habitat vs. colony vs. settlement

I think for most folks who don't self identify as a "space enthusiast" settling space seems both unpleasant (cold, sterile, and cramped) and impossibly far away. I'd love it if ordinary folks when they heard the term thought to themselves "that's the sort of place I could make a home." So call that the "homey-ness" index for the term. High homey-ness evokes pleasant and accessible.
I like settlement as well, it feels "homey" to me.