Golden, Colorado

Golden, Colorado is a charming, small city full of charm, a rich history, and a surprising variety of amenities and options. Considered a suburb of Denver, it's a great place to live if you are looking to reside close to Denver and experience great small-town personality. With a population of just under 18,000, this is a good city to find family and community values.

Located along Clear Creek and the eastern edge of the Front Range foothills, much of Golden's charm can be attributed to its rich history. Formed during the Pike's Peak gold rush of 1859, you can really get a good sense of history from the city's quaint buildings and adorable streets. The structures stand in strong and enjoyable contrast to the amazing landscape views surrounding Golden.

Golden markets itself as a great city for enjoying tons of outdoor and indoor activities, without the higher prices of other larger cities. Website like 2hourvacation.com help outline all the great things in Golden to do, from mountain climbing and hiking to visiting many of the cities museums, like that of famed western showman Buffalo Bill, who is buried in Golden. The Colorado Railroad Museum is also located in this city, as well as the famous Coors beer brewery.

If you're looking to live here and not just visit, there are some jobs in small companies here, as well as some schooling options like the Colorado School of Mines, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and the American Mountaineering Center.

Housing prices vary pretty wildly here, with there being options for single family homes, small basement apartments, condominiums and larger apartment complexes. Though not as high as prices in popular ski towns like Aspen, Golden prices look to run a bit high in some parts of town. We see two bedroom apartments listed for a little as $500 in average parts of town, with two bedrooms running up to $1500 a month in the high-end parts of town. Overall, the city has lower crime rates than Colorado's average, and the look of the historic buildings, old houses, cozy streets and gorgeous scenery makes for a pretty charming place to live.