Not quite. NOAA counts about 245 days a year in Denver that are clear or partly cloudy. That's still more sun than 9 of the other 12 metros get, and the heat that comes with it is dry.
"300 days of sunshine" is a slogan, not a weather statistic. NOAA's long-term count of clear and partly cloudy days is the closest real measure, and Denver is sunnier than 9 of the other 12 metros, including Austin, Salt Lake City and Raleigh.
Denver averages 46 days at or above 90°F, fewer than Charlotte, Raleigh, Nashville, Salt Lake City, Austin and Phoenix. Afternoon humidity averages 43%, and nights cool off quickly at altitude.
FEMA's National Risk Index puts Denver's core county 2nd lowest of 13. Hail is the hazard to plan for.
Front Range storms bring hail, and insurers price it in. Colorado's average homeowners premium is $4,310 a year, the highest of any state here, and it rose 18.3% in 2025. The flip side: Denver's overall natural-disaster risk is the second-lowest of the 13 metros, with no hurricanes and moderate earthquake risk.
Every metro here has a standout stat. Denver's advantage is that it rarely trails: it finishes in the top nine of 13 on 38 of 42 measures (90%), more than any other metro, and near the bottom on just 4.
This page is one stat in that record. The full scorecard has all 42.
Share of all 42 scored measures in each band, among the 13 metros. The number is the top-nine share. See every metro →