Centennial, Colorado sits in the south metro, anchored by the Denver Tech Center corridor and bordered by Englewood, Littleton, Aurora, and Greenwood Village. In 2026 it remains one of the most popular landing spots for families moving from out of state and remote workers pricing out of central Denver. This guide covers what to expect: housing costs, schools, commutes, lifestyle, and the tradeoffs that come with choosing Centennial over Cherry Creek or Highlands Ranch.
From Cherry Hills Village estates to first homes in University Hills, every South Denver neighborhood plays by its own rules. Sara Garza has spent two decades helping buyers and sellers navigate these markets with LIV Sotheby’s International Realty.
Sara Garza · Global Real Estate Advisor, LIV Sotheby’s International Realty · Cherry Hills Village · Greenwood Village · Cherry Creek · Wash Park
Why people are moving to Centennial in 2026
Three things keep showing up in relocation conversations with buyers landing in Centennial.
Space per dollar. Single family homes under $700K are still findable in Centennial in 2026, especially east of I-25 in the older ranch neighborhoods. The same budget in Cherry Creek or Wash Park buys a condo, not a yard.
School access. Most of Centennial falls under the Cherry Creek School District, which is one of the top-rated districts in Colorado on state and national rankings. A few pockets are in Littleton Public Schools. Buyers should verify the exact attendance zone before they commit, since district boundaries split the city.
Commute geometry. Centennial is roughly 14 miles southeast of downtown Denver. The light rail (E, H, and R lines) connects the Denver Tech Center station to downtown and the airport. Drivers typically plan on 25 to 40 minutes to downtown off-peak, 35 to 55 minutes peak, with weather adding variability in winter.
Housing market snapshot for 2026
Centennial’s housing stock is dominated by 1970s through 1990s suburban subdivisions, plus newer townhome and infill construction near the Denver Tech Center. Single family detached homes make up the majority of ownership. Townhomes and condos cluster around the light rail stations and along the south side of Arapahoe Road.
For a 1,800 to 2,400 square foot single family home in a typical subdivision like Heritage Village, Walnut Hills, or Willow Creek, expect to be shopping in the mid $600s to mid $800s. Larger updated homes in Willow Creek and The Hills at Piney Creek can push past $1M. Condos in DTC-adjacent buildings generally run from the high $300s to mid $500s depending on building age and amenities.
Inventory is improving compared to the 2021 to 2023 stretch, but well priced homes in good school zones still move quickly. Homes that need cosmetic work or sit on busy arterial roads tend to sit longer and have more negotiation room.
Schools that anchor relocation decisions
The Cherry Creek School District serves most of Centennial. A few addresses in the western and southern edges of the city fall into Littleton Public Schools. Always confirm the assigned elementary, middle, and high school for the specific address before making an offer, since boundary changes happen and middle school assignments in particular can differ from elementary assignments.
High schools that families ask about most include Cherry Creek, Eaglecrest, Smoky Hill, and Grandview. For K through 8, names like Willow Creek, Homestead, and Peak come up frequently in buyer conversations. Private school options in or near Centennial include a small set of faith based K through 8 programs; families wanting a private high school typically look at the Denver Christian or Heritage options in the broader south metro.
For families moving with school age kids, the practical workflow is to pull the school assignment directly from the district’s zoning tool before scheduling showings, then layer on the elementary and middle school GreatSchools or state performance data. That ordering avoids the trap of falling in love with a house that puts a kid in a weaker school zone than the rest of the neighborhood.
Commute and transportation reality
Most Centennial workers commute along I-25 to downtown Denver, C-470 east to the tech corridor, or E-470 north to the airport area. The reverse commute into DTC is short and predictable. The downtown commute is the variable one.
Light rail options include the Lincoln station, the Dry Creek station, and the Arapahoe at Village Center station. RTD park and rides at Arapahoe and at Nine Mile make train commuting realistic for many residents. Bus service is functional but slow for cross city trips; most Centennial households end up with two cars.
Bike infrastructure has improved along the High Line Canal Trail, which runs through the western edge of Centennial and connects north into Denver. The trail is one of the longer urban trails in the country and gives residents a car free path for walking, running, and cycling without crossing major arterials.
What daily life actually looks like
Centennial is not a walkable downtown. It is a network of suburban neighborhoods organized around the Streets at SouthGlenn (the open air mall that anchors dining and shopping for much of the city), the Denver Tech Center, and the cluster of retail at Smoky Hill and Himalaya.
Grocery access is solid with King Soopers, Sprouts, Trader Joe’s, Safeway, and Whole Foods all represented across the city. Coffee shops and casual restaurants cluster along South Colorado Boulevard and at SouthGlenn. Independent restaurants are fewer than in central Denver, but the chain and regional options are strong.
Outdoor access is a real perk. Centennial connects to the High Line Canal Trail, is a short drive to the Cherry Creek Reservoir and State Park, and sits roughly 90 minutes from ski traffic on a good weather day. The Plains Conservation Center in the southern part of the city offers a quiet natural area that most residents do not realize exists until they have lived there a while.
Taxes, insurance, and ownership costs
Colorado property taxes are assessed as a percentage of market value, and Centennial’s mill levies are in line with other south metro cities. Expect to budget for property taxes, plus higher homeowners insurance than a buyer from another state might be used to. Wildfire risk scoring and roof condition affect premiums more than in many other metros.
There is no state level sales tax on groceries, but Colorado’s overall sales tax sits in the middle of the national pack. Centennial adds a small city sales tax on top of the state rate. Income tax is a flat rate and relatively low by US standards, which matters for remote workers evaluating comp differences between states.
Tradeoffs to weigh against nearby options
Compared to Highlands Ranch: Centennial tends to be slightly cheaper and a touch closer to DTC and downtown, but Highlands Ranch has more programmed recreation and HOA amenities bundled in.
Compared to Cherry Creek: Centennial gives up walkable retail and historic housing stock in exchange for newer builds, larger lots, and easier parking.
Compared to Englewood: Englewood offers a smaller town feel and better access to central Denver, but has fewer new construction options and a tighter housing inventory at any given moment.
For families prioritizing schools and budget over walkability, Centennial is usually the cleaner fit. For buyers who want a walkable neighborhood with restaurants and transit at the door, it is worth looking at central Denver, Englewood, or even Lakewood first.
Practical first steps for the move
Before booking a trip, pull a list of three to five target subdivisions and verify school assignments for each address type you are considering. Build the commute from a specific address to the buyer’s actual workplace, not a generic downtown pin, since I-25 traffic patterns reward or punish specific on-ramps. Get pre approved before looking at homes in earnest, since well priced Centennial homes move inside the first ten days on market in good school zones.
Once a shortlist is built, plan two full days of in person touring. One day should focus on schools, commute patterns at peak hour, and grocery and errand access. The second should focus on the homes themselves, walking each block at different times of day to check traffic noise and street activity. Buyers relocating from a different climate tend to underestimate how much sound and sun exposure affect livability on a south facing lot in Colorado’s high altitude sun.
Centennial is a strong fit for buyers who want suburban space, strong schools, and a manageable south metro commute, and who do not need a walkable retail core out the front door. For that profile, it remains one of the most balanced landing spots in the Denver metro in 2026.
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Sara Garza · LIV Sotheby’s International Realty · Cherry Hills · Greenwood Village · Cherry Creek · Wash Park