Two Colorado metros among strongest economies in U.S. Cities
Lower-maintenance homes empower the lifestyle of your dreams
Despite predictions for a slowing economy in 2023, the 2022 economy showed strength. The economy grew sharply at the end of 2022, with an expansion of 2.9% in the 4th quarter, according to a report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Cities nationwide were robust economically. The states of Utah, Texas and Colorado had the largest number of bestperforming large cities. Two of the top fifteen metro areas are Colorado havens — Colorado Springs and Denver-aurora-lakewood.
Ranking No. 9 in the nation, Colorado Springs showed almost 7% employment growth from 2015 to 2020 and 5% wage growth over the same period. Colorado Springs is home to 735,480 residents and nearly 37% hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. The city ranked No. 27 for employment growth out of 200 cities, No. 51 for wage growth and No. 42 for adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher.
The metropolitan area of Denver-aurora-lakewood experienced over 4% in employment growth and 7.5% in wage growth. The area has 2,928,437 residents and nearly 45% hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. The city ranked No. 52 for employment growth, No. 32 for wage growth and No. 15 for highly educated adults.
Employment growth in the top 15 large cities ranged from 2.5% in San Jose, California, to almost 20% in Provo, which also ranked first in wage growth — 28% from 2015 to 2020, reports 24.7 Wall Street.
The best-performing large cities in the United States were noted by 24/7 Wall St. after reviewing the Milken Institute’s report Best-performing Cities 2022 – Charting Economic Resilience and Opportunity — which evaluated metropolitan areas on 11 factors such as employment and wage growth.
Here are the top five cities with the most robust economies, according to 24/7 Wall Street and the Milken Institute.
Employment and wage growth is from 2015 to 2020.
Provo-orem, Utah
• Employment growth: +19.8% (#1 highest out of 200 cities)
• Wage growth: +28.0% (#1 highest)
• Adults with bachelor’s degree or higher: 40.7% (#25 highest)
• Total population:
633,129 — #102 highest
For nearly two decades, as Boulder Creek Neighborhoods has grown, the Louisvillebased builder has upheld one primary mission: To deliver homes that empower homeowners to live fully, pursuing their passions on their terms.
Now, as Boulder Creek Neighborhoods celebrates closing on just over 2,000 homes across nearly 30 neighborhoods, the company is continuing to meet the need they saw 20 years ago in new and unique ways. “Many of our first neighborhoods were focused on the empty nester – the patio home buyer,” said Jessica Champlin, chief revenue officer for Boulder Creek Neighborhoods. Though there are still plenty of downsizer home buyers, it turns out that buyers who prioritize lifestyleoriented, lower-maintenance homes in 2023 are not only the traditional empty nesters but also young professionals, busy families with children, and frankly, active adults of all ages. Champlin said, “For many of our recent home buyers, we see that you’re never too young for a lower-maintenance lifestyle”
– a lifestyle that can free the homeowner from early morning snow shoveling and weekends with the weedwhacker to savor outdoor adventures, time with family or friends or simply a quiet evening with a good book.
She explained, “Our roots have always been in lifestyleoriented housing, and what that looked like when we started was ranch-style patio homes that were generally targeted toward the retiree looking to downsize. What we have learned over time is that there are lifestyle buyers across all ages, stages and price points.”
Thus, Boulder Creek Neighborhoods has added designs to its portfolio to cater to the demands of today’s market with three distinct lower-maintenance home products: easyhouse®, weecottage® and Limited Edition homes. With neighborhoods in Erie and Superior and down to Littleton and Denver, Champlin said, “We’re offering opportunities to the lifestyle buyer that they can’t otherwise find on the market.”
easyhouse: Lowermaintenance ranch patio homes for peaceful living
Perhaps Boulder Creek’s most recognized product, easyhouse, has proven to be an ideal fit
for hundreds of buyers craving a lower-maintenance lifestyle, from West Edge in Colliers Hill in Erie to Lanterns at Rock Creek in Superior. These ranch-style homes offer plenty of storage with three-to-five bedrooms and an optionally finished lower level. Several easyhouse floor plans feature an optional entertainer’s kitchen with home personalization opportunities like porcelain tiles, quartz counters, and maple cabinetry. A hallmark of easyhouse is open-concept, flexible spaces that are bright, flexible, and “easy,” said Champlin. All day-to-day living spaces are located on the main floor, so laundry, cooking, bathing, and relaxing spaces are just steps away.
In addition, easyhouse main-floor living saves time and energy, and many of these homes offer minimum-step thresholds. Doorways are wide to maximize accessibility, bathrooms are spacious to allow ease of movement and electrical outlets are raised to reduce bending. “These homes are truly designed for ease of living,” said Champlin.
wee-cottages: ‘Right sized’ single-family homes
Boulder Creek Neighborhoods’ wee-cottages “are for those seeking to purchase a singlefamily home - first-time buyers, young professionals, retirees and young families,” Champlin said. The price point, cozy sizing and lower-maintenance conveniences are designed to “inspire the homeowner to live the life they always intended but never had time for,” she noted.
Boulder Creek sales manager Micah Davidson said wee cottages, currently available at Rogers Farm in Superior and North End in Central Park in Denver, rate among Boulder Creek’s all-time popular floor plans. He recalled, “I’ve had realtors who would call every week to learn when the next wee-cottage would be released. People love the smaller, easier-to-take-care-of-home.”
Davidson added that the wee-cottage purposefully addresses Boulder County’s dearth of affordable homes.
“We want to be a part of this solution,” he said. “We do not want people’s only option for a more affordable home to be a 50-plus-year-old fixer-upper that needs a ton of work, whether that is a remodel or tons of landscaping. We want people to be able to buy a high-quality, efficient home without having to worry about an endless supply of projects around the home. Just move in and relax.”
Limited Edition homes: Well-crafted homes for the lifestyler of all ages
Boulder Creek Neighborhoods is pushing the boundaries of indoor-outdoor living with their latest Limited Edition collection of home designs, coming soon to Baseline, a masterplanned community under development in Broomfield. “Baseline is a different type of neighborhood – one uniquely focused on sustainable living
– so we created a brand new home series to fit the community and reflect the shared values of Baseline and Boulder Creek Neighborhoods,” explained Jason Sinkey, creative manager at Boulder Creek Neighborhoods.
“With these homes, our architects were inspired by the nature-friendly Baseline vibe, where homeowners can step from nature to retail to home,” said Boulder Creek chief revenue officer Jessica Champlin.
Limited Edition homes at Baseline showcase cutting-edge, dynamic designs that “flow seamlessly from the streetscape, reflect the priorities of the Baseline community and are grand and gracious from every angle,” said principal architect Mitch Traeger. Indoors, Limited Edition floor plans boast easy access to patios and balconies from each floor of the home, and contemporary finishes and swathes of natural light create a striking impression.
‘Lifefullness’ to the max
“Wherever we build, we are helping buyers who want a lower-maintenance lifestyle take advantage of their home to live the way they want. This is what we call ‘lifefullness®,’” Champlin said.
To enhance ‘lifefullness,’ homes by Boulder Creek Neighborhoods are supported by a new home warranty and crafted with the utmost care for peace of mind and longerterm durability. Likewise, Boulder Creek homes have always prioritized efficiency, with homes often offering solar panels, outlets for electric vehicles and of course, Energy Star-rated appliances.
When it comes to a home’s finishes, buyers collaborate with Boulder Creek’s professional home designers to personalize the home of their dreams. Champlin said, “We offer almost endless personalization options to encourage home buyers to create a home that fits their style and their lifestyle.”
Whatever your needs, Boulder Creek Neighborhoods has a home to take your lifestyle to the next level. For ranch-style patio homes, easyhouse options are available for a limited time at West Edge at Colliers Hill and Lanterns at Rock Creek. For those interested in a wee-cottage, new cottages are now available at Rogers Farm and North End in Central Park. Finally, Limited Editions homes by Boulder Creek Neighborhoods are bringing lower-maintenance conveniences to Baseline later this year.