BOOZER- I am not sure what part of colorado you grew up in but I wish I lived there when I was 13.
As for the rest of the state, other than Aurora, commerce city, or downtown Denver, it is a great place to raise a family. I can tell you I went to supercross/ Anaheim 2 this year and I have never seen kids from 10 to 16 that looked like that. I am sure the moto crowd is a little rougher around the edges than most but I saw more girls dressed like teenage prostitutes than I could believe. Right then and there we decided we would never raise kids out there. I am sure there are nice areas in any state you just need to know where to look.