What it's *really* like to live in Evergreen, Colorado
Evergreen is a charming, small mountain town nestled in the foothills of Colorado offering real community and outdoor living with amazing hiking, biking, paddle boarding, ice skating, schools, restaurants and coffee shops. But we also deal with rough roads, snow, limited options and travel time.
So what’s it really like to live here year-round?
What I love About Living in Evergreen
Charming Mountain-Town Feel: From the small downtown to the lake, Evergreen feels like a mountain town. It was even featured in a Hallmark movie for good reason! Neighbors are kind, houses are different and unique, restaurants are locally owned, and life is slowed-down. From jazz festivals to art sculpture tours, the art culture is thriving. From small hikes to swan boats, the feeling is quaint and like home. Evergreen is not a municipality as it does not have a mayor or city council. We’re overseen by the county but run by the caring folks who live here, making it truly a unique mountain town. You don’t end up in Evergreen by accident. You don’t necessarily come here for a specific job. You choose to come here. And when people want to be here, they want to make it as good of a place to live as possible. That matters! Read about the 7 benefits of moving to the mountains.
A Freeing Life: We leave our doors open for the dogs to come in and out and windows open for the mountain breeze. We have little-to-no bugs so we just let the cool air come through! We rarely lock the doors to our house or cars (we sometimes have to lock our car doors at night due to the bears!). We are often hiking or playing in a creek. We’re often in wet clothes after playing on the lake. We’re often sitting creekside with a cup of coffee. We’re rarely, if ever, stuck in traffic (except when the elk take over the road). There’s a pace to this life up here in the mountains that is good for the soul. And once we’ve tasted that, it’s hard to imagine going back.
Incredible Weather: The summer months are incredible. Gone are the heat and humidity that make it hard to go outside in the city. Our average temperature for the summer is low-80s and yet the winter months are only low-40s. Sure, we get some snow, but it’s our best kept secret that we had as much snow when we lived in Denver as we do in Evergreen. Shhh…don’t tell anyone!
Outdoor Activities Abound: While Evergreen life is a slower pace, you will never be bored! The center of town features our 40-acre lake, walking trail, and historic boat house where paddle boarding is the main attraction. When winter hits, the lake becomes a hub for ice skating, hockey games and hot chocolate. Using the trail systems is a daily activity, not just a weekend getaway, with thousands of acres available for free for hiking, running and biking. Four-season living at its finest provides opportunities year-round. Read about 9 amazing things to do in Evergreen.
Date Nights and Family Restaurants: Evergreen has many options for dining that range from elegant date nights to great family establishments. Creekside (and lakeside) dining, restaurants with a view, a winery and breweries - what else could you ask for when looking for a great date spot? And for my large family of four boys, several restaurants that have great kids menus with mocktails and desserts. Plenty of coffee shops and ice cream around. All the better, everything is locally owned. Sure, you can drive a little out of town for a few corporate options (when in a pinch) but otherwise everyone here supports and roots for each other.
Live Events, Festivals and Community Activities: The reason you move to a small mountain town is not simply for the rustic amenities, but for the community! The famous Evergreen Rodeo and parade, Dam Duck Rally, Christmas Festival, Jazz Festival, Chili-Cookoff, Concerts in the Park, Movies in the Park, Winterfest, and more. In the summer, there is some big event every weekend, and even some in the winter (if you’re not off skiing). There’s also many ways to give back and volunteer with others.
Amazing Schools: For a family with four boys, one of the biggest considerations in moving was where our kids would go to school. We wanted strong academics partnered with good community and caring staff. We found all three, and then some, in the public schools up here. Teachers live locally and want to be there! We also have charter and private options, providing various environments that work for your children. Read about school options in the foothills.
What is Hard About Living in Evergreen
Natural Risks: We are in an area that is a serious fire risk. Trees, lots of trees, with a dry climate that is only getting worse. Yet, despite the dry climate and lack of water, we’re also in a high flood-risk area. Explain that! We have high winds that often blow down trees and power lines which leads to, you guessed it, an even greater fire risk! In recent years, our power company has even started to turn off power during high wind storms, which makes keeping your refrigerator cool a challenge. Read about preventing wildfires on your property.
Higher Insurance: Insurance companies are worried about it all (see bullet point above) so insurance can be hard to find and expensive. Read tips on getting insurance in the mountains.
You HAVE to have a car: There’s no other way of putting it - it’s impossible to live here without a car. There’s no buses or public transport. You rarely can walk to anything (unless you live right down-town). There’s a few car services that will take you to the airport, but even Uber and DoorDash don’t operate up here. Depending on your location, there are school bus options, but that is still a challenge. And not only do you need a car, but you need a big one that has four-wheel drive for those winter storms. Once you’re in Evergreen, you may live closer to I-70 (in North Evergreen) or to Hwy-285 (closer to Conifer). While it’s nice to be near two major roads, those are the only ways out of town unless you want a scenic mountain drive.
Rough Roads: The roads up here can be rough. Most are paved by the county as normal roads. Some are loosely paved and some are dirt roads. Plus, there’s no flat roads - a lot of up and down hill driving! The wear on your car is legit. Our car expenses have gone up - tires, breaks, shocks, etc. A serious increase to your budget.
Community can be different: For families and retirees, it can be amazing. For younger adults or those who are single without kids, there might be a lack of nightlife (this town can be sleepy!) or activities to meet others.
You have to plan ahead: If you forget milk at the store, you may not be a quick 2 minute drive to get some. DoorDash is a rarity here so you have to plan ahead when “out in town” to pick up dinner. In fact, there’s lots of future thinking of when you may be at the store, or out for dinner, or at a Target or Costco (all within a 30-45 minute drive, but certainly not next door).
Home Prices are Extreme: Due to proximity to Denver and being an idyllic mountain town, and because there is no land left to build on, demand for housing is through the roof (pun intended?) and has caused prices to be on the high end. Also, since Evergreen is made up of hundreds of unique neighborhoods, homes and areas are completely different from each other (no track housing here) so prices are varied. While you can find some affordable houses here, your average home is around $900k and often more is needed to get what you may want in a mountain home: space, land and views.
Jobs are hard to come by: If you move here you likely have your employment figured out, whether that’s working from home, running a business or working in the service industry. If you are looking for a job, or want to change careers, there’s limited options due to this being more of a sleepy tourist town. Many people do commute to Denver or other cities to work, which is very doable depending on where you live, but that is a choice you have to consider.
Wildlife is for real: Baby deer are cute, foxes are adorable, and the eagles are amazing. But there are some risks to living with wildlife. Bears can get into your car, elk can attack. It’s a different reality than our old suburb life.
Should You Move to Evergreen?
That depends, of course, on what you’re looking for and what stage of life you may be in. There are lots of factors to consider. There are trade-offs of course. What do you value most? Living in an urban setting, walking to restaurants, close access to the airport and a Target and your job at the tech center? It may not be for you. If you are able to work from here and want a surreal mountain living experience? Join us.
I can help you navigate all of these pros and cons of living in Evergreen or other foothills towns. Don’t hesitate to reach out - I’ll be brutally honest but it may just help you make the best decision for your dream life!
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