.jpg){kind=avatar}
New - 10 Hours Ago
$589,000
Active
5
Beds
4
Baths
3775
Sqft
0.14
Acres
18872 E Prentice Pl, Centennial, CO 80015
MLS#: 1982129
Moving to Centennial, CO? These are the 13 things to know before you buy in Centennial, Colorado: two school districts, a 6.75% sales tax, light rail at Dry Creek, HOAs and utilities you set up yourself. See every Centennial home for sale and call or text 303-955-4220. A live person answers.
This is the complete relocation guide for anyone moving to Centennial CO from another state or from across the Denver metro. Centennial is a city of 108,658 people (Census Bureau estimate for July 2025) on the south side of metro Denver, in Arapahoe County, between Littleton, Greenwood Village, Aurora and Lone Tree. Living in Centennial puts the Denver Tech Center next door and more than 100 parks in reach. Below: the 13 things buyers ask us most, what each one means for your move, and what to watch out for.
Our office is in Centennial, at 6300 S Syracuse Way. Want a short list of homes that fit your commute and budget? Start with the Moving to Centennial page or text 303-955-4220 and an agent sends you a list today.
Centennial, Colorado. Interstate 25 runs through the city; the Centennial area guide walks the neighborhoods on both sides.
108,658
Residents
Census Bureau estimate, July 2025
6.75%
Sales tax
Combined rate in the City of Centennial
27.7 min
Average commute
Census Bureau, 2024 survey
3 lines
Light rail at Dry Creek
RTD E, R and T lines
In this guide
- Centennial is a contract city: your address decides who serves you
- Home prices change daily: use the live numbers
- East and west Centennial live differently
- Two school districts serve Centennial: check by address
- Plan for the commute you will drive
- Light rail stops at Dry Creek Station
- Sales tax is 6.75%; property tax depends on your tax district
- HOAs and metro districts come with many neighborhoods
- You set up your own utilities and trash service
- Parks, trails and open space are run by districts
- Centennial Airport and the business corridor shape daily life
- Half the homes were built before 1984: inspect for Colorado issues
- Your first 90 days: license, plates and altitude
Plus: what not to do, Centennial homes for sale, and quick answers.
See today's Centennial homes before you read on
Every active and coming-soon Centennial listing, updated daily, with a map. Save the search and new listings come to your inbox.
See Centennial homesText a live person1. Centennial is a contract city: your address decides who serves you
Centennial voters approved incorporation in September 2000 with 77% of the vote, and the city was born on February 7, 2001. From day one the city chose a contract model: it hires public and private partners to deliver core services instead of building its own departments (the city history page tells the story).
Here is who does what. The Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office provides law enforcement under an agreement first signed on May 8, 2001. South Metro Fire Rescue provides fire and emergency medical service. The city does not provide water, sewer, electricity, gas, trash, internet or phone service. The 24-hour Citizen Response Center answers at 303-325-8000.
What this means for you
Two Centennial homes a mile apart can have different water, park and school districts and a different trash hauler. Check every service by the exact address.
Watch out
- A ZIP code does not prove a home sits inside city limits. Ask your agent to confirm the jurisdiction on the county record before you write an offer.
- Listing remarks that say "Centennial schools" or "Centennial water" are not a service guarantee. Verify with the provider.
2. Home prices change daily: use the live numbers
We do not print a frozen median price in this guide, because the Centennial market changes every day. The Centennial real estate statistics page loads live MLS numbers each time you open it: homes for sale by type, the median list price and new listings, next to sourced county figures. For the full metro picture, the Denver real estate statistics page does the same for the region.
Centennial housing is mostly single-family: 73.7% of homes are detached houses and 7.6% sit in buildings with five or more units (Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey). If you want less yard work, start with Centennial townhomes, condos or patio homes.
What this means for you
Set your budget from the live list price, then run the full payment (principal, interest, taxes, insurance, HOA) in the Colorado mortgage calculator. Add cash to close with the Colorado closing cost calculator.
Watch out
- Online value estimates on Centennial homes miss upgrades, basements and lot size. Ask for the recent sales on the street; our full-payment test shows how to check the monthly number.
- Get a homeowners insurance quote during your inspection period, not after closing. Read why the true monthly payment changed.
3. East and west Centennial live differently
Centennial covers nearly 30 square miles, and Interstate 25 and Centennial Airport split it into a west side and an east side. The west and central parts of the city sit in the South Suburban Parks and Recreation District. The east side, north of Arapahoe Road and east of Parker Road, is served by the Trails Park and Recreation District and, along Smoky Hill Road between Buckley and Tower Roads, the Smoky Hill Metro District.
West Centennial is home to Southglenn and The Streets at SouthGlenn at Arapahoe Road and University Boulevard. East Centennial is home to Smoky Hill and Piney Creek. Other neighborhood pages buyers open first: Willow Creek, Walnut Hills, Heritage Greens, Cherry Knolls, Homestead Farm and Foxridge.
What this means for you
Pick a side by your weekly drives first, then compare neighborhoods on that side. Our guide to the Centennial neighborhoods people rarely leave and the south metro fit guide compare the choices side by side.
Watch out
- Two homes in the same price band on opposite sides of I-25 come with different districts, different commutes and different HOA rules. Compare the full package, not the price.
4. Two school districts serve Centennial: check by address
Two public school districts serve Centennial residents: Cherry Creek School District and Littleton Public Schools, as listed on the city's schools page. The district line does not follow ZIP codes or neighborhood names.
Cherry Creek assigns schools by physical address with its School Assignment and Locator Tool. For Littleton Public Schools, confirm the address with the district office before you write an offer. To browse homes by district, open homes in Cherry Creek School District 5 or homes in Littleton Public Schools.
What this means for you
Run the address through the district tool before you tour, and again before your inspection deadline. Assignments are set by the district, not by the listing.
Watch out
- Attendance boundaries change. A school named in a listing two years ago is not proof of today's assignment.
- Want a school other than the assigned one? Ask the district for its choice enrollment dates the week you go under contract.
5. Plan for the commute you will drive
Centennial workers average a 27.7-minute one-way commute, according to the Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey. That is 2.8 minutes longer than Denver's average and 1.4 minutes shorter than Aurora's.
Average one-way commute, minutes (Census Bureau, 2024 survey)
The road miles below are measured from the Centennial Civic Center at 13133 E Arapahoe Road on OpenStreetMap routing. Miles stay fixed; drive times change with traffic.
How far Centennial is from the places you will drive to
| From Centennial Civic Center to | Road miles |
|---|---|
| Dry Creek light rail station | 4 |
| Keller Williams DTC office, S Syracuse Way | 4 |
| Park Meadows, Lone Tree | 5 |
| Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora | 16 |
| Union Station, downtown Denver | 17 |
| Denver International Airport terminal | 30 |
| Downtown Boulder | 44 |
| Downtown Colorado Springs | 58 |
What this means for you
Drive your real commute at the real hour before you sign. If you work in the Tech Center, read the Centennial commute to DTC first.
Watch out
- A weekend test drive tells you nothing about a 7:30 AM weekday commute on I-25 or Arapahoe Road. Drive it on a Tuesday.
- E-470 is a toll road. Price the tolls into your monthly budget if your route uses it.
6. Light rail stops at Dry Creek Station
Dry Creek Station sits at 9450 E Dry Creek Road in Centennial, near Dry Creek Road and I-25. RTD runs three light rail lines through it: the E, R and T lines. The Park-n-Ride has 235 spaces; parking is free for the first 24 hours for in-district vehicles, then $2 a day, and $4 a day for out-of-district vehicles.
The E Line runs north to Union Station in downtown Denver. See Centennial homes near light rail.
What this means for you
If you commute downtown or to a stadium, a home a short drive from Dry Creek gives you a no-parking-garage option. Time the ride on a weekday before you count on it.
Watch out
- RTD changed light rail schedules in June and again in September 2026. Check the current timetable for your line before you plan your commute on it.
Free: The Denver Light Rail Home Checklist
Nine pages on buying near a station: parking, walk times, noise and resale. We email the PDF in minutes.
Prefer a page? Open the light rail checklist page.
Want a Centennial agent to check an address for you?
Send us any Centennial listing. We confirm the school district, tax district, HOA and water provider before you tour.
Ask a Centennial agentCall or text 303-955-42207. Sales tax is 6.75%; property tax depends on your tax district
The combined sales tax in the City of Centennial is 6.75%: 2.5% city, 2.9% State of Colorado, 1.0% RTD, 0.25% Arapahoe County and 0.1% for the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (city sales tax rates).
Centennial's 6.75% sales tax, layer by layer
Property tax works differently. For tax year 2026, Colorado assesses residential property at 6.8% of actual value for local-government levies and 7.05% for school-district levies. Each taxing body (county, city, school district, fire, water, park, metro district) sets its own mill levy, and the levies stack into your bill. The county revalues real property every odd-numbered year. Look up any address on the Arapahoe County Assessor property search; the state rules live with the Colorado Division of Property Taxation.
Moving here at 65 or older? The Senior Citizen Property Tax Exemption requires 10 consecutive years in the home as a primary residence before January 1 of the year you apply, with applications due by July 15. A new buyer does not qualify on day one. See Colorado 55+ communities and Centennial 55+ homes.
What this means for you
Use the last tax bill on the county record as your starting number, not the listing estimate. Add any metro district levy you see on that bill.
Watch out
- A seller's tax bill can include a senior exemption that ends when the home sells. Your bill can be higher than theirs.
- Compare the total mill levy on the county record for every home on your list, not just the prices.
8. HOAs and metro districts come with many neighborhoods
Many Centennial neighborhoods have a homeowners association, and some sit inside a metropolitan district, which is a special district that can levy property tax and run amenities. The Smoky Hill Metro District, for one, runs seven parks, a pool and a clubhouse in the Smoky Hill area. Colorado's HOA Information and Resource Center explains owner rights and registration.
Want fewer rules? Browse Centennial homes with no HOA. Want someone else to mow and shovel? Patio homes and townhomes carry HOAs that cover more of the exterior.
What this means for you
Read the HOA budget, reserve study, rules and the last year of meeting minutes before your contract deadline for association documents. The minutes tell you about special assessments first.
Watch out
- Dues are only part of the cost. Ask about special assessments, transfer fees and working-capital fees at closing.
- HOA rules cover fences, paint colors, RVs, short-term rentals and solar. Read them before you plan a project.
9. You set up your own utilities and trash service
Because the city provides no utilities, you set up each one yourself. Xcel Energy or CORE Electric Cooperative supplies gas and electricity, depending on the address. Water and sewer come from one of several water and sanitation districts, and Denver Water distributes water to part of the city. The city's trash and utilities page links its Property Search, which names the energy provider and water district for an address.
Trash and recycling come from private haulers, each on its own pickup day. Some HOAs contract one hauler for the whole neighborhood.
What this means for you
Ask the seller for the names of the current providers and the last 12 months of utility bills during your inspection period. Schedule start dates for the day you close.
Watch out
- If your HOA has no trash contract, nobody picks up your trash until you sign up with a hauler.
10. Parks, trails and open space are run by districts
Centennial counts more than 100 parks, 100 miles of trails and 4,000 acres of open space, delivered through park and recreation districts and the city. South Suburban has 21 parks inside Centennial; the Trails district has nine; the Arapahoe County Recreation District runs Dove Valley Regional Park.
The city's own Centennial Center Park at 13050 E Peakview Avenue has been open since 2012, with a splash pad that runs Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. The High Line Canal Trail passes through Centennial on its 71-mile run across the metro, and Cherry Creek State Park next door in Aurora covers 4,227 acres with an 880-acre reservoir and 35 miles of trails (a parks pass is required).
What this means for you
Find the trail or park you will use every week, then search close to it: Centennial homes near parks and open space, Cherry Creek Trail access and Centennial dog parks.
Watch out
- Check which park district serves the address before you count on resident pricing at a recreation center.
- Homes that back to open space or a trail trade privacy for foot traffic. Walk the trail behind the house on a weekend morning.
11. Centennial Airport and the business corridor shape daily life
Centennial Airport is owned by the Arapahoe County Public Airport Authority and reports it was the busiest general aviation airport in 2023, with 360,725 aircraft operations. For airline flights, Denver International Airport is 30 road miles from the Centennial Civic Center.
Business is close by. Arrow Electronics lists its principal executive offices at 9151 E Panorama Circle in Centennial in its annual report, and the Denver Tech Center sits just north in Greenwood Village. Our own office, Keller Williams DTC, is 4 road miles from the Civic Center.
Daily errands center on hubs like The Streets at SouthGlenn, a mixed-use center at the southwest corner of Arapahoe Road and University Boulevard. The city's SouthGlenn project page tracks a proposed 358-unit apartment building at the former Macy's site. Arapahoe Libraries runs four branches with Centennial addresses: Castlewood, Koelbel, Smoky Hill and Southglenn. Read more about living near Southglenn.
What this means for you
If quiet matters to you, map the flight paths and spend an hour at the house on a weekday.
Watch out
- Homes under a flight path hear aircraft. Visit in the morning and late afternoon before you commit.
12. Half the homes were built before 1984: inspect for Colorado issues
The median Centennial home was built in 1984, according to the Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey. That makes the housing stock newer than Denver and Lakewood and older than Highlands Ranch, Parker and Castle Rock.
Median year homes were built (Census Bureau, 2024 survey)
A 40-year-old house needs a Colorado-specific inspection. Radon is found at elevated levels in one out of every two Colorado homes, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, which sells low-cost test kits. Swelling clay soils sit under every major Front Range city; the Colorado Geological Survey publishes a swelling soils guide for homebuyers. Hail is the third item: ask for the roof's age and any insurance claims on it.
What this means for you
Budget for a general inspection plus a radon test and a sewer-line camera, and ask for the roof's age and claim history. Want a basement or one-level living? See Centennial homes with basements and Centennial ranch homes if you want one level.
Watch out
- A radon reading at or above 4 pCi/L is above the EPA action level. Negotiate a mitigation system before closing.
- Cracked basement slabs and sticking doors are signs of soil movement. Bring in a structural engineer before your inspection deadline.
13. Your first 90 days: license, plates and altitude
The Colorado DMV counts you as a resident once you work here, run a business here or live here for 90 consecutive days. After that, you have 30 days to transfer your driver's license and 90 days to register your vehicle; Arapahoe County motor vehicle offices handle plates.
Then the altitude. Centennial sits more than a mile above sea level: the U.S. Geological Survey gauge on Little Dry Creek near Arapahoe Road reads 5,592 feet. Drink more water than you did at home, wear sunscreen, and give yourself a week before a hard workout.
What this means for you
Put the DMV dates on your calendar the day you close. Get a library card at any of the four Centennial branches. Starting from scratch? Our Front Range relocation checklist lists every step in order.
Watch out
- Missing the 90-day registration deadline costs a late fee. Book the county appointment early.
- Out-of-state vehicles need a VIN verification before registration: a Colorado law enforcement officer, a licensed dealer or an emissions testing station does it.
Financing your Centennial home
Get pre-approved before you tour, so you can write an offer the day you find the right house. Want a lender name? Call Mike Oswald at Rate: (720) 677-5816. Compare today's numbers on Colorado mortgage rates.
Many of our buyers use Mike Oswald at Rate and trust him. The Kenna Real Estate Group is not affiliated with Rate or Mike Oswald, you are free to use any lender you choose, and we receive nothing for the introduction. Mike Oswald, NMLS 261003 · Rate, Inc., NMLS 2611 · Equal Housing Lender.
What not to do when moving to Centennial
- Do not choose a home by ZIP code. Check city limits, school district, water district and park district by address.
- Do not sign before you drive the commute at rush hour on a weekday.
- Do not skip the HOA documents. Read the budget, reserves and minutes before the deadline.
- Do not use the seller's tax bill as your tax bill. Exemptions end at the sale.
- Do not close on a 1980s house without a radon test and a sewer scope.
- Do not miss the Colorado DMV deadlines: 30 days for the license, 90 days to register.
