I find it funny that people who are clearly from out of state are rating Colorado. I've lived here for 15 years, in the foothills (Evergreen, CO) and not only does it possess the beauty of the so-often referenced Aspen (by the tourists below me who think Colorado only as two cities, Aspen and Denver), but it is only a 20 minute drive from Denver, although it doesn't feel like it, and 40 minutes from Breckenridge, and hour from Vail and Beaver Creek. As for culture, my town has countless outdoor and indoor art shows, countless jazz bands, orchestras, and garage bands, not to mention lake-side concerts, but it is also host to some of the most successful and intelligent people in Colorado... how does your California address measure up? Or perhaps those of you from Ohio can help us out? And as for the ridiculous "Colorado is not civilized" claim, I must admit that *in fact* my town does in fact have paved roads, four grocery stores, countless gas stations, some great high end restaurants, and even our own sprawling million-dollar house acreage suburbias- not to mention a ridiculous amount of starbucks. The only reason I rate it 4 stars is because of the high cost of living and possible snobbery that comes with the town that most might not be able to afford or handle.

JUST RECENTLY VISITED CO. IN EARLY JUNE. AS EARLY AS THE 70'S I HAD ALWAYS WANTED TO SEE WHAT ALL THE HYPE WAS ABOUT WHEN JOHN DENVER INTRODUCED ME TO THIS ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH. BEING FROM SOUTH CAROLINA I AM ACCUSTOMED TO THE BLUE RIDGE, THE SMOKIES, AND UNENDING GREEN FOLIAGE WHICH I LOVE. COLORADO WAS JUST SO VERY DIFFERENT. THE SCENERY WAS ABSOLUTELY STUNNING. WE EXPERIENCED SPRINGTIME, AND A SNOWSTORM ALL IN THE SAME WEEK. THE TINY WESTERN TOWNS, THE OPEN RANGE, THE UNPAVED ROADS, THE MILES OF NEAR DESOLATION WERE ALL AMAZING. THE WHITE ASPENS, THE RUSHING RIVERS, THE WILD FLOWERS, ABSOLUTELY FILLED THE SENSES. THE OLD MINERS CABINS DOTTING THE LANDSCAPE FROM SO LONG AGO INTRIGUED MY IMAGINATION. I AM NOT A GREAT FAN OF BIG SKI RESORTS, AND I KNOW COLORADO HAS THEIR FAIR SHARE. NO FEAR-WE WERE NEVER VERY FAR FROM UNSPOILED LAND OR A REASONABLE DRIVE TO ANOTHER SMALL TOWN WITH ONE OR TWO BUILDINGS HOUSING THE GENERAL STORE, POST OFFICE, AND CERTAINLY BOLD AND PROUD--THE SALOON. THIS STRUCK ME AS HUMOROUS--AS I AM FROM THE BIBLE BELT, AND YES THERE ARE BARS A-PLENTY, BUT LETS JUST SAY WE ARE MORE DISCREET IN OUR ADVERTISING. SPEAKING OF COMING FROM THE BIBLE BELT, WE WERE SURPRISED THAT CHURCHES WEREN'T AROUND EVERY CORNER. THIS IS NOT STATED AS A CRITICISM, JUST VERY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT I AM USED TO. I WOULD LIKE TO COMPLIMENT THE PEOPLE. EVERYONE WAS SO FRIENDLY AND CORDIAL. IT WAS A BIT LIKE BEING AT HOME. THE NORTHEAST COULD TAKE A LESSON FROM YOU FOLKS IN COLORADO. (I DO LOVE THE NORTHEAST, BUT HAVE NOTICED WITH SOME EXCEPTION, BEING CORDIAL IS NOT OVERALL THEIR BEST QUALITY. COLORADO YOU ARE AN AWESOME STATE. AND LAST, I WOULD LIKE TO SEND MY COMPLIMENTS TO GEORGETOWN-ADORABLE, QUAINT , GREAT FOOD AND FRIENDLY.

Beautiful scenery, excellent food, and Marijuana is seen as a PLANT,not a drug.
Now what's not to love?

Colorado is a great place for people who love the snow and the mountains. You can go skiing, travel up Pike's Peak, visit the sixteenth street mall in downtown Denver, and many other things. If you want to avoid the snow, then travel in the summer months(June, July; August). If you have asthma, the mountain air my help to reduce or eliminate your symptoms. When I lived in Denver for a few years, I never once had a problem with my asthma. The parks in Denver also have geese. So if you like geese, then pay these parks a visit. Parks located in Lakewood(a suburb of Denver) are more likely to have geese than the other parks.

Colorado is a beautiful place and I will always visit but, I don't like living here. The people are odd except for the Californians and they are just annoying. The wages are low and it is a "right to work" state which means you can get fired for no reason. I just saw on the news that more people get fired here than any other state. Normal people are being pushed out of the mountains by the elite. They can no longer afford it.

Colorado has really become a desireable place to live in the nation's eyes during the past decade or so.  I think it's a combination of celeb's and rich folk frequenting the ski resorts in the winter and making headlines on magazines like People, US Weekly, and such, as well as the re-location to the state from Californians and others throughout the country to experience nature, and from good marketing done by the state.  Sunny days and mild winters (except for this past one) and a plethora of parks and mountains to explore make it a dream state for any outdoorsman/woman.  Oddly enough, Colorado is a bit like teflon, in that things that could have tarnished the state's rep never have only seemed to increase its notoriety...aka JonBenet Ramsey, Columbine, South Park...

A classic example of being too-large-a-subject-to-rate singularly because of the item. . .this state is a perfect example of the 'mixed bag 3-star rating' - Denver and Boulder are nice towns to visit and spend a little time. . .there are certainly beautiful mountains and hiking trails. . .don't forget to check out Red Rocks (one of the most unique music venues on Earth). . .but Colorado's drawbacks are immense- no real culture outside of the university towns. . .it's a mostly homogenous white-goofball-Christian culture that is allergic to many progressive ideas (outside of the university towns). . .and there's no nice way to say this- much of the culture is the worst of what distant-out-of-touch conservatism and (more importantly) uber-American isolationism have to offer. . .after researching Columbine after the shootings, I felt not the least bit surprised that it actually happened in that town. . .all in all, the most convoluted/complex 3-star rating ever- nice views, 3 good cities, somewhat affordable, lack of culture outside of college-areas. . .3 stars. Probaly a push to 4-stars if you enjoy hiking, fishing, hunting, or any serious outdoor activity. . .

I visited my dad in Grand Junction in '99. He had been living there a couple of years, and remained until 2001. His brother still lives in G.Junction, and I would certainly like to make the trip again one day. My wife and I agree that if we ever took the notion to leave Georgia, the Western Slope would be a great place to live. It seems that I may have brought some Georgia weather with me on my trip, however. The week of my visit, the big news story was a tornado striking downtown Salt Lake City, causing heavy damage. Apparently, tornadoes are an anomaly for that part of the country. Consider yourselves lucky, for both the the good weather and beautiful scenery. I didn't spend much time in the rest of the state, but Grand Junction and Fruita get Op.409's THUMBS UP.

I've heard it's not the best place to go get a massage. But it's still a part of America, so I can't give it a one.

Not my faorite city in the west and seeing way too much sprawl developing. The Californians are ruining yet another place.

Colorado offers a wide variety of beautiful scenery.The folks seemed very down to earth,and I liked the many styles of log homes I saw there.

I went to college in Denver for a year. Moving to Denver by far was the most scariest experience I have ever had. Mega-rich corporations line the downtown skyline while the majority go without food. Beggers line 16th street day and night looking for food. LoDo is nothing but a few unique shops and restaurants. All surrounding neighborhoods outside are dirty and infested ghettos with backwards individuals and druggies. Prositution lines the streets of Colfax and Quebec nightly and the weather is so cold during the winter that the people become pale and their skin becomes coarse looking. Please don't believe the lies the booklets tell you about Colorado being healthy and lively, it is all lies. P.S all the rest of Colorado is even worse (except aspen which is a rich playground & castlerock). Don't go to Colorado!

I lived in Colorado Springs for one year and absolutly loved it! The people were so friendly, in fact I met my husband there, he was stationed in Fort Carson. I had so much fun going to Garden of the Gods, Manitou Springs outdoor arcade, Pike's Peak was beautiful. One tip, drink in moderation at the top of the peak. The high altitude will get ya.

good @ times bad @ others

Speaking only for the western half of the state, it's pretty awesome. Scenery alone would justify the 5 star rating but add to that great food, super activities and gambling for those so inclined, and you have a recreational mecca.

Anyone who calls Colorado's politics as 'progressive' is living in a nether world of total confusion- unless you want to call right wing reactionary 'progressive' that being so the state has some wonderful scenary and a great city in Denver- the rest of the state is not progressive- but borders on ultra far right-which IMO mars it greatly.

Why is this state rated so high? Denver is a fine city- but the rest of the state borders on KKK reactionary cowboy. Nice scenary- but beyond that on human terms there is virtually nothing outside of Denver.

Beautiful scenery, beautiful people, progressive politics, lots of mountains, skiing, mild temperatures, warm summers, no humidity -- great state.

Absolutely one of the most beautiful places that I have ever visited. We drove from Colorado Springs to Denver (which was nice), to Boulder (which I fell in love with), to Estes Park (where we stayed for the night and shopped for the rest of the day). Estes Park was very quaint. We went out to eat dinner and when we came back to the hotel room there were elk right up on the lawn in front of our rooms that had come down from the mountain (not something you see everyday). The Rocky Mountain National Park was stunning. On the other side of the park, at Grand Lakes, we stopped at the historic Grand Lakes Lodge, which reminded me of summer camp. It was a pretty neat place...apparently very hard to get reservations for. Drove back to Colorado Springs thru a bunch of little towns, which included Winter Park and Idaho Springs. It was quite a lovely trip. The best part of the trip was a stay at the Gold Lake Lodge near Ward. Definately worth the money. Absolutely breathtaking scenary. The lake and the surroundings were just stunning. The food was fabulous. I highly recommend it. I am seriously considering moving to Colorado Springs within the next year. The weather was just wonderful (I think it might take a little getting used to the altitude!).

Wonderful scenery and the Rockies are amazing but outside of Denver (which is a bit overrated with too many snotty yuppies moving there from CA to live) not much else to do.

great skiing. and aspen is gorgeous

I'm a Colorado native. I must admit, I love my state. I live in one of the burbs of Denver, but I know the state like the back of my hand. Denver is a progessive city. I especailly appreciate our cultural and ethnic diversity. Our population is near the 2 million mark and growing. Yes, we have our concerns such as education, growth and most recently, water. The cost of living is probably a little higher than the norm, however, I just visited NY state. A two bedroom condo in a little hamlet 50 miles north of the city will run you $450,000. In Denver, the same unit would be in the $175,000 range. The eastern 1/3 of the state is arid yet mainly consists of farms and ranches. On the eastern base of the Rockies, we call the front range is rapidly becoming on very large city, extending North, Fort Collins to the south, Colorado Springs. Our mountains are probably the most beautiful in the world. We offer world class skiing, rafting, hunting and fishing. The fall colors in our mountains are beautiful yet short seasoned and I will admit not nearly as gorgeous as the South or the Eastern states. The climate is fair. We have a few days with temps in the single digits and a week or two hitting the one hundred degree mark. Our altitude is high, remember Denver is the Mile High City and many of our peaks reach nearly three miles high! If you really want to experience Colorado, try Steamboat Springs or Crested Butte. Both are beautiful ski towns with real people. I would avoid Vail and Aspen all together. The friendliest little town in the state, in my opinion, is Meeker. It's not very pretty, but the people are the best we have to offer!

A very beautiful state, and Denver is a wonderful city. Other areas of the state a wee too far to the right however for my taste.

I drove through Colorado on a roadtrip across the US and this was definately the most beautiful state I came through. Driving around Grand Junction was amazing with very colorful mesa's and valleys. After that I came through a dramatic canyon over the Colorado River with steep walls on each side. The Rocky Mountains were breathtaking. I would love to come back here to go skiing. Denver is a very nice city and it seems to have a lot going for it and is becoming pretty trendy. Eastern Colorado pretty much resembles it's neighbor Kansas with wide open spaces and prairies but that just adds to the diversity and multitude of scenery that you can find here.

Just got back from here from a flight. I thought it was very nice. Denver, Colorado springs, durango were very nice. The rockys made colorado nice.

Denver has much to offer- but the rest of the state despite its physical beauty is rather reactionary politically.

Rocky Mountain hype, er--high.

Has good skiing. But Denver is overrated, and most of the state is very provincial. Nice place to visit, but i wouldn't want to live there. I like being near the water, which there isn't a lot of in Colorado or most of the west.

Colorado has great potential- and that may someday come to reality. Denver is a good city- and is becoming a cosmopolitan center for the great plains and Rockies region- however other parts of the state away from the Dever/Aspen/Boulder areas lean far to the extreme right.

Denver has something going for it the rest of this state is either mountain or prarrie-with limited opportunities unless you like to grow wheat, prospect or Ski.

A state with much potential- but much of that has yet to be realized as of yet. Perhaps in 10-15 years it can be called 'civilized'.....

Arguably the most beautiful state in the Union.

The state as a whole has some great scenary- the frontline of the Rockies is elegant and inspiring- I have flown from the east coast to the west- and have seen and experienced it many times. Denver is a city of the new century- that is becoming liberal and open... A state that is becoming more 'aware' and diverse- this indeed spells hope for colorado- a 'blue state' in the making.

A state with great scenary, on the frontline of the Rockies. The eastern sections are high plains, while the western [art of the state is dry plateau. Denver is a solid city.

The Denver area, along with the front line of the Rockies offer a wonderful view, with a good quality of life that offers residents on the great plains the best in urban culture and amentities. The remainder of the state varies greatly- and sorry to to say to the negative side.

I love the Western half of Colorado. Great four wheeling in the Rockies. Stopping in the old mining towns. I never miss a chance to head up the Creste Butte. I of my favorite trails up in Colorado is the Imogine Trail, from Telluride to Ouray. Beautiful view, check out the old mines. Just be sure your 4x4's engine is ready for the high alttitudes(14,000 ft+).

Colorado has beautiful scenery and plenty of winter sports to take part in. Denver is an intresting city with much to do (take in a Rockies game, go shopping in downtown, etc...). Not to mention that there are many beautiful women roaming about. Where this state falls short is cost of living versus surrounding areas.

Western Colorado is spectacular - there may be no prettier town than Ouray, deep in the mountains, and Colorado has one of the nicest large cities in the country - Denver. My only concern about Colorado is that the front range - the area from Ft. Collins to Denver to Colorado Springs - is developing a lot of sprawl. I don't want to see this city area become another Los Angeles. The eastern part of the state is also very flat and uninspiring - people tend to forget about that part of Colorado. But for pure scenery and gorgeous setting in two-thirds of the state, Colorado is hard to beat.

Denever is a four star city- the rest of the state is 2 stars or less-

Colorado is my home-state and the best state in the country, I did not realize until I left Colorado, what a beautiful place it is. The people in Colorado are amazing and the political, economic and racial diversity for a state of four million is unbelivale and some-how we all live together in Colorado in peace. Colorado Springs, gets a labled as conservative, when in-fact the city has a more liberal city government than Denver. Colorado Springs is a simple city, that rejcts arrogance and pretention. Before I was an adult, I hated Colorado Springs, but now I realize the honor to have grown up in a city that had views of Pikes Peak, an affordale cost of living, the best cheap eats and the most compassionate people in America. If you cant make in beautiful Colorado Springs, you cant make it anywhere. Denver, may not be the cleanest city in America, but Denverites are the friendliest bunch of people you will ever meet. Denver is also a city where you can have one job and are able to pay the bills.

It's interesting that the 16 bottom-rated states on this list are typically in the Red column, yet the top 9 are Blue states. Yet, constantly the retards, slackers and douchewads in the Red states are constantly flating on about how heathen and, gasp, liberal the people are who live in the Blues, and how they themselves could never live in the NE, Left Coast or Chicagoland. Truth of the matter is that the supposed dreadful Blues are by far the most desireable places to live in this country, and the Reds are toilets than can't flush. And for good reason. The retards and slackers who command undue and uncommensurate political influence in this country generally take up space in the more disreputable backwaters, and, although they won't admit it, labor under grave feelings of inadequacy and inferiority as a result. This then translates into enmity and antipathy towards those who have their acts together and live in the parts of this country that shore up the losers in the rest. It's just sour grapes resentment, and negative at its core. Colorado is the highest ranked Red state on this list, and I guess it deserves its 10th place position. The state is scenic and Denver is a major, happening city. What makes Colorado spicier than most of the states out in Whitebreadville is its relatively ethnic diversity and the fact that well-heeled types from more liberal parts of the county have been moving there for the past decade or so. This has given the state a more progressive and sophisticated population, and if trends continue, Colorado could very well become the only Blue state in that dreadful swine canal known as The Mountain States within the next generation.

The made up town of southpark and the real city of Denver are both in colorado, no thanks.

The area around Durango is awesome!

I lived in Denver for about six mos. in '89. I hate cold weather, and it is the only cold weather location I've considered moving to. The people were friendly (sometimes very wierd -- due to the elavation I guess), the bars closed early, but strangers always invited us into their homes for parties (coming from the South this was very odd and hard to get used to at first cause I'm a black guy and there are few blacks in Denver or Colorado for that matter). It is such a beautiful state. The train ride west from Denver (esp. in the winter) is one of the most beautiful things you can experience. Denver, Colorado will always hold a very special place in my heart. If you like cold weather and are in good health (you've got to be in good health to take the altitude), this may be your spot. I'd give it a five if I didn't dislike the cold so much. I saw more cold, snow and ice before Thanksgiving than I've seen in my life.

Wow, there are just so many wonderful things to say about Colorado. Not only is the capital city, DENVER, the most beautiful city in the nation, but this state is so beautiful and pristine. I love the people, as they are almost always so friendly. There are great job opportunities here as well, and the schools are great. I recommend this place for living and vacationing.

Definately the most beautiful mountain scenery in the whole country, unfortunately they had to build huge ugly cities with their migratory population to ruin it. Try driving the speed limit through the mountains and you'll have some stressed out SUV driver riding your ass the whole time. Way too many people have ruined a good thing.

Gotta love them mountains. What more can you say about a state that averages about a mile high, where you can go over 11,000 feet about twice or thrice a day, and where you can ride a train to the top of a 14,000-foot peak?

The most beautiful state in the Union. Camping, fishing, climbing, snowboarding, 4WD trails, biking, hiking, and all around indescribable scenery make Colorado the Promised Land. Anyone who has ever made the trip from Silverton to Ouray along US 550 knows what I'm talking about. And Colorado Springs is the most inviting city I have ever had the pleasure to visit. Now, if only the Texans and granola heads would stay out.

Colorful Colorado is a must for anybody looking for a a great state to visit. It is just awesome, so many ski resorts and Denver is really nice. Beats the Socialist Republic of California.

Amazing in winter and summer alike. Great skiing/hiking/whatever! Great sites! Just don't go east of Denver; smelly towns, flat boring plains! You might as well visit the South!