Centennial, CO
Census place 0812815 · pop 108,201
One of the largest U.S. cities ever to incorporate in a single move, only doing so in 2001.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$658,100 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities
17 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
-1.8% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$2,212/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities
49 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
95/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
1749 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
4.0% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
26 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 152/100k · better than most cities
194 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 0.43 · better than most cities
Gini 0.41 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
6.9% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities
80.6% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.55% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
13.9% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$131,928 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
8.0% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
62.6% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
96.9% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
3.3% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
23.1% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
13.6% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
Frequently asked
- Is Centennial, CO a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Centennial scores 55/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is physical inactivity and its weakest is housing cost. Colorado overall ranks #36 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Centennial, CO?
- Centennial reports 194 violent crimes per 100k and 1749 property crimes per 100k — better than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Centennial, CO expensive to live in?
- Centennial has a median home value of $658,100 and typical rent around $2,212/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Centennial, CO?
- Its weakest measured area is housing cost ($658,100) — 11/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Centennial, CO best at?
- Its strongest measured area is physical inactivity (13.6%) — 99/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: One of the largest U.S. cities ever to incorporate in a single move, only doing so in 2001.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.