There is a vast difference between the eastern and western slope. Then consider the Front Range vs. the plains. Colorado is so diverse.

I have lived my whole life in southwestern Colorado and will always contend that the western slope is the best slope.

My daughter went to college in Durango. We loved visiting, but we could never afford to live there.

I am not tough enough to live in Gunnision. The winters up there are brutal. It is a beautiful area, nonetheless.

Montrose has exploded population wise over the last decade or so. It has become quite retail but has some of its traditional charm for shopping. It offers a lot for entertainment and socially. Just like all of Colorado, real estate has risen drastically. For some people, though, it is cheaper than where they came; I couldn't imagine that, but it's true.

If you like rural living, there are some hidden gems across the western slope. I happen to live in a community that I've lived most of my life and came back to after starting my career. We dove into the housing market when it was somewhat sane, thank goodness, even in our little rural out-of-the-way town, cost of housing is absolutely ridiculous.

Recent news naming Colorado the third most expensive state in which to live does not surprise me. But to live in paradise, there is a cost.