Reviews & Comments
Pueblo, CO
Retired to Pueblo Sans Regrets -
4/26/2023I retired to Pueblo almost eight years ago and have had no regrets. My primary reason for coming here was that it was one of the cheapest places to live west of the “humidity line.” My wife and I wanted to live as economically as possible so we could afford to travel and enjoy retirement. At that time real estate here was amazingly affordable. It has since gone up quite a bit, but still compares very favorably to most of the country, and certainly to most of Colorado. Most of the things people complain about are rooted in poverty. Pueblo was once the second largest city in the state, and fairly prosperous. There are numerous Victorian mansions scattered around town that serve as a reminder of that. But it was a steel mill town, and as the mills started closing down Pueblo became poor. It’s much like any number of Midwestern industrial cities that have suffered the same fate. Poverty generally leads to higher crime, lower education levels, and less cultural sophistication. So yes, we have those problems. But some of these negative reviews are so hysterical and exaggerated that they’re laughable. I have read that there are liquor stores on every corner, which is absurd. I have seen words like, ghetto and slums, used by people who clearly don’t know the true definitions of those words. I just read one of the reviews here that said there is a murder every day. The reality is that there is an average of less than one homicide per month – too many, but not so many that ordinary people going about their daily business have anything more to worry about than they would in any number of other cities. I think being around poor people makes some folks feel nervous or vulnerable – like they’re going to be robbed any minute. It’s the “judging a book by its cover” thing. I have lived in many different cities, and I have to say that in general the people of Pueblo are the nicest and most courteous I have found anywhere. Don’t be stupid and move into a sketchy neighborhood or go to a sketchy bar at night. But then you wouldn’t do those things in any city, right?
I have only the perspective of a retiree, so I can’t speak to the pros and cons of building a career or raising a family here. But for retirees on a budget Pueblo is pretty ideal. The climate is quite mild, except that it can get too hot for me in summer. That’s when I head for the mountains, sometimes for weeks at a time. Speaking of the mountains, I lived in Denver for more than twenty years. Getting to the mountains from there, especially on a weekend, was hardly worth the trouble because of the traffic and crowds. Here in Pueblo it’s a breeze. Go anywhere you want, pretty much without traffic. Be well into the mountains within an hour or two. And much closer, Pueblo State Park is a gem. Pueblo also has culture, but you do have to go looking for it. It has a university and a good community college. There is an active art community, and even theater. The pace is slow and small town like. I could never go back to Denver; I hate even going there to visit. Colorado Springs is a nice city, but growing like crazy, now five times the size of Pueblo, and I really don’t want to live there either. I have been satisfied with medical care in Pueblo, but on rare occasions I have gone to Colorado Springs, only about 45 minutes away, for more specialized care. Things I wish we had: A better grocery store on the north side, or maybe even a COSTCO!