What it's like to live in Centennial
Centennial is a mid-size city in Colorado with unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Centennial deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and cold winters.
The good
- Low unemployment
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Air quality concerns
- Cold winters
- Heavy snowfall — 64" per year
How Centennial compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Centennial
Based on Centennial's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$4,296
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $85,920 a year
- 45% of Centennial renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$131,620
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $65,810
- Homes cost 5.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 52% above US
$2,148/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,148 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $658,100. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $658,100 · 45% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 14% below US
3.7% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.7%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 42% below US
192 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1422/100k · Centennial Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
26 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 25.9 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 27% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 84°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 19°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 74% above US
63% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
23 public schools inside the boundary
There are 23 public schools inside the boundary and 5 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument (52 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Centennial's strongest points are unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($2,148/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (27% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
Other places near Centennial
All Colorado guides →Moving to Cherry Creek →
1 mi away · pop. 10,721
Rent $2,093/mo · Income $153,776
Compare with Centennial →Moving to Greenwood Village →
3 mi away · pop. 15,420
Rent $2,123/mo · Income $149,029
Compare with Centennial →Moving to Lone Tree →
4 mi away · pop. 14,147
Rent $2,139/mo · Income $123,741
Compare with Centennial →Not sure Centennial is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.