Cost of Living
per year
per month
How Centennial's prices compare to the US city average across major spending categories.
How far does your salary go in Centennial?
Your $100,000 in Centennial has the same purchasing power as $83,689 in the average US city. You'd need $16,311 more here to maintain that standard of living.
Demographics and workforce data from the US Census ACS 5-Year.
bachelor's or higher
Climate, safety, and walkability indicators.
See a side-by-side breakdown of cost of living, housing, and salaries.
Popular comparisons
Sorted by affordability — most affordable first.
Within 10 points of Centennial's cost index of 119, sorted by closest match.
People moving to Centennial usually have at least one specific reason. Most of them line up with what the data shows: above-average earnings, not just for a few people, low unemployment, plenty of openings, plus 3 more things worth knowing. Here's what's actually on the table.
Median household income in Centennial is $124,617 — well above the US median of roughly $75k. It's a city where high-paying industries (tech, finance, professional services) cluster, and the income distribution tilts noticeably upward relative to most of the country.
At about 3.4% unemployment, Centennial's labor market is running on the tight side. Easier to land a role, easier to negotiate, easier to leave one job for a better one — the practical things that matter when you're actually looking.
Centennial reports about 2,622 crime incidents per 100,000 residents — a step below the US average of around 3,500. The citywide number averages over neighborhoods that can vary a lot, but the headline number is friendlier than most American cities of comparable size.
Centennial's air quality index averages about 35 — comfortably in the EPA's "good" range. No daily ritual of checking the AQI before going for a run, no smoky-day plans, no surprise asthma flare-ups for the kids. The kind of background condition you notice mostly by its absence.
61% of adults 25 and over in Centennial hold a bachelor's degree or higher — meaningfully above the US average of around 36%. That correlates with the things you'd expect: stronger schools, more white-collar employers, more bookstores than the population alone would predict.
Reasons are pulled from Centennial's actual data — Census ACS, BLS, BEA, NOAA, EPA AQS, FBI, and Walk Score. We don't list positives that aren't supported by the numbers, which is why different cities show different sections.
Centennial does winter the real way. Averages around 19°F keep snow on the ground for weeks at a time, and lakes and rivers tend to freeze hard enough to walk on.
Cold enough to plan around. Winter in Centennial averages roughly 19°F, with stretches where daytime highs don't break freezing for weeks. Decent insulation, a real coat, and a car that starts in cold weather are non-negotiable.
Hot, but not desert-hot. Summer in Centennial runs about 87°F on average, with afternoons in the 90s and humidity that varies by region. AC is standard rather than optional.
Zone 7, give or take a half-zone. Centennial's typical winter low puts it in that band on the USDA Hardiness map, which is what nurseries label plants against. Use Zone 7 as your starting filter; the USDA's interactive map is more precise for borderline cases.
Centennial sits at about 5,735 feet (1,748 m) above sea level. That's high enough that new arrivals from sea level should expect a real adjustment period: shorter breath, more water than usual, longer cooking times, and meaningful sun protection thanks to the thinner atmosphere.
Average for an American city. Centennial's reported crime rate of about 2,622 per 100,000 residents sits roughly in line with the US baseline of ~3,500. Like anywhere else, the citywide number masks real differences between neighborhoods — worth looking at specific areas before deciding.
Yes, noticeably. Centennial's cost-of-living index runs 119, about 19% above the US baseline. Housing usually accounts for most of the markup; groceries and services run higher too but with less drama.
Mostly car-dependent. Centennial's Walk Score of 36/100 means a handful of errands work on foot — depending on the neighborhood — but most residents still need a car for the rest. Transit Score is 32 out of 100.
Roughly $83,643 a year would match the lifestyle of someone earning $70,000 in an average US city. That's a starting point, not a target — negotiate higher when you can. Median rent in Centennial runs about $1,949/mo — keeping housing under 30% of gross income points to a similar floor on what you'd want to earn.