Greeley, Colorado began as a small, pioneering and agricultural settlement. Founded by young Nathan Meeker and named after Horace Greeley—the same man who popularized the phrase go west, young man—the settlement quickly developed into an agricultural center home to a hardworking and proud community.
Today, that history and pride have led our Northern Colorado city to become one of the largest in the state, the center of Weld County and a driving force in culture, community events and entertainment. However, Greeley remains one of the state’s hidden gems despite its affordable housing, prime location and abundance of amenities.
Today, we’re showing off a bit and proving why Greeley, Colorado is a great place to call home.
1. It’s actually one of the country’s happiest places.
In the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index published in March 2018, Greeley landed the 35th spot with a 63 Well-Being Index Score, which is just 4.6 points below the number one region, Naples–Immokalee–Marco Island, Florida. You can see that report here.
But it’s not just data that proves Greeley is one of Northern Colorado’s best places to live. Keep reading to learn about our culture, our community and our amazing people.
2. Downtown Greeley has something for everyone.
Home to the Moxi and countless other local businesses, downtown Greeley is a Colorado Certified Creative District. As such, it’s the Greeley headquarters of arts, culture and entertainment. You can experience all of that at neighborhood events like the monthly First Friday: A Night of Art, Friday Fest throughout the summer, and OktoBREWfest in the fall.
While exploring the downtown area, we recommend making stops at the Rio Grande, Stuft, Meeker’s, and Cranford’s Tea Tavern for food and drinks.
3. It’s home to the University of Northern Colorado.
The University of Northern Colorado is the educational heart of Greeley and is also one of the employment powerhouses in all of Northern Colorado. The public research university is home to more than 13,000 students and six colleges, which employ 837 faculty and a total of 1,820 full-time and part-time employees.
4. Three words: Location, location, location.
These three words don’t just apply to real estate. In Greeley, you’re in the middle of some of the state’s best outdoor recreation opportunities, and you’re one hour north of Denver, less than an hour from Fort Collins, and half an hour from Loveland. So if you ever need to escape town for a weekend, discover something new, explore a new city, or even commute to work, you have the perfect home base.
5. It offers both affordability and profitability.
Fort Collins and Greeley markets were among the two most profitable places for sellers in 2017, according to ATTOM Data Solutions. According to our 2017 Annual Report, average home sale price increased $24,903 from 2016 to 2017, and Greeley still has the lowest average price amongst our Northern Colorado communities. That makes it a great environment for buyers and sellers thanks to the affordable home prices and the steady appreciation.
In fact, WalletHub’s Best Cities for First-Time Home Buyers 2018 named Greeley 20th just in front of Longmont, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs and Westminster, among other nationwide cities.
6. It was the first city to have a Department of Culture.
In 1958, Greeley became the first city to have a Department of Culture. Today, that is celebrated through the Department of Culture, Parks and Recreation which maintains facilities like Greeley Ice Haus, Greeley Recreation Center and Family FunPlex. In addition, they host cultural events in dance, recreation and pure fun.
In addition to this department, community organizations Greeley Downtown Development Authority, Greeley Creative District and Greeley Unexpected organize festivals, events and programs in every category. We suggest marking your calendars for Greeley Multicultural Festival, AgriCULTURE Feast and Día de Los Muertos in Greeley!
7. City of Greeley Museums maintains four educational sites (and that’s not all!).
City of Greeley Museums is the city’s educational powerhouse, maintaining Centennial Village Museum, Greeley History Museum, Meeker Home Museum and White-Plumb Farm Learning Center, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
One of our favorite museums in all of Northern Colorado, Centennial Village Museum is a living history experience and is part of Island Grove Regional Park just north of downtown Greeley. The seasonal museum features costumed interpreters, heritage farm animals, eight acres of beautifully landscaped grounds, and more than 35 historical buildings, including some of the oldest structures in Weld County.
Additionally, Greeley is home to the Lee Maxwell Washing Machine Museum and the Colorado Model Railroad Museum, one charmingly quirky and one incredibly interesting.
8. Recreation is available in every season.
Located 25 miles northeast of Greeley, Pawnee National Grassland is a 193,060-acre grassland ideal for outdoor recreation of all kinds. Internationally known as a popular birding area, you can also hike, bike, camp, picnic, horseback ride, stargaze, snowshoe, cross-country ski and watch wildlife.
In town, you can dive in year-round at Adventure Island Indoor Waterpark, ice skate year-round at Greeley Ice Haus, and even sled down some of the best sledding hills in Northern Colorado. For more ideas, check out The Best Sledding Hills in Fort Collins, Loveland and Greeley or The Best Northern Colorado Biking Trails for Beginners.
9. There are a ton of cool things to do here.
A few of our favorite things to do in the area include the Moxi Theater and Union Colony Civic Center where you can see live music, Kress Cinema & Lounge where you can see a movie, sip a cocktail and enter Greeley’s basement speakeasy, and Adventure Island Indoor Waterpark and Centennial Village Museum where you can have fun with the whole family. For more ideas, check out The 10 Coolest Things to Do in Greeley, Colorado.
10. We’ve become famous for craft beer.
This is thanks in huge part to WeldWerks Brewing, which has made national headlines after impressive showings at Great American Beer Festival. But they’re not the only craft brewery to call Greeley home. Crabtree Brewing Company opened its doors in May 2006 and has since become one of the city’s veteran breweries. Following them, Greeley’s craft beer scene has grown to also include Wiley Roots Brewing Company, Broken Plow Brewery, and Green Earth Brewing Company.
To learn more about these local spots and several others in our surrounding communities, check out The Ultimate Guide to 20 Craft Breweries from Greeley to Loveland, Colorado.
11. It’s growing.
WalletHub ranked 2018’s Fastest-Growing Cities in America and their findings landed Greeley the 26th spot on the list. Even more impressive than that, our city snagged the number one spot in the Jobs & Economy Ranking which considered 12 metrics including job growth, median household income growth, unemployment rate decrease, median house price growth and increase in the number of businesses.
In summary, that means Greeley is growing by the numbers when it comes to things to do, its employment opportunities, its housing market, and its overall livability.
Do you love Greeley?
Tell us why in the comments below!
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