Berthoud
MEDIAN HOME PRICE: $619,900
AVAILABLE SQUARE FOOTAGE: 896–7,187
THE NEIGHBORHOOD: In 1872, Lewis Cross, a miner-turned-rancher, staked the first homestead claim in the location where the Colorado Central Railroad intended to cross Little Thompson Creek. Following the laying of the tracks in 1877, the site was fitted with a depot, section house, and water tank, and named Berthoud after Edward Berthoud, the surveyor of the rail route through the valley.
Residents can fish, paddleboard, or cruise around in a non-motorized boat on Berthoud Reservoir in the northern part of town. The area also offers miles of hiking trails. The town is home to more than 300 businesses, ranging from home product sales to large manufacturing companies.
Broomfield
MEDIAN HOME PRICE: $619,900
AVERAGE SQUARE FOOTAGE: 2,282
THE NEIGHBORHOOD: In 1885, Adolph Zang bought the area around 120th Avenue and Olde Wadsworth Boulevard where today’s Broomfield stands. By the turn of the century, Broomfield was a collection of grain elevators, a grocery store, hotel, bank, and other businesses that drew farmers in the area together.
As the town grew, it became part of four different counties, which created problems with accessing services. Residents approved a constitutional amendment in 1998 that created the City and County of Broomfield, Colorado’s 64th county.
Broomfield offers a variety of housing options, from affordable starter homes to million-dollar-plus mansions. The city has more than 8,000 acres of private and public open lands. It also is home to global companies
