Of those, Denver came in at number forty overall. But while this ranking doesn't give the Mile High City any bragging rights in its home state (Colorado Springs, Boulder and Fort Collins all place higher), the finish marks a significant improvement over last year and reverses a precipitous multi-year tumble. Note that in 2020, Denver was second in the nation, behind only Boulder, which topped the U.S. News roster. But in 2021, the Mile High City took a dive to 14th before plunging to 55th a year later — and it fell all the way to 99th place in 2023.
By those standards, 40th doesn't look so bad. In the hundreds of comments on the Westword Facebook post of the news, though, many readers disagree. Says Jason:
Denver is the most overrated city in the U.S.Adds Felicia:
I would love to have whatever the person was smoking who wrote this article. Denver was awesome fifteen to twenty years ago.Replies Carmen:
This place would be awesome if it didn't take people's entire incomes just to have a place to live.Comments Emannual:
Denver has been destroyed. I am so happy I lived in the metro while it was amazing.Counters Alex:
Why are people on a Denver page complaining about Denver? If you don’t like it, don’t go. Don’t come for sports, don’t come for a night on the town, don’t come for festivals. Just don’t come down anymore: We don’t want you, we don’t need you. Just stay in your irrelevant town that no one knows exists where you can have your little high school gossip sessions about how Denver is scary. It’s like everyone wants to play cowboy until it’s time to live in the Wild West.Responds Stephanie:
Denver is a beautiful city with so much to offer.And Caylah concludes:
Who makes these lists??? Whoever they are, they have never lived in these places.
