It's not breaking news that Denver's home market is on fire right now.
Prices have been steadily climbing since early 2012, and last month, Denver's market was third only behind Portland and Seattle in terms of year-over-year resale price gains, with prices rising 9.5 percent from a year earlier.
But does that mean Denver homeowners actually like where they live?
Very, according to HomeAdvisor's new Homeowner Happiness Index, which found that homeowners in Denver are the third-happiest in the nation.
To compile the index, the Denver-based home improvement referral service, surveyed more than 18,000 homeowners in 36 U.S. metros to identify factors that make them happy.
- Practical commutes and access to attractions and services.
- Community diversity, safety and a vibrant neighborhood network.
- Affordability and comfort offered by a homeowner's dwelling.
"A homeowner’s quality of life is more likely to be dependent on their community and access to important attractions and services than it is on the number of bedrooms and bathrooms in their home," said Dr. Karen Ruskin, HomeAdvisor’s happiness expert and a tenured psychotherapist. "Our research shows that homeowners are happiest in urban cities with good weather, an active culture, arts scene and higher income levels."
The index assigned Denver homeowners an A- "happiness score," with eight out of
10 saying "It's the best place to live." In addition, 72 percent said their home makes them proud; 57 percent said their home is their favorite place to be; and 77 percent said they plan to say in the community for at least five years.
The affordability factor was where metro Denverites scored their happiness lowest, with just 46 percent saying the average $509,900 home price is "reasonable." Another 80 percent said they renovated their homes, and 69 percent said they were happy with their home's size and layout.
When it comes to community, a majority 75 percent of Denver residents said they feel safe and 73 percent said they trust their neighbors, but just 37 percent said they feel their community is racially diverse, while 44 percent said they feel their community is religiously diverse.
(Denver Business Journal)
(Denver Business Journal)
