The State of Colorado spans 66,620,160 acres, with approximately 36% (24,000,000 acres) designated as public land. It includes 64 counties and is home to about 6.03 million people. Colorado is known for its diverse landscapes ranging from mountains and prairies to high desert and large urban areas. Nature and wildlife abound throughout the state. A mixture of big cities and small historic towns provides an endless variety of lifestyles, settings, and amenities. Combined with all of the year-round activities, it’s easy to see why many dream of making Colorado their home.
Colorado Cities and Towns
Colorado’s state capital is Denver, home to Denver International Airport (DIA), the fourth busiest airport in the United States. This city provides nearly every urban amenity you could want and sits at the intersection of I-25 and I-70. Denver has many smaller municipalities surrounding it that extend the metro area, such as Littleton, Aurora, and Lakewood. Just to the south, Colorado Springs is the second largest city in the state, while Fort Collins to the north is one of the top five.
In these more developed areas, you can often find newer homes, especially in the surrounding cities, and higher-density housing such as townhomes and condos because of the higher population. Large land parcels are hard to come by, so there are more infill projects in the city. To the east of I-25, which connects Denver, Colorado Springs and Fort Collins, the land is primarily used for farming and agricultural purposes. The landscape changes from mountains to plains and crop fields with livestock and thriving agricultural operations, while incorporated cities and towns nearby offer everyday conveniences.
Other smaller cities, including Durango, Grand Junction, Alamosa, and Cortez, offer a variety of real estate options. Ski towns such as Aspen, Vail, and Telluride are among Colorado’s most popular destinations, especially for their scenery, resorts, and luxury living. In between these well-known areas, there’s lots of rural agricultural land, supporting the production of Colorado’s large barley, cattle, corn, beans, fruits, and other products, as well as high alpine settings and roads connecting throughout the mountainous region. From the Eastern Plains to the Rocky Mountains, there’s a wide variety of lifestyles and landscapes to explore. Durango has an amazing mix of the best of Colorado, with our setting spanning from high desert to high alpine.
Colorado Association of RealtorsⓇ Statistics
Statewide in 2025, there were a total of 128,130 new single-family/townhome listings, of which 85,800 converted into sales. Active listings increased 8% from 2024, although sales only increased by 1.1%. The median and average sales prices of $550,000 and $725,825 respectively, represented less than a 1% change year-over-year. Although we typically like to see 4-6% growth, there were 10%+ jumps in 2020, 2021, and 2022 that quickly changed our market, so seeing more listings and prices normalizing is a positive sign. Days on market increased 14.5% year-over-year, also supporting the less chaotic market we saw in 2020-2022. The Housing Affordability Index has also increased another 5.4% to 78 after dropping significantly in 2022 to the low 50s. This number is based on interest rates, median sales price, and median income by county.
La Plata County only represents a small fraction of the statewide statistics. However, it follows similar trends on a smaller scale. More inventory and steady sales help guide our market, although our median and average sold prices continue to rise, ending at $682,500 and $884,633 in 2025 (about $100,000 higher than the state’s).
Keeping up to date on market statistics allows us to provide the best information and data-driven advice to our clients.
Why It’s Important to Use a Local RealtorⓇ
Even though Colorado RealtorsⓇ are licensed to serve the entire state and can conduct business in any Colorado submarket, there are many variables in each area that are best attended to by a local agent with geographic competence. Property details such as land, water rights, wildlife, location, insurance, and other nuances are important to buying, selling, and owning real estate. Using a RealtorⓇ allows that knowledge to work for you. Although we specialize in the Southwest Colorado area, including all of La Plata County and Montezuma County, we would love to help connect you with one of our trusted referral partners anywhere in Colorado, the United States, or the world.
Living and working in Durango, we know the incredible benefits of calling Colorado home. We also understand the ins and outs of the Southwest Colorado real estate market, and we would love to put that knowledge and industry experience to work in order to support your real estate goals. Whether you’re buying or selling, please do not hesitate to contact us for more information.
