Castle Rock and Centennial Receive High Marks as Great Places to Live
Two cities located south of Denver were among the top 50 small cities cited by Money magazine this year as great places to live.
As real estate brokers serving the South Denver metro area, we’re especially pleased to spread the word about the 2014 results, so here we go:
Castle Rock, with a population of 51,871, received the highest Colorado rating – #4. The City is located just south of the Denver metro area and serves as the Douglas County seat.
Castle Rock’s highlights included the 2013 opening of Castle Rock Adventist Hospital, the upcoming opening of a new indoor athletic complex, the City’s community events, and the downtown area, which “remains the heart of the City.”
“Castle Rock has come a long way from its quarry-town roots,” according to the magazine. “The City is growing at a rapid clip, with a population that has more than tripled in the past 15 years.”
The magazine noted that Castle Rock’s home prices are good, with a three-bedroom starting around $250,000 and median home price of $305,000.
Centennial, with a population 105,628 and located in the South Denver metro area, came in at #13.
“Just inside Denver’s beltway, Centennial feels removed from the city bustle, with rolling hills, open space and a trail network that winds through town,” according to Money magazine. “Yet this relatively new City, incorporated in 2001, is just a 35-minute light-rail ride or 20-minute drive from downtown. The area is a mecca for high-tech companies, and many Centennial residents work in the nearby Denver Tech Center, where companies like IBM and Oracle have offices.”
Additional highlights included Centennial Center Park, which has an outdoor amphitheater that serves as a venue for small concerts, playground and splash pad, and the Streets at Southglenn, an open-air, mixed-used development that offers housing, shopping and dining. The City is also served by the Cherry Creek School District and has a median home price of $280,000.
Boulder rounded out this year’s Colorado listings at #23.
In all, the magazine looked at 781 cities with populations between 50,000 and 300,000, reviewing 50 different factors that included their economies, job markets, housing, health care and schools.
And for all my fellow Parker residents who are wondering about our Town’s rating. Not to worry. Parker consistently makes the magazine’s list of the best 50 small towns. (The magazine alternates annually between towns and cities.)
Parker was named #12 in 2013, when the magazine featured small towns across the country with a population of 10,000 to 50,000, looking at economic strength, job growth, affordability, good schools, diversity, health care, a strong sense of community.
I’m sure Parker will be on that list again in 2015.
If you are considering moving to any of the great cities and towns in the South Denver metro area, please give us at a call at 303-810-5757. We can help you find the home of your dreams.
