Aurora, CO
What Aurora is actually like
Aurora began in 1890 as the town of Fletcher, a real-estate venture of Denver businessman Donald Fletcher, incorporated May 5, 1903. After struggling through the 1893 Silver Crash, voters renamed the town Aurora in 1907 (after one of its original subdivisions, not a founder), and it was reincorporated as a city on March 9, 1928. Aurora is now Colorado's third-largest city (population 386,261 as of the 2020 Census) and the metro's second-largest employment center in its own right, anchored by Buckley Space Force Base and the Anschutz Medical Campus/Fitzsimons redevelopment, a former U.S. Army medical post now a major healthcare and biotech employer.
Housing is largely suburban, spread across hundreds of subdivisions with relatively few multi-story buildings; since the 2000 Census, Aurora has exceeded Denver in total land area, though a substantial share remains undeveloped. Two notable facts: in 1965, Norma O. Walker became the first woman to lead a U.S. city with a population over 60,000, as Aurora's mayor, and the July 20, 2012 movie-theater shooting -- which killed 12 and injured 70 -- remains a defining, somber moment in the city's recent history.
Home values in Aurora
Zillow's home value index for Aurora put it at $458,582 as of July 31, 2026, down 3.1% year-over-year; homes went to pending in about 21 days.
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Explore Specialty Resources →Getting around
Aurora has real light rail coverage via the R and H Lines, with several stations across the city, but its sheer size (154 square miles, exceeding Denver's own land area) means most residential subdivisions are car-dependent day to day, with rail more useful for a commute than for errands.
Aurora FAQ
Is Aurora served by light rail?
Yes -- the R and H Lines run through Aurora with several stations (Nine Mile, Iliff, Florida, Aurora Metro Center), though it's a large city and many residential subdivisions require driving to reach a station.
How far is Aurora from downtown Denver?
Roughly 10-13 miles/20-25 minutes from central Aurora, though this varies significantly across the city's 154 square miles.
What is Aurora known for today?
Its size (Colorado's 3rd-largest city), Buckley Space Force Base, and the Anschutz Medical Campus.
What's the current typical home value?
$458,582 per Zillow's index as of July 2026, down 3.1% year-over-year.
Nearby alternatives*
Centennial
About 15-20 minutes southwest, also on RTD's light rail network (E/R Lines) -- a higher typical value (around $641,000 versus Aurora's $459,000) and a considerably smaller, more uniformly suburban city.
Cherry Creek
A roughly 20-minute drive west via light rail transfer -- a much higher typical value (around $1.21 million) in exchange for Aurora's relative affordability and larger, more varied housing stock.
Capitol Hill
A real urban-density trade-off west on the R/H Line into downtown -- Capitol Hill's Zillow-tracked value (around $310,000) undercuts even Aurora's, but swaps suburban single-family subdivisions for 1920s low-rise apartment density.
*We're not ranking these — every neighborhood has real trade-offs, and which ones matter is up to you.