A recent report from KDVR capitalized on US Census data to show which Front Range Colorado spots were gaining (and losing) the most residents.

Their report held a few surprises – Pueblo and Longmont both lost residents between 2022 and 2023 despite the state’s overall growth, Colorado Springs grew faster than Denver, Fort Collins, and Boulder, and a couple spots saw their local population remain completely flat. That being said, perhaps no surprise was greater than the report of which city grew the fastest – Greeley.

Located about 20 miles east of Loveland, the often-overlooked city of Greeley grew its population a reported 3.1 percent between 2022 and 2023 to 112,609 residents. To put that in perspective, the next two closest ‘growers’ along the Front Range were Loveland and Castle Rock, growing 1.9 percent and 1.6 percent, respectively.

While many long-term Coloradans are likely familiar with negative assumptions made about this city, it’s actually been given a nod as recently as 2022 as being one of the top 15 ‘quality of life spots’ in the country. After all, cost of living is a bit lower in Greeley, homes are more affordable, and the mountains are still a reasonable drive away. Plus, it’s home to a thriving college and one of the best arts and music scenes in the state.

According to Realtor.com, the median listing home price in Greeley in April of 2024 was $436,700. That compares to Denver’s median home price of $614,900 and nearby Loveland’s median home price of $570,900 – and again, Loveland is only about 30 minutes away.

It’s also worth noting that Best Places puts Greeley’s ‘cost of living’ index score at 113.4 – 13.4 percent higher than the national average, but 5.9 percent lower than the Colorado average.

About an hour from Denver and Boulder and about 45 minutes from Fort Collins, amenities of bigger cities are relatively close, too – at least not as far as some rumors about the ‘ranching city on the plains’ would lead the average Coloradan to believe.

So, there you have it, maybe people are finally catching on to Greeley being kind of cool and the way it offers a chance to build a life in Colorado at a lower cost.

Find the full report from KDVR here.