Consistently ranked among the top 10 places to live in the United States, Metro Denver also has all the things characteristics businesses need to flourish including our young, healthy, and educated workforce, an affordable cost of doing business, and a multimodal transportation system that will take us years into the future.Find out why Metro Denver is simply one of the best places in the country to live and work.

AN ENERGETIC BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT.

Nestled between the towering Rocky Mountains to the west and the vast high plains to the east, Metro Denver sits almost in the center of the United States—a strategic location that makes the area a natural crossroads for both domestic and international commerce.

Our growing multimodal transportation network encourages global interconnectivity, starting with Denver International Airport, the fifth-busiest in the nation and one of the most modern in the world. Set for completion in 2017, Metro Denver is constructing FasTracks, the largest one-time build out of a metro area mass transit system in U.S. history.

Data also moves efficiently in Metro Denver. As a national center for telecommunications, the area is home to giants in the satellite, subscription TV and telephone industries—not to mention it is one satellite bounce away from virtually anywhere on earth.

Many factors make the cost of doing business in the region affordable. Colorado ranks third in Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grants, sixth in venture capital investments per $1,000 for State GDP, and fifth in number of new companies per 1,000 employees. Metro Denver’s utility rates are consistently among the lowest of any major U.S. city. From modern office parks wired with Internet capabilities for the needs of high-tech industries, to warehouse and distribution space, Metro Denver’s large inventory of commercial and industrial real estate gives companies room to grow and expand. A competitive commercial real estate market has allowed existing businesses to renegotiate leases, move up to higher quality space and shift from lease to ownership. Now is the time to rent or buy prime commercial and retail spaces in Metro Denver.

Colorado’s extremely low state corporate tax, fair regulatory environment, low business costs and incentives at both the state and local levels also make Metro Denver one of the nation’s most competitive business venues.

AN ENERGETIC, HIGHLY EDUCATED WORKFORCE.

With all the amenities that attract and retain a highly educated workforce, Metro Denver is a magnet for young, smart and diverse workers. In fact, the region of more than 2.8 million people is one of the fastest growing in the country.

Colorado boasts the country’s second-highest percentage of college graduates. Our robust statewide educational system includes a network of world-class research institutions, graduate and professional schools, and a wide spectrum of undergraduate programs.

People gravitate here from other areas of the country for Colorado’s high-tech economic base and quality environment. A large portion of Metro Denver’s population growth is due to in-migration of highly educated workers from other states. Metro Denver is estimated to have net-migration of 15,643 residents in 2010. These workers put down permanent roots and resist moving.

In early 2006, the U.S. Department of Labor awarded the seven-county Metro Denver region and two-county Northern Colorado area a four-year, $15 million, (Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) grant.

The Metro Denver WIRED Initiative’s goal was to expand the pipeline of highly skilled workers in the region’s fastest growing industries —aerospace, bioscience, energy and information technology—and to implement a transformational approach to regional workforce development.

In addition, several Colorado Workforce Centers strategically located throughout the region provide employers recruitment assistance, as well as helping employees with job search tools, job placement and training.

With 300 annual days of sunshine, Metro Denver residents dabble in everything from skiing to hiking, mountain biking to river rafting. Perhaps that’s why Metro Denver is the nation’s thinnest city with the nation’s lowest obesity rate and why Denver was ranked the No. 1 city where people most want to live according to the PEW Research Center.

All this is good news for employers, who can recruit and hire from a vigorous and diverse pool of workers with the skill sets needed for corporate growth over the long term. Today, Metro Denver’s employer base represents a cross-section of industries including aerospace, aviation, bioscience, broadcasting and telecommunications, energy, financial services and information technology - software.

THE QUALITIES THAT MAKE METRO DENVER A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE ALSO MAKE IT PERFECT FOR BUSINESS.

You need only look out your office window to feel energized in Metro Denver; but, if you’re looking for more activity, you’ll find it here in abundance. Stunning landscapes, a mild climate and plentiful outdoor activities make this a year-round recreational haven.

The City of Denver has the largest public parks system of any city in the United States. Thousands of acres of open space dot the area, allowing citizens to hike, bike and snowshoe right outside their backyards. The spectacular Rocky Mountains, with their world-class ski resorts and scenery, are only minutes away.

When they’re not energizing their bodies outside, residents energize their minds by cheering on seven professional sports teams and taking in events at the Denver Performing Arts Complex—the largest such facility in the country under one roof.

Even the most discriminating consumers will be delighted with the 21 major shopping centers and districts that dot the area.

Metro Denver has all the attractions you expect in a metropolitan hub—from museums and a world-class convention center to amusement parks and a zoo.

As if that weren’t enough, the cost of living is easier on the wallet than in many major cities. An area of distinctive neighborhoods, Metro Denver offers residents a broad range of housing options and advanced medical facilities. With its balanced lifestyle and natural appeal, recruitment has never been a problem in Metro Denver.