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Moving to
Cherry Creek.
Cherry Creek is an unincorporated community in Arapahoe County, CO. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.
What it's like to live in Cherry Creek
Cherry Creek is an unincorporated community in Colorado with household incomes running above the national average, a highly educated workforce, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Cherry Creek deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and a population that has been shrinking.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Highly educated workforce
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Air quality concerns
- Shrinking population
- Cold winters
- Heavy snowfall — 64" per year
How Cherry Creek compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Cherry Creek
Based on Cherry Creek's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$4,186
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $83,720 a year
- 47% of Cherry Creek renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$177,780
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $88,890
- Homes cost 5.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 48% above US
$2,093/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,093 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 $888,900. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $888,900 · 47% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.9% county unemployment
Unemployment in Arapahoe County is 3.9%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Arapahoe County (county-wide)
Safety
260 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
Cherry Creek doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office jurisdiction as a whole, which runs below the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.
Property crime 1399/100k · Policed by Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office (county-wide rate) · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 10% below US
23 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.4 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 6 in 10 workers drive to work; 33% 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▲ 111% above US
76% 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
3 public schools inside the boundary
There are 3 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, close to the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument (53 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Cherry Creek's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and a highly educated workforce; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($2,093/mo) equals 16% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (33% 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 Cherry Creek
All Colorado guides →Moving to Centennial →
1 mi away · pop. 108,201
Rent $2,148/mo · Income $131,928
Compare with Cherry Creek →Moving to Greenwood Village →
3 mi away · pop. 15,420
Rent $2,123/mo · Income $149,029
Compare with Cherry Creek →Moving to Four Square Mile →
5 mi away · pop. 23,024
Rent $1,833/mo · Income $80,903
Compare with Cherry Creek →Moving to Lone Tree →
5 mi away · pop. 14,147
Rent $2,139/mo · Income $123,741
Compare with Cherry Creek →Not sure Cherry Creek is the one?
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