Fairplay: A Scenic Mountain Gateway and Outdoor Haven in Colorado

Fairplay is a picturesque mountain town located at the junction of Highway 285 and Highway 9, offering convenient access to Denver, Breckenridge, and other Rocky Mountain destinations. Known as the “Trout Fishing Capital of Colorado,” Fairplay boasts 50 miles of Gold Medal trout streams and a variety of outdoor activities, including hiking, biking, and snowshoeing.

This historic town is part of the South Park National Heritage Area, celebrated for its 19th-century ranches, mines, and the South Park City Museum, which features over 40 preserved buildings from the Old West. Its strategic location and scenic appeal make Fairplay a gateway for visitors exploring the Rockies and a residential hub for those seeking proximity to Breckenridge and Summit County.

Fairplay's Housing Advantage

Fairplay offers a more accessible and affordable housing alternative to neighboring Summit County, one of the most expensive places to own a home in the United States. With the average home price in Breckenridge exceeding $2.5 million, Fairplay provides an attractive option for workers and residents who cannot afford Summit County’s extraordinary cost of living.

Rental options in Fairplay are both viable and desirable, supported by strong rental demand and competitive rates exceeding $2.00 per square foot. Its convenient location near major employment and tourism hubs, combined with more attainable housing costs, positions Fairplay as an appealing community for those seeking proximity to Summit County without its financial burden.

Home Ownership: Breckenridge vs. Fairplay

Housing prices in both Breckenridge and Fairplay have more than doubled since 2017, such that the average sale price of single family homes, condos, and townhomes in Breckenridge now exceeds $2,000,000. While home prices in Breckenridge and Fairplay have risen at similar rates in the past seven years, housing in Fairplay remains significantly more attainable compared to the excessive cost of home ownership in Breckenridge. The cost of housing in Fairplay already represents a significant discount to the cost of housing in Breckenridge and greater Summit County, positioning The Bluffs development site as the premier shovel-ready development opportunity in the area to provide attainable housing for residents of Colorado’s high country that work in Breckenridge and greater Summit County.

Summit County Absorption, Net Deliveries, & Vacancy

The housing shortage in Colorado’s Summit County is evidenced by its impressively low vacancy rate and near complete absence of net deliveries in the last five years. In the past five years, fewer than 60 market-rate units have been delivered to Summit County, and there are only 2,034 market-rate units of varying vintage in Summit County as a whole, which has a population greater than 30,000. Summit County’s five-year average historical vacancy rate is only ~4.9%, with the three-year average projected vacancy rate being even lower at ~3.0%. Summit County’s low vacancy rate reflects a combination of strong, sustained demand and scarcity of new deliveries. With no units currently under construction or projected in the near-term, Summit County desperately needs attainable for-rent housing. The Bluffs development site in Fairplay represents an opportunity to bridge the significant supply-gap in Colorado’s high country and provide attainable housing to people who work in Summit County.