Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 3.0Centennial spent less per resident in 2022 than 100% of similar cities
Centennial’s city government spent $580,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $5 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau.
What stands out about how Centennial is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$478 per resident in 2022: less than 100% of them
Centennial’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($478 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 15 Colorado cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,480, and the middle half spent $1,108–$2,028. Centennial spent less than 100% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Colorado cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Centennial itself left out).
About $5 per resident a year, or $0.01 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: parks & libraries, at 100%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is down 99% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Centennial reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $478 · 2023: $5.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $3,588 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.55% of the home’s value, vs 0.48% across Colorado.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Centennial’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Centennial’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Centennial →
Who’s in charge in Centennial
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Centennial’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on centennialco.gov/Home ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 1,337 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (106,966).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Cherry Creek School District 5
Centennial’s K–12 school district, shared with Foxfield, Glendale, Cherry Hills Village, Greenwood Village. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,160 per pupil, $11,053 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Colorado districts overall: 55% local, 37% state, 8% federal.
Littleton School District 6 · $16,635 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Centennial’s votes are counted by county
Colorado reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Centennial alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Arapahoe County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat58.6%190,725 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican38.5%125,311 votesOthers: 2.9% (9,595 votes).
Most votes in Arapahoe County: Kamala D Harris
Colorado: Harris 54.1%, Trump 43.1%
100% of Centennial lies in Arapahoe County. Every 2024 race in Arapahoe County is on the county’s page.
Arapahoe County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Centennial.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: centennialco.gov/Home ↗
- 2Colorado HouseCentennial is split between 3 districts
- 3Colorado SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Colorado
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Centennial compares with the towns next door
Centennial spent $478 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $625 to $2,546. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Foxfield | $625 | $4,971 |
| Aurora | $1,542 | $2,457 |
| Greenwood Village | $2,546 | $6,492 |
| Littleton | estimate | $3,335 |
| Centennial | $478 | $3,588 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Centennial’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Centennial’s government
How much does Centennial spend per resident?
About $5 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $478 was less than 100% of 15 Colorado cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Centennial?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,588 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.55% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.48% across Colorado. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see centennialco.gov/Home.
Who runs Centennial’s government?
See centennialco.gov/Home for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Centennial yet.
How did Centennial vote in 2024?
Colorado counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Centennial alone. Arapahoe County, where 100% of Centennial lies, voted Harris 58.6%, Trump 38.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Centennial?
80 full-time and 3 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $598,644 (about $7.2M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Centennial in the state legislature?
Centennial is split among 3 State House districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Colorado Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Centennial’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →