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Friday, June 09, 2023

What to Know About Westminster, CO Real Estate

Westminster City Night Lights

What to Know About Westminster, CO Real Estate

Get ready to discover the hidden gem of Westminster, Colorado! Nestled within the Denver metropolitan area, this city holds a fascinating secret: it is home to the Butterfly Pavilion. This captivating attraction houses thousands of fluttering butterflies and fascinating insects.

But there’s more than butterflies in Westminster, one of Money Magazine’s best places to live in the West. Westminster’s kaleidoscope of diverse neighborhoods delivers character and charm. From the scenic homes near Standley Lake to the walkable streets of Bradburn, there’s a neighborhood to suit every taste and lifestyle.

So come get to know the fundamentals of Westminster. Our guide will give you a few neighborhoods to start your home search and tips on local attractions. Discover why Westminster is perfect for spreading your wings while making yourself at home.

About Westminster, CO

Westminster crosses Adams and Jefferson counties, northwest of Denver. Today a prominent suburb of over 100,000 people, Westminster’s beautiful neighborhoods, lively events, and attractions help residents enjoy a well-rounded life.

With easy access to Denver, Boulder, and the Rocky Mountains, Westminster puts you at the best of city and mountain living. The state capital is nine miles south. The town is bordered by other popular Denver suburbs like Thornton and Arvada.

Westminster dates back to the mid-19th century and the Colorado gold rush. The discovery of gold stuff encouraged people to stay. Many took up farming, mainly growing apple and cherry orchards. A university built in the early 1900s closed during World War I when its students left to fight.

Proximity to Denver encouraged its growth, especially after the construction of the Denver-Boulder Turnpike finished in 1952. The town added 5 times more residents between 1953 and 1960.

How many people live in Westminster, CO

As Colorado’s eighth largest city by population, over 115,000 people call Westminster home. More live on the Adams County side than the Jefferson side. Around 20% of the people living here are under 18 years of age, a testament to how families find Westminster a great place to live.

It’s a vibrant city that offers something for everyone. Whether you’re looking for fun outdoor activities or a thriving community, Westminster has it all.

What is Westminster’s cost of living?

A man looking at receipts on a store and being concerned with high costs of items

The cost of goods and services matters, especially in a region like Denver, which is among the top ten priciest metros in the United States. You need to know if you can afford a home, groceries, and transportation wherever you live.

Westminster’s cost of living is on par with the Colorado average, which is to say it’s about 25% more expensive than the national average. Homes in Westminster typically run 73% more than the US median, while transportation is 16% more and miscellaneous costs are 11% more.

But in good news, groceries, health care, and utilities are equal to or less than what you’d pay in most other markets.

What is the real estate market like in Westminster?

While you will find some historic homes in Westminster, the housing construction boom took off in the 1950s. Most homes were built since that time period, so you’ll find adaptations of the midcentury, ranch, Western frontier, and traditional styles.

High end real estate with palm trees and green front yard

Median home prices do run higher. The May 2023 market had 291 homes for sale at a median list price of $550,000, nearly the same as the prior year.

Luckily you’ve got quite a spread on prices. A mobile home on a 436 sq ft lot was available for $70,000, while $3.55M would purchase an 11,429 sq ft home on 0.37 acres in The Ranch Country Club.

As for your property taxes, the 2023 City of Westminster property tax was 3.65 mills. Your county tax depends on which side of the line you live on and which of the three school districts. It varied from 77-150 mills.

What neighborhoods are in Westminster?

Westminster has many great neighborhoods to explore with a local real estate agent, but to get you started, here are a few options:

Legacy Ridge

The Legacy Ridge neighborhood in the western part of town has a championship golf course with stunning mountain views. It is conveniently near Westminster Promenade and its shopping, dining, and entertainment choices. Commuters will appreciate the easy access to Highway 36 and I-25.

The Legacy Ridge Golf Course has a Scottish links-style design that accommodates players of all levels. The course measures 7,157 yards from the championship tees.

Besides the golf course, nearby Windsor Park has a playground for the kids and a multi-use trail. Most properties are single-family homes.

The Ranch

The Ranch Country Club in north Westminster is a private golf course community accessed through Federal Blvd and W 120th Ave. It was established in the 1980s and built to be bikeable to nearby shops and restaurants while delivering the upscale country club lifestyle. The facilities include tennis, swimming, fitness, youth programming, and a stunning golf course.

It’s a family-oriented community with kids’ activities, like a competitive swim team, kids golf instruction, Junior PGA League, and tennis lessons. Additionally, there are Summer Camps, holiday events, and monthly craft and game nights. Locals also have ponds and open spaces throughout The Ranch.

As a private golf course community, homes in this neighborhood are expensive. June 2023 had seven listings at a median list price of $817,500.

Bradburn Village

This urbanist-styled mixed-use neighborhood is all about convenience and walkability. The beautiful homes are a short walk from the urban core, where residents have stores and shops in a Main Street-styled setting. The retailers include a Whole Foods Market for easy access to healthy food.

Bradburn Village has nine parks, two recreation centers, and access to 45 miles of open-space trails. The parks are interspersed throughout the neighborhoods, with playgrounds, sports fields, an event center, and even an apple orchard. Other amenities include an in-community charter school and two daycare centers.

The homes are spread across four distinct neighborhoods: townhomes, live-work units, row houses, and single-family. Around 42 homes are solar-powered. Bradburn had eight homes for sale ranging from $689,000 to $1.3 million.

Countryside

Countryside residents live a few minutes from FlatIron Crossing Mall, where visitors watch the latest movies at AMC Theaters, shop at retailers like Crate & Barrel, and eat at name-brand retailers like Red Robin and P.F. Chang’s.

To enjoy the fine Denver weather, residents live near a large dog park, hiking trails, walking trails, and golf courses. But perhaps its best feature is how close it is to Standley Lake, a 1,200-acre reservoir with recreational facilities for camping, hiking, biking, fishing, and boating.

Standley lake in Westminster CO with boat tied beside the seashore

Developed in the mid to late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, the homes are situated close together. Countryside is highly sought after because of its reasonable prices. The 12 homes had a median list price of $550,000.

Hyland Greens

If you’re looking for spacious homes, check out Hyland Greens and Hyland Greens East. Golfers living here enjoy proximity to the Hyland Hills Golf Course, which has 18-hole and 9-hole options. Additionally, Legacy Ridge Golf Course is nearby.

For the kids, make some memories at Adventure Golf and Raceway, an entertainment center with three 18-hole mini-golf courses, a go-cart raceway, and a ropes course.

But you don’t have to leave the neighborhood. Hyland Greens has two community pools and a large park with basketball courts and playgrounds. The community green belts include a walking path from the Small Tot-Lot play area to the golf courses in the south.

Hyland Greens HOA enforces the community covenants but also runs local activities like the Fourth of July Parade and BBQ, Easter Egg Hunt, and Community Garage Sale.

The neighborhoods only have single-family homes built starting in the mid-1970s. In June 2023, it had eight homes for sale at a median of $725,000.

What are some key attractions of Westminster, CO?

Once settled in, get to know your new home and what draws people to check out Westminster. One popular attraction is The Butterfly Pavilion, the first stand-alone free-standing invertebrate zoo in the US, which houses 500 species of insects and arachnids, live butterflies, and other live invertebrates.

Open spaces are essential to Westminster’s development, and it has made efforts to preserve land for public use since 1985. Today it has four golf courses, six recreation centers, an interconnected 145 miles of cycling and pedestrian trails, and over 60 parks.

Popular Little Dry Creek is a ten-mile paved trail open year-round. At the same time, the Rocky Mountain Greenway is a seven-mile span ending at the Westminster Hills Open Space.

Standley Lake Regional Park is the city’s most significant open space. It has camping facilities, a fishing pier, a swimming beach, and playgrounds. A beautiful pedestrian trail lines part of the lakeshore.

Being part of the Denver metropolitan area, your choices for fun are beyond Westminster. Spend a day shopping along Colfax Avenue in downtown Denver. Buy tickets to the shows at Denver Performing Arts Center or Denver’s professional sporting events. Get outside on the thousands of acres at Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Park, the Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre, and the ski resorts in the Front Range Mountains.

Living in Westminster

Big shopping malls and buildings in Westminster CO

When you talk to someone about living in Westminster, you’ll hear a lot about its quality of life. With its open spaces, cultural attractions, and accessibility to Denver, Westminster is a great city to put down your Western roots. There are even more neighborhoods for you to explore than the ones listed here. Let a local real estate agent be your best guide to finding the Westminster communities with the advantages you want from your move to Colorado.

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Preston Guyton

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