Denver’s 8 Best Suburbs

For the first three years of our marriage, my husband and I rented a 500-square-foot row house a block off South Broadway. We always joked that we weren’t hip enough to live in Baker—we had too few tattoos and lacked an all-consuming passion for pour-over coffee. Still, we felt pretty cool when we hit Atomic Cowboy’s late-night pizza window on the way home from a show at the Hi-Dive. I loved walking to Alameda Station and taking the light rail to work downtown. On evening strolls with our husky, we dreamed about buying one of the quirky Victorian homes we passed.

When we started looking at real estate, though, reality set in: If we wanted a yard, a garage, and more than one bathroom, we were going to be priced out of our beloved neighborhood, and maybe the entire city. In 2017, even fixer-uppers were out of reach, as flippers swooped in waving cash and waiving inspections. The market in 2025 isn’t all that different, but the alternatives to Denver proper have changed.

As we detail below, the Mile High City’s suburbs have more appeal than ever, and I can personally speak to life in one of them. Eight years ago, we decamped to Arvada, lured by a corner lot, a manageable mortgage, and, crucially, the then-forthcoming commuter rail to Union Station.

Today, though, we rarely need to venture farther than the mile and a half between our midcentury ranch and Arvada’s charming Olde Town Historic District. Stone Cellar Bistro is a date-night destination whose chef recently competed on Hell’s Kitchen. I get my hair cut at Clementine’s Salon, a chic spot whose original location is in LoHi. New Image Brewing makes some of the best hazy IPAs in the state. We just got a Snooze. My husband and I even discovered local rock band Boot Gun on a Second Saturday festival stage in Olde Town—years before its first Hi-Dive gig this past January.

I still check out Zillow listings in Baker from time to time, and I like to fantasize about moving into a LoDo high-rise once we’re empty nesters. There’s an undeniable energy to the city that the ’burbs will never fully replicate. But for now, I’m thankful that some of the things that make Denver so great have spilled into its borderlands. —Jessica LaRusso

Jump Ahead:

Littleton
Arvada
Ken Caryl
Aurora
Westminster
Central Park
Englewood
Wheat Ridge

1. Littleton

Median sale price: $617,000
Median sale price per square foot: $280
Median days on market: 23
Population: 44,451
Median household income: $96,611
Public schools rating: A

With its stellar schools, ample lot sizes, and access to outdoor recreation, Littleton boasts the standard perks of a Denver suburb. But it also offers something many don’t. “Downtown Littleton is actually pretty lit,” says Sam Neumann, a broker’s associate at Compass Real Estate.

The Arapahoe County seat’s Main Street—which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998—is lined with locally owned restaurants and shops, providing a soulful antidote to chain-store malaise. Order up avocado margaritas at 18-month-old Cencalli Taqueria, cure post-hike hunger with a locally sourced steak burger at Grande Station Scratch Kitchen, and satisfy a sweet tooth at Little Man Ice Cream’s newest location, which opened this past October. For retail therapy, peruse women’s consignment fashion at True Find Boutique or find gifts sourced from around the globe at Willow and Tulaire. On weekends, Town Hall Arts Center hosts live performances for both adults (this month’s Gloria and Emilio Estefan bio-musical On Your Feet!) and kids (June’s Wizard of Oz).

Main Street isn’t the only stretch of Littleton with character. The city’s nearly 14 square miles include distinctive neighborhoods with varied architecture and mature trees. “You can find townhomes in downtown Littleton, single-family new builds in [the new master-planned community] Sterling Ranch, and artsy adobe homes in Roxborough Park,” says Neumann, noting that most homes on the market fall within $650,000 to $1 million.

That’s not to say that Littleton doesn’t have its drawbacks—especially for those who commute to downtown Denver or make frequent trips to DIA. In exchange for a long car ride, though, residents get proximity to more than 1,400 acres of parks and open space and over 200 miles of trails. Locals can bike the Mary Carter Greenway Trail in the morning, hike the scenic Coyote Song Trail with the kids in the afternoon, and take in the sunset from a paddleboard on Chatfield Reservoir.

A Pup’s Paradise
Littleton caters to the whole family—including four-legged members. Residents elect an honorary dog mayor (a 10-year-old basset hound named Murdoch currently occupies the seat) every two years, and the city is home to several pup-friendly breweries, including the dog-park-equipped Coal Mine Ave Brewing Company. What else would you expect from a town that set the Guinness World Record for largest dog wedding ceremony in 2007, when 178 canine couples said their I roos? For the cat loyalists: Urban Sophisticats, the state’s first feline-only grooming salon, has been producing purrs in downtown Littleton since 2013.

2. Arvada

Median sale price: $642,000
Median sale price per square foot: $283
Median days on market: 22
Population: 121,414
Median household income: $113,396
Public schools rating: A-

When lifelong Arvada resident Erin Houston was a child, the western part of her hometown was wide-open plains, and the only reason her family ever ventured to Olde Town was to see a movie at the multiplex. The theater—which was purchased and renovated by Harkins Theatres in 2017—is still there, but most everything else about Arvada has changed in the past 15 years. A now-thriving Olde Town Historic District has made midcentury ranches in adjacent neighborhoods popular among families. And all that vacant space to the west? It’s now dotted with luxe contemporary properties in the Candelas and Leyden Rock developments, within which Houston sells as an area RE/MAX agent.

Houston says folks have flocked to the northwest suburb for its easy access to Boulder, Golden, and Denver—made even simpler with RTD’s 2019 debut of the G Line, which provides Arvadans with a straight shot to Union Station—and its relative affordability compared with nearby Broomfield and Superior. “We’re one of the least expensive of the suburbs on the northwest side [to buy in],” she says.

Many residents find no reason to leave Arvada—especially after the city closed sections of Olde Wadsworth Boulevard and Grandview Avenue to car traffic, making it safer for pedestrians to stroll Olde Town’s shops, including Baja-inspired Mexican restaurant Lady Nomada and artisan jeweler Balefire Goods. In 2024, the Arvada Center picked up more nominations than any other company at the Colorado Theater Guild’s annual Henry Awards. Meanwhile, the Apex Center recreation facility (home to two ice rinks, an indoor water park, and a rock-climbing wall) and the Arvada Library (which is currently undergoing a nearly $15 million redesign) offer a diversity of diversions for families of all shapes and sizes.

Brakes for Bikes
Recognized as a Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists, Arvada is a haven for pedalers. Cruise around town on the approximately seven-mile Arvada Bike Loop that passes through several city parks and the Red Rocks Community College campus, join a free group ride with Bike Friendly Arvada, and teach your kiddos how to ride at the city’s Bicycle Training Course, a half-acre streetscape featuring educational obstacles.

3. Ken Caryl

Median sale price: $550,000
Median sale price per square foot: $288
Median days on market: 37
Population: 33,772
Median household income: $116,838
Public schools rating: A-

While visiting one of his sons in Denver in 1913, Midwestern newspaper mogul John Charles Shaffer decided to expand his empire with a string of big purchases: the Rocky Mountain News, the Denver Times, the Denver Republican, and, for $100,000, a huge swath of terrain southwest of Denver. He and his wife, Virginia, named the 2,660-acre plot Ken Caryl after their sons, Kent and Carroll, and turned the land into a profitable cattle ranch until the Great Depression forced the Shaffers to sell the property to the banks.

Today, Ken Caryl features varied neighborhoods and more than 4,800 acres of open space, becoming a haven for buyers in search of a secluded, family-friendly community with views of the foothills, convenient outdoor opportunities (including private trails and direct access to Chatfield State Park to the south), and roaming wildlife. Those amenities are why East Coast transplant Eva Stadelmeier has lived there for 20 years. “With all of the natural beauty and the trails, my first impression was, ‘If I’m going to live in Colorado, this is where I need to be,’ ” says Stadelmeier, a RE/MAX broker.

A natural north-south ridge divides the area into two sections with distinct housing styles. The eastern portion, known as the Ranch, offers starter condos in the mid-$300,000s as well as traditional three- or four-bedroom spec and semi-custom homes starting around $650,000. The western portion, called the Valley, includes three fully custom communities (Barrington Ridge, Manor Ridge, and North Ranch) with prices starting around $1.8 million and topping out at $3.5 million. “A lot of people move in at entry level and then eventually upgrade to the Valley,” Stadelmeier says. “We call it the Valley shuffle.”

Easy Riders
Ken Caryl maintains a Wild West attitude with its beloved Equestrian Center—owned and operated by the local HOA—which features indoor and outdoor riding arenas, 4,800 acres of open space and 50 miles of private trails to trot, and covered barn stalls and pipe pens for monthly boarding. For those still eagerly awaiting the pony on their wish lists, the center hosts hourlong private lessons ($70 for residents; $84 for nonresidents) and Barn Buddies sessions ($65), during which little ones learn about grooming and caring for horses and participate in a guide-led ride.

4. Aurora

Median sale price: $463,000
Median sale price per square foot: $226
Median days on market: 46
Population: 395,052
Median household income: $84,320
Public schools rating: B

As the most racially diverse city in Colorado, Aurora is a cultural melting pot—and its abundance of global cuisines and flavors is a testament to that. “It’s the best food scene in all of Colorado,” says Colin Dart, a Milehimodern broker who lived in Aurora for three years and owns multiple rental properties there. “I’ll stand by that all day long.”

The city is home to several international markets and grocery stores and 250 ethnic eateries, many of which line a four-plus-mile stretch of Havana Street. Seoul Korean BBQ & Hot Pot serves up an array of savory broths; Dân Dã invites customers to build their own Vietnamese spring rolls; and Nile Ethiopian Restaurant’s spicy lamb stew makes the perfect dip for its spongy injera. One of Dart’s favorite places to eat in Aurora? East Colfax’s Mango House, a refugee community center and food hall that dishes out delicious Japanese, Burmese, and Nepali flavors.

At 164 square miles, Aurora stretches from Cherry Creek State Park on its southwestern border to DIA at its northeastern door. That kind of ground coverage results in a range of housing types. “You’re going to find nice, move-in-ready homes for probably the most affordable prices you’ll see in all of the metro suburbs,” Dart says. Custom midcentury builds in hidden-gem neighborhoods such as Highland Park start in the $500,000s, while those seeking more space can find quintessential McMansions in southeast Aurora beginning at $1 million. The northeastern section of the suburb teems with new development: Painted Prairie, a 640-acre community, has welcomed over 900 families since breaking ground in 2020; the massive Aurora Highlands neighborhood is hurtling toward a total build-out of 12,500 housing units, 12 neighborhood parks, four schools, and a beach club; and Southshore includes nearly 2,000 homes (built throughout the past two decades) just a mile away from Aurora Reservoir.

As massive as Aurora is, however, you won’t find a single mountain within city limits. That doesn’t mean it lacks natural appeal. The eastern suburb is ripe with outdoor amenities—including 103 parks and more than 5,000 acres of open space and trails. And if you absolutely need more variety in your landscape? The northern edge of Aurora is less than 10 minutes from the tented white peaks of DIA and their promise of farther-flung places to play.

Full Swing
The best thing about Aurora’s vast footprint: more room for golf. The city operates five municipal courses, the crown jewel being Murphy Creek, which was modeled after traditional links layouts in Scotland—a likeness that becomes immediately apparent when the wind howls off the Eastern Plains. The Colorado Golf Association–owned CommonGround Golf Course, meanwhile, has a nine-hole short course ideal for kids and beginners.

5. Westminster

Median sale price: $550,000
Median sale price per square foot: $280
Median days on market: 28
Population: 114,875
Median household income: $96,145
Public schools rating: B+

The state built U.S. 36 in the 1950s with one goal in mind: Connect Denver and Boulder. You could make the argument, though, that the thoroughfare’s greatest beneficiary is Westminster, which now serves as the perfect outpost for people who commute to a Denver office but prefer to spend their weekends frolicking in the Boulder Flatirons. “You can really tap into the lifestyle provided by those two larger and very unique cities,” Milehimodern broker Colin Dart says.

The artery bisects the ’burb’s 34 square miles and provides a clear delineation between its neighborhood styles and price points. “West of 36, you see a lot of midcentury to late ’70s builds in the Standley Lake and Walnut Creek areas,” Dart says, adding that the area boasts an abundance of starter abodes under $600,000. “In northeast Westminster, you’ll find bigger, two-story homes from the mid-’90s with more land; these can cost up to $2 million.”

The Denver-Boulder Turnpike also divides the city’s outdoor amenities. To the west, Standley Lake—the metro’s third-largest reservoir—attracts paddleboarders, kayakers, and anglers, and Westminster Hills Open Space’s 470 acres of off-leash land give Fido room to run. To the east, golfers can tee off at Hyland Hills, Legacy Ridge, or the Ranch Country Club courses, and budding entomologists can flutter among thousands of invertebrates at the Butterfly Pavilion. Hikers, runners, and bicyclists, however, don’t have to choose a side: Westminster’s 150 miles of multiuse trails—from a nearly five-mile section of the northern metro’s Rocky Mountain Greenway Trail to a 12-mile swath of Big Dry Creek Trail—straddle the highway.

Yes, the majority of Westminster’s dining scene is populated by chain restaurants and fast-food stops, but the city offers a handful of local options. Tucked inside the Origin Hotel, Famille serves modern French cuisine in a chic atmosphere, while Early Bird—Dart’s favorite brunch spot in the area—dishes out loaded waffles and gravy-smothered fried chicken in a casual farmhouse environment. And at northside retail destination the Orchard Town Center, shoppers can enjoy a celebratory pint at Windfall Brewing Co. after a successful Lululemon haul.

Developing Downtown
The city is transforming the site of the former Westminster Mall, which was demolished in 2011 after a 34-year run, into a walkable city center—something the suburb desperately needs. Situated on a five-block stretch west of Sheridan Boulevard, the new development is already home to Alamo Drafthouse, Bowlero, and Sweet Bloom Coffee; new-build condos and apartments will surround them in the future. A year ago, work began on the district’s Center Park—a three-acre landscape equipped with a splash pad, a dog park, and an artificial turf area for hosting city events—which is slated to open next spring.

6. Central Park

Median sale price: $678,000
Median sale price per square foot: $298
Median days on market: 30
Population: 31,596
Median household income: $166,191
Public schools rating: B

OK, technically the residents of Central Park have Denver addresses, but the 7.5-square-mile community has its own singular feel. “We call it the suburb within the city,” says Kentwood Real Estate City Properties broker Laura Fuller. And that’s by design: After DIA became the Mile High City’s air traffic hub in 1995, Denver embarked on one of the largest urban infill projects in the country by transforming the decommissioned Stapleton International Airport’s runways, concourses, and terminals into a residential paradise. Today, Central Park is home to about 1,100 acres of parks and open space, 16 highly rated schools, and 12 distinct sub-neighborhoods.

Fuller has lived in the area for 19 years, cementing her self-proclaimed status as “OG Central Park,” and appreciates Central Park’s A Line light-rail access to the airport, walkable town centers, quiet tree-lined streets, and diverse housing stock. And though the neighborhood’s proximity to I-70 has made it a popular landing spot for chain restaurants, Central Park also offers local flavor, from French onion soup dumplings at YumCha to raspberry cream ales at FlyteCo Brewing. “There’s something for everyone,” Fuller says. Income-based affordable housing, modern condos, and single-family Denver Squares are all available, and prices range from the mid-$200,000s to $2 million.

One of Fuller’s favorite things about living in Central Park? Its neighborly feel, which is driven by an abundance of narrow lots, pocket parks, and front-porch hangouts. “We’re on smaller lots,” she says, “which encourage people to get out of their houses and socialize with their neighbors.”

Splash Town
Central Park boasts seven neighborhood pools, all with aviation-themed names. Future Michael Phelpses can practice their breaststrokes in the Maverick’s eight 25-meter lap lanes, while beginner swimmers can earn their fins at the Puddle Jumper’s variety of fountains and splash pads. Each pool is open to the public, but Central Park residents can purchase exclusive memberships for discounted rates, advance reservations on splash-worthy holidays like July Fourth, and members-only sunset swims.

7. Englewood

Median sale price: $620,000
Median sale price per square foot: $318
Median days on market: 58
Population: 34,275
Median household income: $82,016
Public schools rating: B-

Denver’s direct neighbor to the south, Englewood recently revived its downtown stretch of South Broadway with public art installations, upgraded street lighting, and fresh landscaping. These cosmetic changes have made the area a landing spot for local businesses priced out of Denver, including comics and coffeeshop Mutiny Information Cafe and art gallery and studio EASEL. The new additions seamlessly blend with long-standing local favorites, such as the 20-year-old, no-frills Breakfast Queen, where weekday regulars and a bustling weekend brunch crowd dine on stacks of pancakes and piping-hot egg skillets. Across the street, Englewood Grand acts as the neighborhood’s Cheers-style watering hole, serving up straightforward drinks to a low-key clientele.

In recent years, a younger crowd has settled in the area thanks to family-friendly attractions like Pirate’s Cove water park, convenient light-rail access to downtown Denver on the D Line, and 15 parks and over 20 miles of bike paths. “It feels like the up-and-coming Platt Park or Wash Park,” says RE/MAX broker Eva Stadelmeier, noting that Englewood’s small businesses and architectural variety give the city a sense of charm rarely found in cookie-cutter suburbia. The prices are right, too: Buyers will find a mix of modern, cottage-style townhomes and low-slung midcentury gems (especially within the Arapahoe Acres Historic District) for slightly less than what similar abodes go for in Denver.

Southern Gothic
For culture vultures, Englewood offers a robust music and arts scene that’s anchored by South Broadway’s Gothic Theatre. Originally built as a movie theater in the 1920s, the Gothic has hosted live music performances since 1999, with Nirvana, the Beastie Boys, Lady Gaga, and Slayer among the iconic acts that have rocked the venue’s stage. This summer, concert-goers will line up under the glow of the Gothic’s neon sign to hear the electric riffs of guitar legend Buckethead (June 13) and psych rock band Of Montreal (July 26).

8. Wheat Ridge

Median sale price: $625,000
Median sale price per square foot: $328
Median days on market: 32
Population: 31,804
Median household income: $87,598
Public schools rating: B+

Kate Dean lived in Berkeley for nine years before her husband suggested moving their growing family to the ’burbs for a bigger footprint and backyard. She was not eager to relocate. “I came to Wheat Ridge in 2017 kicking and screaming because I thought I was a forever Denver girl,” says Dean, a former 5280 employee. But now, as a Milehimodern broker who primarily works with clients looking to buy and sell in the area, Dean can’t stop herself from rattling off the perks of the place she’s called home for eight years. “The peacefulness you get coming just a little bit west, while also being able to get to Highland Square or downtown Denver so quickly, is kind of perfect,” Dean says. “You can get more space while being 10 minutes from the best restaurants, the best hiking and trail systems, and mountain access on I-70.”

Not that you have to leave Wheat Ridge’s city limits to find fun. In recent years, several businesses have opened along 38th Avenue, the city’s main drag. GetRight’s Bakery is a one-stop shop for French pastries, takeout pizzas, and new houseplants. Food-truck-turned-brewpub Mestizo Brew Cantina serves up scratch-made tacos alongside pints of Mexican lager and farmhouse-style saison. And Yawp Cyclery, the state’s largest dealer of Surly bikes, tunes up any kind of two-wheeler. Less than three miles away on Kipling Street, renovated shopping center Gold’s Marketplace is a buzzing community hub. It houses 15 locally owned tenants that range from Em’s Ice Cream to Cosmo’s Dog Bakery & Pet Supplies. Right across the street at the 242-acre Crown Hill Park, anglers can cast a line in the bass- and bluegill-rich lake, birders can spot great blue herons and broad-tailed hummingbirds, and speed walkers can work up a sweat on a 1.3-mile loop around the water.

For housing stock, Wheat Ridge is known for its substantial supply of midcentury ranches (starting around $650,000), especially in the Applewood neighborhood, where spacious lots cater to kids and four-legged friends and Front Range views abound. “But you can also find upscale modern and farmhouse-style new builds starting at about $1.6 million,” Dean says. “Plus, you get double the backyard space when you move just a mile west of Denver.”

On the Move
After decades in the heart of Wheat Ridge, Lutheran Medical Center—the city’s largest employer—moved to a newly constructed facility a few miles away this past August. Now called Intermountain Health Lutheran Hospital, the $680 million building is more eco-friendly than its predecessor and features larger patient rooms and more efficient layouts. As for the former 100-acre hospital site? The specifics are TBD, but Wheat Ridge has proposed erecting diverse housing options, creating open spaces and trails, and preserving on-site landmarks such as the Blue House, a 1902 farmhouse that formerly served as nurses’ dorms and a teahouse.

Denver’s 8 Best Suburbs

1. Littleton

2. Arvada

3. Ken Caryl

4. Aurora

5. Westminster

6. Central Park

7. Englewood

8. Wheat Ridge

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