Douglas County, Colo.
A big house, 5 beds and 5 baths, in the big high plains country of eastern Colorado in Castle Rock costs $499,900.
Population: 288,225
Growth rate since April 2000: 64%
Positioned between Denver and Colorado Springs, Douglas County offers residents easy access to the majestic Rocky Mountains. Vail and other world-class ski resorts are less than three hours away. Wendy Holmes, a spokeswoman for Douglas County, said the local government just released a resident survey spelling out why the area has become so popular. Residents say the number one factor is that it's a good place to raise a family.
Its proximity to Denver makes it easy to hop a light rail train from some parts of the county and be downtown for a ballgame or cultural event in 15 minutes.
The real estate market is one of the area's main attractions. Holmes said, "There's a very diverse mix of housing here. You can live on a light rail corridor, in a single-family or town house or on a 35-acre ranch."
The housing market has held up fairly well but, unsurprisingly, foreclosures have been a problem for many of the area's newer residents. There was a foreclosure for every 312 households in May and 115 bank repossessions.
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Last updated June 21 2010: 1:03 PM ET
Source: Census Bureau
Population and growth data is from July 1, 2009, the most recent available from the Census Bureau.
Population and growth data is from July 1, 2009, the most recent available from the Census Bureau.
