor choices.
  • Mountain Metro offers fixed routes, ADA paratransit, real-time planning, and a downtown shuttle, while Pikes Peak Library District adds branches and programs.

Tradeoffs

  • Wildfire, flood, rockfall, debris flow, smoke, and evacuation differences are highly neighborhood-specific.
  • Altitude, snow, dry air, heating, hail, and insurance affect daily comfort and cost.
  • The city's size creates traffic and meaningful distances between some homes and services.

A few days in Colorado Springs

Spend time with ordinary parts of the city as well as its better known places.

  1. Day 1

    Map the care route

    Drive from the proposed home to Memorial Hospital Central, primary care, pharmacy, groceries, rehabilitation, and the regional specialist route you would use.

  2. Day 2

    Read the hazard maps

    Check wildfire interface, floodplain, evacuation routes, smoke, drainage, insurance, roads, power, and emergency access for the parcel.

  3. Day 3

    Try Mountain Metro

    Check the exact route, stop, fixed-route hours, ADA or paratransit eligibility, downtown shuttle, final walk, medical trips, and return ride.

  4. Day 4

    Use the parks and museums

    Visit Garden of the Gods, a trail, library branch, Pioneers Museum, or Rock Ledge Ranch and note altitude, grade, shade, restrooms, parking, and the route home.

Questions worth asking before you retire in Colorado Springs

Is Colorado Springs a good place to retire?

It may suit someone who wants extensive outdoor access, strong hospital care, libraries, culture, and transit. Confirm altitude, snow, wildfire, flood, traffic, insurance, housing, and neighborhood access.

Does Colorado Springs have a Level I trauma center?

UCHealth identifies Memorial Hospital Central as an American College of Surgeons-verified Level I adult trauma center and the only Level I trauma center in southern Colorado.

Is Colorado Springs safe?

The city reported improvement in several 2025 crime measures, but those are not neighborhood rates. Review current local data and the exact home, including wildfire, flood, smoke, traffic, and emergency access.

Can I live in Colorado Springs without a car?

Mountain Metro provides fixed routes, ADA paratransit, real-time planning, and a downtown shuttle. Check the exact stop, hours, final walks, winter conditions, medical trips, and groceries from the home.

Could this place work for you?

Colorado Springs may suit a retiree who wants a large high-altitude city with Level I trauma care, major parks, libraries, culture, and transit. Choose the home around wildfire and flood exposure, altitude, winter access, care routes, traffic, and the ordinary week beyond the mountain view.

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Sources

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