Moving to Englewood Colorado: What Families and Remote Workers Need to Know in 2026

Moving to Englewood Colorado: What Families and Remote Workers Need to Know in 2026

A Quick Overview of Englewood, Colorado

Englewood is an independent city — not just a Denver suburb or a neighborhood, but its own incorporated municipality — situated entirely within Arapahoe County, directly south of Denver. The city covers roughly 6.5 square miles and has a population of approximately 35,000 residents. It borders Denver to the north, Sheridan to the west, Littleton to the south, and the Cherry Hills Village enclave to the east.

What makes Englewood interesting is that it has all the bones of a small city — its own city council, police department, public schools, parks and recreation system, and a walkable downtown core along South Broadway — while sitting completely inside the Denver metro’s infrastructure, employment, culture, and transit network. You get genuine community identity without geographic or social isolation.

Englewood has been through real reinvention over the past decade. The old Cinderella City Mall site, once a symbol of suburban retail decline, became the CityCenter Englewood development, which now anchors a mixed-use urban core with city hall, retail, transit, and residential development all in one location. South Broadway, the city’s main commercial artery, has grown into one of the more interesting dining and small business corridors in the entire south Denver metro. The city isn’t trendy in a self-conscious way — it’s just genuinely functional and increasingly livable.

Englewood Neighborhoods: Where Should You Live?

Englewood is compact, but it has real neighborhood distinctions that matter when you’re choosing where to buy or rent.

Old Town Englewood

Old Town sits along and near South Broadway, centered roughly between Hampden Avenue to the south and Dartmouth to the north. This is the most walkable part of Englewood, with bungalows, craftsman homes, and older ranch-style houses on tree-lined streets. The homes here tend to be smaller — often 1,000 to 1,800 square feet — but the character and location make them highly desirable. You’re within walking distance of restaurants, coffee shops, and the light rail station. If you’re a remote worker who wants to be able to walk to a coffee shop or grab dinner without getting in a car, Old Town Englewood is your target zone.

Northeast Englewood

The northeast section of the city, closer to the Hampden and South Colorado Boulevard corridor, tends toward mid-century ranch homes and some more recently updated properties. It’s slightly more suburban in feel but still well connected. This area has seen a lot of renovation activity as buyers priced out of Denver’s Washington Park or Platt Park neighborhoods have looked south.

West Englewood and the South Platte Corridor

The western edge of Englewood runs along the South Platte River and offers access to the Mary Carter Greenway trail system. Development here has been increasing, with newer townhome and condo projects taking advantage of trail access. For buyers who want lower-maintenance living and outdoor access without a single-family home price, this corridor is worth a close look in 2026.

Near Cherry Hills Village

The southeast portions of Englewood border Cherry Hills Village, one of the most affluent enclaves in the entire Denver metro. While Cherry Hills Village itself has very high price points, living on the Englewood side of that boundary gives families access to similar schools and a quieter, more spacious residential environment at a considerably lower price per square foot. Streets in this area often feature larger lots, mature trees, and a more established feel.

Cost of Living and Housing Prices in Englewood in 2026

Englewood remains meaningfully more affordable than Denver proper, which is one of its primary draws. As of 2026, the median home sale price in Englewood sits in the $450,000 to $550,000 range, depending heavily on the specific neighborhood, home size, and condition. That’s a notable discount compared to Denver’s median, which has pushed well above $600,000 in most desirable neighborhoods.

Entry-level condos and townhomes in Englewood can be found starting in the low $300,000s, making it one of the more accessible points of entry into Front Range homeownership. Single-family homes in Old Town Englewood that have been updated typically sell in the $475,000 to $600,000 range. Larger homes near the Cherry Hills Village border can push higher, but even there you’re often getting more space per dollar than comparable Denver addresses.

For renters, Englewood offers real value. One-bedroom apartments generally run between $1,400 and $1,700 per month, while two-bedroom units typically fall in the $1,700 to $1,900 per month range. Three-bedroom rental homes are available, often in the $2,100 to $2,500 range, which is substantially below what you’d pay for equivalent space in Wash Park, Capitol Hill, or South Broadway’s Denver-side neighborhoods.

Beyond housing, day-to-day costs in Englewood are roughly on par with the Denver metro as a whole. Groceries, utilities, and transportation costs are comparable. Englewood has a Sprouts Farmers Market, a King Soopers, and easy access to Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods locations just a short drive away. Property taxes in Arapahoe County are moderate compared to some Front Range counties, which helps keep overall housing costs manageable for buyers.

Schools in Englewood

For families, schools are often the deciding factor, and Englewood has a nuanced picture worth understanding carefully.

Englewood Schools District

The Englewood Schools District (ESD) serves the majority of Englewood’s residential areas. The district has invested significantly in facilities and programming in recent years. Englewood High School has undergone facility improvements and expanded its career and technical education offerings. The district operates on a smaller scale than the Jefferson County or Cherry Creek School Districts, which means more direct community involvement and less institutional bureaucracy — something many families actually prefer.

Cherry Creek School District

Portions of Englewood — particularly in the southeastern areas near Cherry Hills Village — fall within the Cherry Creek School District, which is consistently ranked among the top public school districts in Colorado. Cherry Hills Village Elementary feeds into West Middle School and Cherry Creek High School, and homes within this attendance boundary command a premium even on the Englewood side of the line. If Cherry Creek schools are a priority, a careful look at attendance boundaries before purchasing is essential.

Private and Charter Options

Families also have access to several private school options in the immediate area, including Colorado Academy in nearby Denver, as well as various charter school options within both ESD and the broader metro. The proximity to the University of Denver also means good access to enrichment programs and educational resources.

Commuting from Englewood to Denver

One of Englewood’s strongest practical advantages is its commute profile. Denver’s core employment areas — downtown, the Denver Tech Center, the medical corridor along East Colfax — are all highly accessible from Englewood.

A typical drive from Englewood to downtown Denver takes 15 to 20 minutes under normal conditions via South Broadway or I-25. The Denver Tech Center, which sits just south along I-25, is often reachable in 10 to 15 minutes. Even on busy commute days, Englewood residents rarely face the kind of traffic misery that plagues those commuting from Castle Rock, Parker, or even parts of Lakewood.

For those who prefer public transit, Englewood has excellent light rail access. The Englewood Station on the C and W light rail lines connects directly into downtown Denver in approximately 20 to 25 minutes, with trains running frequently during peak hours. The CityCenter Englewood area around the station has been designed to support transit-oriented living, making it genuinely practical to be car-light in Englewood if you’re commuting into the city core.

Things to Do in Englewood

Englewood punches above its weight on quality-of-life amenities, particularly for families and outdoor-oriented residents.

Englewood Recreation Center

The Englewood Recreation Center on South Elati Street is an anchor community resource. It offers a full-size indoor pool, fitness facilities, group exercise classes, youth programs, and an indoor track. The rec center is reasonably priced for Englewood residents and is well-maintained. For families, the youth swim lessons, sports leagues, and after-school programming alone can justify a move to the city.

Pirates Cove Water Park

During Colorado summers, Pirates Cove Family Aquatic Center is a genuine community gem. This outdoor waterpark, operated by the city, offers water slides, a lazy river, a spray zone for young kids, and a competition pool. It’s the kind of facility that makes summer weekends genuinely enjoyable for families with children of all ages, and it’s far less crowded than regional water parks.

Cherry Creek Trail Access

The Cherry Creek Trail runs along the eastern edge of the Englewood/Cherry Hills Village border, offering miles of paved multi-use trail connecting south Denver to Cherry Creek Reservoir in the south and all the way into downtown Denver and eventually Confluence Park to the north. For cyclists, joggers, and anyone who likes outdoor recreation without driving to it, Cherry Creek Trail access from Englewood is an underrated quality-of-life asset.

Mary Carter Greenway

Along the South Platte River on the city’s western edge, the Mary Carter Greenway provides additional trail access and natural open space. This is a quieter, more naturalistic trail experience compared to Cherry Creek, and it connects to a broader regional trail network stretching in both directions along the river corridor.

South Broadway and the Arts Scene

The section of South Broadway that runs through Englewood and into the Denver neighborhoods just north has become one of the most interesting commercial corridors in the metro area. Antique shops, vintage stores, independent restaurants, live music venues, and small galleries are concentrated here in a way that feels authentically organic rather than developer-manufactured. For residents who value walkable neighborhood character, this is a significant quality-of-life factor.

Restaurants and Dining in Englewood

Englewood’s food scene has grown substantially and continues to improve. You won’t find the density of options you’d have in RiNo or Capitol Hill, but for a city of 35,000 people, Englewood has a genuinely impressive variety.

The craft beer scene near Englewood has grown steadily. De Steeg Brewing, one of the Denver metro’s well-regarded neighborhood taprooms, is close enough to make a regular stop worthwhile. The broader South Broadway corridor also has a growing number of craft beer bars and taprooms that give residents solid options without driving to downtown Denver.

Along South Broadway, The Tavern and several other established neighborhood bars and restaurants give the corridor a lively, lived-in energy. The growing number of independently owned restaurants, ranging from Mexican and Vietnamese to New American casual, reflects the neighborhood’s increasingly diverse and food-savvy resident base.

For coffee specifically — which matters enormously if you’re a remote worker — Englewood has seen solid growth. Shops like River Maiden Coffee and the various independent cafes along the South Broadway stretch give remote workers actual viable options for working outside the home without resorting to chain drive-throughs.

Englewood for Remote Workers

Remote workers have made Englewood a quiet but consistent choice in the post-pandemic years, and for good reason. The combination of relatively affordable housing, genuine neighborhood character, good internet infrastructure, and easy access to Denver when you need it creates an unusually practical environment for location-flexible professionals.

Fiber and high-speed cable internet are available throughout most of Englewood through providers including Xfinity and CenturyLink/Lumen, with gigabit-tier service accessible in most residential areas. This is not a concern for most of the city, though as always, specific address-level verification before signing a lease or purchase agreement is advisable.

For those who want dedicated workspace outside the home, the Denver metro’s co-working ecosystem extends into the Englewood area, and the light rail connection means that downtown Denver co-working spaces at Galvanize (now part of WeWork’s network) or Shift Workspaces locations are accessible without a car. Several coffee shops along South Broadway have become de facto co-working spots with reliable wifi, power access, and reasonable daytime food and drink options.

The overall remote work quality of life in Englewood is high. You have enough neighborhood walkability to break up the workday, easy access to outdoor recreation for mid-day resets, and a genuine sense of place that many remote workers specifically look for when they have the freedom to choose where they live.

Englewood for Families

Families consistently find Englewood to be a practical, lower-stress alternative to denser Denver neighborhoods. The city’s violent crime rate is notably lower than Denver proper, and the neighborhood feel — especially in Old Town and the residential streets east of Broadway — is genuinely family-oriented without being sterile.

Parks are distributed well across the city. Cushing Park, Duncan Park, and Jason Park all offer playgrounds, open turf, and picnic facilities. The rec center, Pirates Cove, and the trail systems give families structured and unstructured outdoor activity options across every season.

The proximity to Swedish Medical Center, one of the top-ranked hospitals in Colorado, located just on the Denver side of the border at South Downing and East Hampden, provides families with excellent access to pediatric and general medical care without major travel.

Youth sports are well organized through the city’s parks and recreation department, and the Englewood Schools District has expanded its extracurricular programming in recent years. For families relocating from other states, Englewood offers a landing spot that feels genuinely welcoming and practically functional without requiring years of social navigation to feel settled.

Pros and Cons of Living in Englewood vs. Denver Proper

Advantages of Choosing Englewood

The most obvious advantage is cost. You get meaningfully more home — more square footage, more likely a yard, more parking — for less money than equivalent Denver neighborhoods. The commute to Denver is short enough that you rarely feel disconnected. The city has its own identity and community infrastructure, which creates a stronger sense of belonging than many suburban bedroom areas. Crime rates are lower than Denver as a whole. The school options, particularly for families who land in Cherry Creek School District boundaries, are excellent.

Disadvantages to Consider

Englewood’s nightlife and entertainment density doesn’t match Denver’s. If walkable access to professional sports venues, major concert arenas, or the full breadth of Denver’s restaurant scene is essential to your daily life, you’ll feel the distance. Some Old Town homes, while charming, require meaningful maintenance investment. The city’s retail options, while improving, still rely on driving to adjacent areas for many shopping needs. And while South Broadway is genuinely active, it’s a different scale than

South Denver Guide Team

South Denver Guide is a local resource for neighborhood guides, real estate insights, and things worth doing in South Denver. No fluff, just useful.