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Centennial vs Aurora

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: household income (+49% in Centennial) and bachelor’s degree+ (+29 pts in Centennial).

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Centennial, COKnown for its schoolsColorado · 108,201 people
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Aurora, COA college townColorado · 394,432 people
Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $1,030 more a month in Centennial

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Centennial$3,610/mo
Typical home $633K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.55% · or rent about $2,148/mo · Housing →
Aurora$2,570/mo
Typical home $453K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.52% · or rent about $1,835/mo · Housing →

The difference: $1,030 a month, about $12,400 a year, between Centennial and Aurora.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Centennial places higher on 16 of 22 CO lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Colorado ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Where they are

Centennial and Aurora share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

CentennialAuroraCentennialAurora
Centennial ↔ Aurora11 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
9,085 Aurora residents work in Centennial (5.2% of its workers)
5,640 Centennial residents work in Aurora (10.8% of its workers)
Work & commute in Aurora →
Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
CentennialAurora
Snow a year64″49″
January low—18°F
July high—90°F
Growing season (days)—156d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)48th47th
Outdoors & history
CentennialAurora
Conserved land9.8%10%
Settled20011891
National Register places—10
Archive photos2418
Famous people born here762
Community
CentennialAurora
Library hours a week69 hrs48 hrs
Colleges in town—4
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

CentennialAurora
People
Population 108,201Lowest 394,432Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +8%Lowest CO: +14.8% +18.8%Highest CO: +14.8%
Median age 42±0.7Highest 11% above CO 35.3±0.3Lowest 6% below CO
Kids under 18 21.8%±1Lowest CO: 21% 23.9%±0.5Highest CO: 21%
Age 65+ 18.9%±0.8Highest CO: 15.6% 12.4%±0.4Lowest CO: 15.6%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 62.6%Highest CO: 45.7% 33.6%Lowest CO: 45.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.4%±0.5Lowest CO: 6.4% 5.4%±0.3Highest CO: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $131,928±$6kHighest 38% above CO $88,368±$2kLowest 7% below CO
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $658,100±$6kHighest 22% above CO $469,100±$4kLowest 13% below CO
Rentmedian gross, monthly $2,148±$63Highest 22% above CO $1,835±$26Lowest 4% above CO
Property taxmedian, yearly $3,588Highest 38% above CO $2,457Lowest 6% below CO
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 47.1%±5Lowest CO: 52.9% 60.3%±2.6Highest CO: 52.9%
Below poverty line 3.3%Lowest CO: 9.4% 11.9%Highest CO: 9.4%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 80.6%Highest CO: 66.2% 62.4%Lowest CO: 66.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1983Lowest 5 yrs older than CO 1985Highest 3 yrs older than CO
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 26 minLowest about the CO average 29 minHighest 13% above CO
Work from home 26.9%±1.6Highest CO: 21% 16.5%±0.8Lowest CO: 21%
Work in townworking residents 10.6%Lowest 22.8%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 8.8 miLowest 9.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.36Highest 0.91Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Denver (27%)Denver (30%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 11% work in Aurora5% work in Centennial
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 9.8%Lowest 10%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 50.1 miLowest 118.2 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.7 miHighest 0.7 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 53Lowest 145Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 119Highest 62.9Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #14 of 142 in CO#106 of 142 in CO
School district Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the county of Arapah · Littleton School District No. 6 in the county of ArapahoeAurora Joint District No. 28 of the counties of Adams and A · Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the county of Arapah
High school in town Arapahoe High SchoolCherokee Trail High School
Students per teacherat that high school 22.5Highest 20.2Lowest
Colorado average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Centennial neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Centennial’s Town Square.

Aurora neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Aurora’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Bordering Centennial

Towns like Centennial

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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