Value vs drive
Affordable Mountain Towns Near Denver, Colorado
This ranking puts Zillow's typical home value next to the drive to downtown Denver without traffic, so the trade is plain.
A live person answers. Not a robot, not a phone tree. Updated September 2026.
Photos: Green forest and peaks under summer clouds, Jashan Kaleka (Unsplash).
Within 60 minutes of downtown Denver without traffic, the lowest Zillow typical home values in August 2026 are Central City at $393,000 (55 minutes), Georgetown at $471,000 (60 minutes) and Idaho Springs at $481,000 (44 minutes). Zillow's value blends houses and condos, so a low number reflects the mix of homes as well as price.
Central City, $393,000.
55 minutes from downtown Denver without traffic; Gilpin County, 8,499 feet.
Idaho Springs, $481,000.
44 minutes without traffic on I-70; Clear Creek County, 7,527 feet.
Bailey, $548,000.
65 minutes without traffic; Park County, 7,746 feet.
Morrison, $709,000.
25 minutes without traffic; town water and sewer inside town limits.
The map
Where it is.
The highlighted towns are on this page. Tap any pin to open that town.
- Front Range foothills
- I-70 corridor
- Peak to Peak
- Summit County
- Resort
- Tap a town to open its page
Outline: U.S. Census Bureau. Roads from downtown Denver: OSRM on OpenStreetMap. Town points: OpenStreetMap and USGS. Drive times without traffic.
Which mountain towns near Denver have typical values under $500,000?
- Central City: $393,000. 55 minutes without traffic, 2020 population 779. Casino gambling became legal here in 1991, which shapes the town center.
- Georgetown: $471,000. 60 minutes without traffic on I-70, 8,518 feet, 2020 population 1,118.
- Idaho Springs: $481,000. 44 minutes without traffic, 7,527 feet, 2020 population 1,782. The Floyd Hill rebuild of I-70 east of town runs to 2029 (CDOT).
- Allenspark: $487,000. 99 minutes without traffic on the Peak to Peak Highway, 8,493 feet. The drive puts it outside a daily-commute range.
Zillow typical home value (ZHVI, Aug 2026) is an estimate across all homes, not a sale price.
Which towns fall between $500,000 and $700,000?
- Kittredge: $506,000. Zillow ZIP 80457 value; 44 minutes without traffic on CO-74 in Bear Creek Canyon.
- Woodland Park: $531,000. 104 minutes to downtown Denver without traffic; 17 miles on US-24 to I-25 in Colorado Springs (CDOT).
- Bailey: $548,000. 65 minutes without traffic on US-285. Park County's single-family median was $565,000, Jan-Aug 2026 (Colorado Association of REALTORS).
- Black Hawk: $551,000. Zillow ZIP 80422 value; 56 minutes without traffic; 2020 city population 127.
- Pine and Indian Hills: $653,000 and $659,000. Pine is 75 minutes without traffic; Indian Hills is 46 minutes.
- Nederland: $666,000. 70 minutes without traffic; town water and wastewater inside town limits.
Where do values run over $700,000?
- Morrison: $709,000. 25 minutes without traffic: the shortest drive of any town under $750,000 on this list.
- Conifer: $742,000. 41 minutes without traffic on US-285, 8,262 feet.
- Lyons: $756,000. 63 minutes without traffic; Boulder County's single-family median was $850,000, Jan-Aug 2026 (Colorado Association of REALTORS).
- Golden, Evergreen, Genesee. $857,000, $880,000 and $1,092,000: the three highest foothill values, at 24, 42 and 29 minutes without traffic.
How should I read this ranking?
- Typical value is not a sale price. Zillow's ZHVI estimates the middle third of all homes, houses and condos together. A town with more condos shows a lower number.
- ZIP versus town. Kittredge and Black Hawk use ZIP-level values because Zillow publishes no town series for them.
- Drive without traffic. Every time here is an OSRM route to downtown Denver with no traffic, run Sept. 24, 2026. I-70 and US-285 rush hours add time.
- Carrying costs change the math. Wells, septic, propane, plowing and wildfire insurance add cost that a price ranking does not show.
Call or text the Kenna Real Estate Group at 303-955-4220 to ask what is for sale in the lower-priced mountain towns near Denver now.
Questions
Quick answers.
What is the cheapest mountain town near Denver?
Central City: Zillow typical home value $393,000 in August 2026, 55 minutes from downtown Denver without traffic.
What is the most affordable mountain town on US-285?
Bailey: Zillow typical home value $548,000 in August 2026, 65 minutes from Denver without traffic.
Is Idaho Springs cheaper than Evergreen?
Yes. Zillow typical value in August 2026 was $481,000 in Idaho Springs and $880,000 in Evergreen. Both are 42 to 44 minutes from Denver without traffic.
Is Zillow's typical home value the median sale price?
No. ZHVI is an estimate of typical value across all homes. County sale medians come from the Colorado Association of REALTORS market updates.
Sources
- Zillow Research ZHVI, city typical home value, Aug 2026
- Zillow Research ZHVI, ZIP typical home value, Aug 2026
- OSRM public router: drive miles and minutes without traffic, run Sept. 24, 2026
- Colorado Association of REALTORS, Park County market update, Jan-Aug 2026
- Colorado Association of REALTORS, Boulder County market update, Jan-Aug 2026
- CDOT: I-70 Floyd Hill project
- CDOT: US 24 Ute Pass improvements
Figures carry their source and date. Rules and prices change: the county, town or state office named above has the current version.
Go deeper
Where to go next.
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Colorado Mountain Home Finder is part of the Kenna Real Estate Group at Keller Williams DTC (KWDTC).