Aurora, CO, known as 'The Gateway to the Rockies,' offers a unique blend of natural beauty and urban amenities. Located in central Colorado, Aurora is a large city that serves as a major cultural and economic hub. Major nearby cities like Denver and Centennial enhance its status as a central point in the region. Aurora's blend of scenic landscapes, cultural festivals, and urban amenities creates a distinctive living experience.
Aurora is home to several iconic landmarks, including the Aurora History Museum, the Plains Conservation Center, and the scenic Cherry Creek State Park. The city offers a variety of attractions, from the beautiful Aurora Reservoir to the bustling Southlands lifestyle center, known for its shopping and dining. Aurora's dining scene is diverse, offering everything from local Colorado cuisine to international dishes.
Annual events such as the Global Fest and the Aurora Arts Festival highlight the city's vibrant cultural scene and provide unique entertainment opportunities for residents and visitors. These events celebrate Aurora's rich cultural heritage and community spirit. Prestigious institutions like the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus contribute to the city's academic and cultural vibrancy, fostering a thriving intellectual community.
The arts and culture scene in Aurora is dynamic and diverse, with numerous theaters, music venues, and art galleries. The Aurora Fox Arts Center and the Vintage Theatre are just a few of the cultural landmarks that showcase the city's commitment to the arts. Living in Aurora provides ample opportunities to engage with art, music, and history, making it an exciting place to call home.
Aurora’s community is welcoming and diverse, creating a friendly environment for newcomers. The city is home to professional sports teams like the Colorado Rapids (MLS) and is near the Denver Broncos (NFL), providing plenty of excitement for sports fans. Major industries in Aurora include healthcare, education, and aerospace, with significant employers such as Raytheon and Children's Hospital Colorado driving economic growth. The city has extensive public transit options, including buses and light rail, making commuting convenient and accessible.
Commute
High commute scores indicates that public transit should be easily accessible in this area and the average commute time to work is less than average.
Employment
The combination of higher than average median home income, income per capita and low unemployment rates results in a score that is well above average in the employment category.
Housing
This area has received high scores in the housing category. This could be due to a positive home affordability ratio, high appreciation rates or elevated home values.
Ratings
Local residents have positive things to say about the proximity of restaurants, grocery stores, parks, public transit, friendliness of neighbors, sense of community and overall safety of the area.
Cost Of Living
Based on the most recent cost of living data, this area is more expensive to live in. You can expect to pay more for everyday goods and services, housing, groceries and utilities.
Crime
This area is reporting high crime rates per 100,000 people and could signify that it is a dangerous place to live. Crime rates include both violent and property crimes.
Schools
Lower than average education levels, poor reading and math scores, as well as the inaccessibility of local elementary and high schools could all be factors in the low schools score.
Located in the state of Colorado, Aurora is a large city with a population of 393,102 inhabitants. More than a quarter of the residents of Aurora identify themselves as Hispanic or Latino, and 20% of the population speak Spanish as their primary or secondary language. When traveling to work, spending unnecessary time in your vehicle is not ideal and downright frustrating. Across all of America, the average one way commute time is 26 minutes, unfortunately, living in Aurora offers up a higher than average one way commute time of 30 minutes.
Are you trying to decide if living in Aurora is the right fit for your lifestyle? To ensure a fulfilling experience before relocating to any new city in Colorado, you will probably want to make sure that you check all of the most important boxes. Several key factors deserve attention. For one, safety is paramount, ensuring that your new area is low in crime is key. Proximity to workplaces or schools minimizes commute times and fosters convenience. Access to essential amenities like parks, grocery stores, food, fitness, shops and healthcare facilities enhances daily life. Efficient public transportation options provide mobility and connectivity. The sense of community creates a welcoming and supportive environment. Lastly, the overall atmosphere, encompassing the vibe, aesthetics, and lifestyle offerings, contributes to a fulfilling living experience. Considering these elements helps identify the ideal neighborhood for your needs and preferences. With useful information like amenities, employment, housing and other key data points, finding the best places to live in Aurora and in the areas around Aurora is a much easier task.
With a livability score of 73/100, Aurora is ranked #4,776 in the United States and #57 in Colorado. Based on the scores for each individual category, Aurora has received high marks for amenities (B-), employment (A-) and housing (A+). On a less positive note, Aurora does not have favorable ranks for the following: crime (F) and education (D-). If we take a look at the data, we can find out why.
Living in Aurora offers many benefits and offers an extensive array of local amenities. These amenities play a crucial role in enhancing the quality of life in this vibrant community. From readily accessible grocery stores to charming coffee shops, diverse dining options and generously spaced parks, Aurora provides a wide spectrum of resources for its residents. This ensures that your daily requirements are effortlessly met and creates abundant opportunities for leisure and recreation. The abundant local offerings contribute to the area's overall appeal, making it an attractive destination for those seeking convenience, variety and a fulfilling lifestyle. If you're considering a move, the wealth of local amenities continues could be a defining feature of this remarkable locale. A few of the enjoyable things to experience and sights to see are: Cherry Creek State Park, Paint Horse Stables, and Aurora History Museum.
A healthy real estate market serves as a key economic indicator. It could signify overall local economic strength, stability and reflects consumer confidence in the area. Based on multiple factors including: median home and rental prices, appreciation rates and home affordability, Aurora has received high marks in the housing category. Based on these calculations, the apartment rental and real estate market appears to be very healthy.
Being close to public transit, grocery stores, parks and other conveniences are all important when weighing your options for a new home in Aurora. Before you determine if any of these amenities are available in the area, you will also want to know if the real estate prices in Aurora are affordable. Median real estate prices in Aurora come in at $567,886, which is 18.8% higher than the Colorado average. The home price to income ratio compares the median home prices to the median household income. In Aurora, the home price to income ratio is 5.7, which is 11.8% higher than the Colorado average.
Why stop at city-to-city? With Local Insights, you can compare neighborhoods, zip codes, or even exact addresses. Access 300+ hyperlocal data points—from schools and crime to housing and amenities—to see which area is the better fit.
| Statistic | Aurora | Colorado | National |
| Average one way commute | 30min | 25min | 26min |
| Workers who drive to work | 74.1% | 75.2% | 76.4% |
| Workers who carpool | 10.8% | 9.3% | 9.3% |
| Workers who take public transit | 4.3% | 3.1% | 5.1% |
| Workers who bicycle | 0.2% | 1.3% | 0.6% |
| Workers who walk | 1.6% | 3.0% | 2.8% |
| Working from home | 7.9% | 7.0% | 4.6% |
Here are the best places to live in Colorado
These are the largest cities in Colorado
See the best places to live in Aurora
Most Dangerous States In The US