Life within the mountains has enchantment for a wide range of causes – you could benefit from the pure magnificence, work as a ski teacher or park ranger or just like the concept of hitting the mountaineering trails or ski slopes everytime you’re not within the workplace.
Fortuitously, you’ve got loads of choices to select from when you’re in search of a spot to dwell close to the mountains that additionally presents advantages like affordability, a robust job market and a brief commute to work.
We appeared on the 150 most populous metro areas within the U.S. that make up the U.S. Information Greatest Locations to Stay rating, and compiled the top-ranking spots that supply easy accessibility to mountain trails.
Honorable Mentions
For this checklist, we checked out locations that supply entry to standard mountain roads or trails inside 25 miles of a major metropolis. A couple of locations didn’t fairly make the checklist resulting from their distances from the mountains, particularly Seattle and Portland, Oregon, although residents of each locations don’t hesitate to make the marginally longer drive out of city for day hikes and tenting alternatives. Plus, Seattle’s and Portland’s skylines have main mountains within the distance – Mount Rainier is seen from Seattle and Mount Hood will be seen from Portland.
Moreover, three locations didn’t fairly make the reduce primarily based on the place they fall within the Greatest Locations to Stay in 2022-2023 rating, however they provide easy accessibility to mountaineering trails and different actions.
Denver, nicknamed the Mile Excessive Metropolis for its elevation and positioned on the Entrance Vary resulting in the Rocky Mountains, has the town of Golden in its metro space, a preferred start line for a lot of in search of mountaineering, biking and working trails. Spokane, Washington, is positioned a brief drive from the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and is simply 20 miles from the Antoine Peak Conservation Space. Springfield, Missouri, has a number of rolling hills inside its metropolis limits, however is a part of the Ozark Mountains area and is named the Queen Metropolis of the Ozarks.
These are the ten finest locations to dwell close to the mountains:
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Greatest Locations 2023-2024 Rank: 59
Metro Inhabitants: 1,015,167
Median Dwelling Value: $581,658
Common Annual Wage: $61,860
Whenever you consider the town of Honolulu your first thought will not be of mountains, however the metropolis is residence to the Diamond Head crater and is positioned on the base of peaks like Konahuanui and Tantalus. There are a number of mountaineering trails with a wide range of issue that showcase the tropical great thing about the Hawaiian islands, with loads of lookout factors to absorb views of the town, different close by peaks and the encompassing Pacific Ocean.
To make your keep in Honolulu everlasting, nevertheless, it would price you – the everyday resident spends 29.78% of the median family revenue on hire or mortgage funds, utilities and property taxes.
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Greatest Locations 2023-2024 Rank: 58
Metro Inhabitants: 2,591,858
Median Dwelling Value: $571,980
Common Annual Wage: $54,322
If Salt Lake Metropolis doesn’t come to thoughts when you think about main metro areas close to the mountains, there’s one thing lacking out of your search. Situated within the Salt Lake Valley, Salt Lake Metropolis is surrounded by the Wasatch and Oquirrh mountains. Ski resorts are positioned inside a 30-minute drive of the town, and much more are inside a one-hour drive. There are dozens of mountaineering trails that start within the metropolis or are simply accessible by automotive for a day hike, bike or climb.
Within the Greatest Locations to Stay rating, Salt Lake Metropolis receives excessive marks for the general happiness of its residents, primarily based on the Sharecare Neighborhood Effectively-Being Index, regular job market and brief common morning commute.
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Greatest Locations 2023-2024 Rank: 31
Metro Inhabitants: 918,166
Median Dwelling Value: $330,545
Common Annual Wage: $48,350
A spot for idyllic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Greenville has easy accessibility to trails with overlooks, waterfalls and lake locations. Inside Greenville County, there are three state parks that supply mountaineering, watersports and tenting, amongst different actions.
If you happen to’re seeking to transfer to the world for work and go away mountain excursions to evenings and weekends, GE, Michelin, Proterra and the Greenville Well being System are main employers within the metro space. Greenville residents spend 21.31% of the world’s median family revenue on housing prices.
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Greatest Locations 2023-2024 Rank: 29
Metro Inhabitants: 465,558
Median Dwelling Value: $358,383
Common Annual Wage: $47,470
One other locations positioned within the Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville is understood for its lively arts neighborhood and breathtaking views of the mountains. From Asheville, you will discover easy accessibility to a number of factors on the Appalachian Path and different hikes of various levels of issue.
Whether or not they’re drawn to the entry to the outside or to the handmade, private contact of artwork galleries and farm-to-table eating places all through the metro space, loads of persons are selecting Asheville as their new hometown. The Asheville metro space’s inhabitants grew by 1.11% between 2020 and 2021 resulting from internet migration, in accordance with the U.S. Census Bureau.
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Greatest Locations 2023-2024 Rank: 25
Metro Inhabitants: 364,877
Median Dwelling Value: $219,950
Common Annual Wage: $44,470
Situated within the Catawba Valley of North Carolina, Hickory is part of the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The closest standard mountaineering trails in Hickory vary from simple to reasonable, with longer and extra complicated mountaineering trails only a brief drive deeper into the Blue Ridge Mountains.
The long-lasting blue hues of the mountains are seen within the distance from greater factors within the metro space, and residents profit from a low price of dwelling. The price of dwelling in Hickory requires simply 18.95% of the world’s median family revenue, and is probably the most reasonably priced place to dwell out of the 150 most populous metro areas within the U.S.
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Greatest Locations 2023-2024 Rank: 23
Metro Inhabitants: 354,670
Median Dwelling Value: $596,583
Common Annual Wage: $59,120
Located in opposition to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Fort Collins presents easy accessibility to trails, streams and lakes that dot the world’s rising terrain from city, and it’s simply 35 miles to Rocky Mountain Nationwide Park.
Fort Collins could also be a smaller metro space in contrast with different Rocky Mountain settings, however that doesn’t imply it’s a less expensive place to dwell; space residents spend 26.34% of the median family revenue to cowl hire or mortgage funds, property taxes and utilities. Nonetheless, persons are keen to maneuver there and the Fort Collins metro space is experiencing fast inhabitants development.
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Greatest Locations 2023-2024 Rank: 21
Metro Inhabitants: 873,816
Median Dwelling Value: $360,500
Common Annual Wage: $49,290
Whereas Knoxville itself is a reasonably degree metro space, standard trails for Home Mountain start simply 15 miles outdoors of city, and the Nice Smoky Mountains are simply 35 miles from the middle of the town. The mountain affect in Knoxville is powerful, with the native minor league baseball group dubbed the Tennessee Smokies.
As with many Southern metro areas with fewer than 1 million residents, Knoxville has a low price of dwelling. Residents spend 21.13% of the median family revenue on housing bills.
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Greatest Locations 2023-2024 Rank: 12
Metro Inhabitants: 750,669
Median Dwelling Value: $221,475
Common Annual Wage: $49,440
A lot of the Boise metro space is ready on flat land, however the Boise foothills on the northeastern aspect of the town make for good views to the east, and even higher views from the peaks wanting again on the metropolis. Many trails for mountaineering, mountain biking and path working start within the metropolis or simply outdoors of it, and it is only a brief drive to get to the Boise Nationwide Forest or Sawtooth Nationwide Forest for extra expansive out of doors choices.
With a inhabitants of simply over 750,000 individuals, Boise isn’t wherever near probably the most populous metro space on this checklist, but it surely’s rising shortly. Its inhabitants grew by 3.15% between 2020 and 2021 resulting from internet migration.
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Greatest Locations 2023-2024 Rank: 9
Metro Inhabitants: 747,343
Median Dwelling Value: $515,694
Common Annual Wage: $57,530
Colorado Springs is on the japanese fringe of the Rocky Mountains, and the town itself has an elevation over 6,000 ft. Loads of mountain trails and parks are accessible throughout the metropolis of Colorado Springs, and it’s additionally the house of Backyard of the Gods, a picturesque and in depth rock formation with Pikes Peak seen within the background.
Entry to out of doors actions together with mountaineering, tenting and snowboarding or snowboarding is a giant purpose individuals transfer to or need to transfer to Colorado Springs. It is the No. 2 most fascinating place to dwell out of the 150 most populous metro areas within the U.S.
Greatest Locations 2023-2024 Rank: 4
Metro Inhabitants: 328,713
Median Dwelling Value: $881,147
Common Annual Wage: $73,360
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Nestled in opposition to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Boulder is the best spot for many individuals who need to dwell close to the mountains with out sacrificing job alternatives. Expertise, aerospace and better schooling are main industries in Boulder that lend to the excessive common annual wage of $73,360.
Dozens of trails throughout the metropolis supply loads of mountaineering alternatives for all expertise ranges. Many of those trails are positioned in Boulder’s Open House and Mountain Parks, which is publicly owned land centered on land preservation and sustaining public area for out of doors enjoyment.
