Colorado vs Utah: Which is the Better State?

If you love the great outdoors both Colorado and Utah are two of the greatest places you could live in America. But which one comes out on top when we compare the two?

Both states offer great outdoor activities, beautiful scenery, mountains, world-class skiing, and some of the finest resorts in America. How are we supposed to figure out which state is best? Let's try comparing these two states in three key categories below.

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Which State Is Best for the Outdoors?

It's impossible to really make this decision unless you have had a chance to visit both states. It's basically a cage match between Zion National Park and Rocky Mountain National Park. Which one stirs your heart more? Utah has 10 world-class ski resorts, while Colorado has closer to 30. Utah has 9 awesome amusement parks while Colorado has 10. Utah's largest city is Salt Lake with 202,379 residents while Denver is occupied by 711,463 residents.

Which State Has Better Mountains?

If you want to climb mountains I'm going out on a limb and telling you the winner will be Colorado. Utah probably comes out on top for more difficult technical climbs than the peaks in Colorado. Colorado's mountains are also a bit easier to access than some of the peaks in Utah. The mountains in Colorado are also more accessible than the ones in Utah during the winter months.

Colorado has 58 peaks over 14,000 feet while Utah's tallest mountain is King's Peak (13,534) in the Uinta Mountains which contains over 2000 lakes.

Which State Is More Affordable to Live In?

This one might be the deciding factor. While the Governor would like us to leave this out of the article, Colorado is estimated to cost about 30% more than Utah. Things are more expensive in Colorado, and the cost of living is higher in the Centennial State.

Scroll on to continue the comparison by checking out Colorado's State Parks, the fantastic day trips to Utah that Coloradans actually love, and by comparing National Parks in both states below.