DEN base
The Front Range has changed a lot over the years. I was stationed at Lowry AFB in the late 80’s. We moved here 4 yrs ago and we’re astonished how much. In my opinion, unless you HAVE TO live in Golden/Boulder, it would be crazy to move there. With that said, it’s not impossible, just a lot more expensive to do so.
Next thing I would consider is your commute. Use google maps and see what it would take during different times of the day. You can do that easily from where you are living now. It’ll more than double in some places during rush hour. If you can stay outside 470, you’ll be happier.
We live in Loveland now, just south of Fort Collins. I’m at TK and the wife splits her time between TK and Cheyenne ANG. For us, being close to RMNP is more than worth being an hour from TK. The airport is a breeze of a drive being that you stay outside of 470. However the toll is high at $25 round trip.
Lots to consider. A monthly trip out here over several months is well worth the cost. Grab a hotel and spend 2-3 days in each area. We did for almost 6 months. Learned a lot. In our opinion, we ended up in the perfect place.