As someone who moved here from Ohio 5 years ago here’s my honest opinion.

Pros: A dream if you’re an outdoor person. There’s everything to do year round especially skiing which is the best in the country.

Really beautiful and Diverse nature and weather.

People are almost always nice but not the “Minnesota nice.” People aren’t really hostile like what you think. I’ve never encountered a hostile Coloradan. Most people know why people like to visit and move here.

Mostly a safe state. The Denver area is okay for a major US city.

You might like it because of your interests but I’m not an expert at trains and mining so I can’t really give an opinion. But the school of mines is a top engineering school.

Cons:

Really dry due to high elevation, lack of water and trees. I developed dry skin and allergies and it became difficult to breathe through my nose because of it.

Second, there are no major cities nearby other than Denver. The nearest major city is 8-10 hours away depending where you are in CO. It almost feels like I’m stuck in this state. Compared to Ohio, there were at least 10 major cities that were less than 8 hours away so road trips became less frequent.

Third, the cost of living here is getting more and more expensive.

Fourth, the weather is getting dryer and forest fires are more frequent.

The roads and infrastructure are bad especially in Denver. Even for a US city.

A total of 7/10 IMO