The best Denver suburbs surround the downtown city center. Many have great schools. Some are as picturesque as a cozy ski town in the mountains. Others have luxury mansions and custom estates. Also, some have condominiums and patio homes for empty nesters. And, others are family friendly. But, how do you know which are the best Denver suburbs? These are Denver suburbs chosen by our clients over the last few years.
What are the best Denver suburbs?
Arvada – Blue collar to luxury homes. Northwest suburbia. Good schools. Charming downtown. Near Flatirons.
Southern Aurora – Affordable, newer homes, top schools, Southlands Mall, easy commute to DIA and DTC.
Bow Mar – Tiny community & private lakes near Littleton. 60’s ranches and total re-dos on huge lots. Some new customs.
Broomfield – Newer homes, golf courses, near shopping on the road to Boulder. Easy commute downtown.
Castle Pines – Gated, Country Clubs in “The Village”. More affordable suburban homes nearby Castle Pines North.
Castle Rock – Just south of Castle Pines. Quaint downtown shops and Outlet Stores. Planned subdivisions.
Centennial – Newest, close suburb with great schools. Older to near-new homes. Easy DTC, downtown, Airport commute.
Cherry Hills Village – Creme de la Creme homes and incomes to match. Gates , horses, clubs. All over $1m .
Douglas County Rural – Past Castle Rock and Parker. Great schools, golf and views galore. Fewer covenants, ranches.
Englewood – Older homes in a modest suburb. Same zip code for larger homes near Greenwood Village.
Erie – Great schools, newer homes up north. Easy commute to Boulder or DIA.
Evergreen Area mountain living like a ski town near Denver. Close to Morrison and Conifer.
Golden – Eclectic mix of older homes to newer, larger homes includes Lookout Mountain and Genessee near Evergreen.
Greenwood Village – Elegant & near DTC Business Park, shops, top-schools. Subdivisions to horse estates.
Highlands Ranch – Most popular, planned, relocation town by Mission Viejo.
Ken Caryl – Red Rocks, nature and views from the foothills.
Lakewood – All-American, near-west suburb, Jeffco Schools. Solterra & Belmar.
Littleton – Charming, active redone downtown. Mixed home prices.
Lone Tree – Newer homes near RidgeGate Town Center, Park Meadows Mall. Easy commute downtown or DTC.
Longmont – Short commute to Boulder, Ft. Collins or Denver at more affordable home prices.
Louisville – Award-winner town off US 36 between Boulder-Denver with great schools. Charming, old downtown.
Loveland – Far north exburb half way to Fort Collins. Newer homes, historic district. Best schools on west side.
Niwot – Luxury, custom homes outside Boulder. Larger lots and country feel. Historic downtown for shopping.
Parker – Rural living w/horses or family-style subdivisions. Old stagecoach stop. Historic downtown. Modern shops.
Reunion – Newer suburb by DIA Airport. Affordable, planned community by Shea. A “mini-Highlands Ranch”.
Roxborough – Newer custom homes and affordable family homes in scenic and secluded red rocks.
Sedalia/Deckers – Far South, rustic, town. Unspoiled, rural country w/trout & trees. No modern subdivisions.
Westminster – Affordable NW city. Older homes down south to almost new. Anthem subdivision up north.
Denver Southern Suburbs
Many people moving here think that the best Denver suburbs are south of the city. That is often because the Cherry Creek
As Interstate 25 goes south out of Denver proper, it travels along the southern suburbs. Greenwood Village and Cherry Hills Village are considered among the most affluent suburbs in Denver. These towns share the excellent Cherry Creek Schools with Centennial, Englewood and southern sections of Aurora. But, all of the these suburbs have excellent schools, low crime and lots of trails and open space. Littleton has its own excellent schools. But parts of unincorporated Littleton attend the exceptional Jefferson County Schools.
Highlands Ranch is Denver’s largest planned community on the border between Douglas and Arapahoe counties. It attracts the highest percentage of relocation buyers because it resembles California-style developments has has excellent Douglas County Schools. Castle Rock and Parker have excellent schools in Douglas County and you will discover suburban neighborhoods mixed in with more rural sections of the county.
Western Suburbs And Foothills
Lakewood and Westminster, Colorado are closest to Denver and have Jefferson County Schools. More of the homes here are older and built before 1980. But, not all. There are newer custom home communities in Lakewood too. And, Green Mountain in Lakewood is has trails, open space and hiking. There are some subdivisions here with newer homes. Golden is due west on 6th Avenue about 15 minutes from Denver. It has an older downtown area near the Coors brewery and newer suburban areas surrounding it.
Evergreen, Morrison and Conifer are located in the nearby foothills and also share Jefferson County schools. These are Denver’s picturesque ‘mountain-like’ communities. They have gorgeous views and sometimes limited access to rural communities up dirt and gravel roads. But, luxury real estate abounds here too including a few gated communities, golf courses and planned communities. Some even have city water and sewer instead of well and septic tanks.
Eastern Suburbia
Aurora runs the entire length of Denver along its eastern border. The northern section of Aurora offers some of the most affordable homes in the Denver metro area. The central section of Aurora has the Aurora Mall and shares Aurora Public Schools with the northern section. Homes are generally built before 1980 in the central section of Aurora.
Newer, and yet still affordable homes are available in southern Aurora. That area utilizes Cherry Creek Schools and also has the new Broadlands Shopping Mall. Crime is low in these southern sections of Aurora including Saddle Rock, Tallyn’s Reach, Piney Creek, Sienna and Wheatlands. E-470 is the outer loop which is a toll road here. It offers easy access to The Denver Tech Center and the Airport.
Denver’s Northern Suburbs
Northwest of Denver, Boulder, Broomfield, Lafayette and Louisville offer a variety of housing options on the US 36 highway corridor. Louisville has been named the top city in the US for livability several times. The new Flat Irons Mall offers a wide variety of shopping and restaurant opportunities along with all the ‘big’ stores like Home Depot too. Downtown Boulder is a bustling college town with boutique shops and restaurants of all varieties too. Boulder itself is one the highest priced areas for homes because of the ‘limited growth’ policies of the City Council.
Thornton, Northglenn, Brighton and Commerce City are affordable and pleasant middle-class neighborhoods. There is mixture of older neighborhoods and brand new communities here. Some of the schools in Brighton are well rated. Reunion is the newest planned community here by Shea homes and it utilizes some of the Brighton schools even though it is located in Commerce City.
Suburban Lifestyles
The best Denver suburbs offer less crowded living but with all amenities of downtown. Most suburbs are within 20–40 minutes commute downtown. Anything further is so far away it could be called an “exburb” or an extreme suburb. Those would be Perry Park, Elizabeth, Franktown and Larkspur near Colorado Springs.
The south suburbs along with I-25 corridor are generally considered Denver’s “executive belt”. Homes are more expensive there generally and neighborhoods are generally very safe and well kept. Both Cherry Creek Schools and Douglas County are among the best in the State. Luxury homes can be found mostly here in Cherry Hills Village, Greenwood Village, Castle Pines Village. But, Evergreen and Boulder boast some huge estates and luxurious properties too.
Southwest Denver Suburbs
Littleton, Evergreen, Morrison, Roxborough and Conifer are picturesque suburbs located southwest of downtown Denver. They offer more of the “Colorado atmosphere”.
Lakewood, Golden Westminster, Arvada are located on the west side too and are good choices with good schools. Boulder, Broomfield, Lafayette and Louisville are on the Northwest side of town with easy access to Flatirons Shopping mall and good schools. In addition, they provide easy access to high tech companies located between Boulder and Longmont.
North Eastern Suburbs
Other northern suburbs are Commerce City, Thornton and Brighton which offer very affordable homes in nice neighborhoods with generally average schools according to test results. Reunion is the new planned community by Shea. Schools there test above average and the amenities of the community are excellent.
Niwot, Erie and Longmont are further north but with upscale neighborhoods and some excellent schools. Many gated and luxury home communities are located in this corridor between Boulder and Longmont.
Aurora is Denver’s largest suburb on the east side. neighborhoods on the north side have only fair schools but very affordable homes. Southern Aurora is like an entirely different city with upscale homes and the renown Cherry Creek Schools. Shopping there is enhanced with the expansive Southlands Mall.
Denver has many choices for the best suburbs. To find out which is best for you, use our “Neighborhood Finder”. Just answer a few questions and we will personalize neighborhood reports to what you want in a neighborhood.
Are you a city person. These are the best neighborhoods located within the city limits of Denver.