Best Schools & Parks
Choosing where to live often starts with schools. We ranked all communities by their top school district’s Niche grade, then layered in parks and childcare data so you can see the full family picture.
61 communities · 9 regions
Rankings
Community Comparison
| # | Community | District | Grade | Parks | Childcare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boulder Boulder Area | Boulder Valley School District | A | 5 | 40+ |
| 2 | Erie Boulder Area | St. Vrain Valley School District (RE-1J) | A- | 6 | — |
| 3 | Louisville Boulder Area | Boulder Valley School District | A | 5 | — |
| 4 | Lafayette Boulder Area | Boulder Valley School District | A | 3 | 28–60 (centers + home-based providers) |
| 5 | Nederland Boulder Area | Boulder Valley School District | A | 5 | Very limited — mountain town of 1,500 |
| 6 | Superior Boulder Area | Boulder Valley School District | A | 4 | Limited in Superior proper — small town of 13,400 |
| 7 | Aurora East Metro | Cherry Creek School District | A | 5 | — |
| 8 | Littleton South Metro | Littleton Public Schools | A | 4 | 97+ providers (centers + home daycares) |
| 9 | Centennial South Metro | Cherry Creek School District | A | 4 | 47+ providers (centers + home daycares) |
| 10 | Greenwood Village South Metro | Cherry Creek School District | A | 4 | 15+ (KinderCare, La Petite Academy, Primrose School at DTC, The Village Child Development Center, The Garden Preschool) |
| 11 | Monument Colorado Springs | Lewis-Palmer School District 38 | A | 5 | 9+ preschool/daycare programs in Monument area |
| 12 | Palmer Lake Colorado Springs | Lewis-Palmer School District 38 | A | 5 | 1 in Palmer Lake (YMCA at Palmer Lake Elementary, capacity 50); additional options in Monument (5-10 min) |
| 13 | Fort Collins Northern Colorado | Poudre School District | A- | 5 | 50+ |
| 14 | Timnath Northern Colorado | Poudre School District | A- | 4 | 5–10 (limited in-town) |
| 15 | Wellington Northern Colorado | Poudre School District | A- | 4 | 3–5 (limited) |
| 16 | Longmont Boulder Area | St. Vrain Valley School District (RE-1J) | A- | 4 | 40+ |
| 17 | Westminster North Metro | Adams 12 Five Star Schools | B+ | 4 | 30+ |
| 18 | Arvada North Metro | Jefferson County R-1 | A− | 4 | 35+ |
| 19 | Broomfield North Metro | Four school districts serve Broomfield | A- | 4 | 37+ |
| 20 | Conifer West Metro | Jefferson County School District R-1 | A- | 5 | Very limited — significant childcare shortage in mountain communities |
| 21 | Edgewater West Metro | Jefferson County School District R-1 | A- | 3 | 5–8 in Edgewater/immediate area |
| 22 | Evergreen West Metro | Jefferson County School District R-1 | A- | 6 | — |
| 23 | Golden West Metro | Jefferson County R-1 | A− | 4 | 10–15 in Golden area |
| 24 | Lakewood West Metro | Jefferson County School District R-1 | A- | 5 | — |
| 25 | Morrison West Metro | Jefferson County School District R-1 | A- | 5 | Very limited in Morrison proper — 2-3 home-based providers |
| 26 | Wheat Ridge West Metro | Jefferson County R-1 | A− | 4 | 15–20 in Wheat Ridge area |
| 27 | Castle Rock South Metro | Douglas County RE-1 | A− | 4 | 42+ |
| 28 | Parker South Metro | Douglas County RE-1 | A− | 4 | 55+ centers, 63 total providers |
| 29 | Highlands Ranch South Metro | Douglas County RE-1 | A− | 4 | 30+ (KinderCare, The Nest Schools, Primrose, The Learning Experience, Kid City USA) |
| 30 | Castle Pines South Metro | Douglas County School District RE-1 | A- | 4 | 10+ (HighPointe Academy, KinderCare, DCS Montessori) |
| 31 | Loveland Northern Colorado | Thompson School District (R2-J) | B+ | 5 | 30+ |
| 32 | Windsor Northern Colorado | Weld RE-4 School District | B+ | 5 | 15+ |
| 33 | Severance Northern Colorado | Weld RE-4 School District | B+ | 4 | 5–8 (limited, growing with population) |
| 34 | Berthoud Northern Colorado | Thompson School District (R2-J) | B+ | 5 | 5–8 (limited) |
| 35 | Thornton North Metro | Adams 12 Five Star Schools | B+ | 5 | 40+ |
| 36 | Federal Heights North Metro | Adams 12 Five Star Schools | B+ | 3 | 8+ |
| 37 | Northglenn North Metro | Adams 12 Five Star Schools | B+ | 3 | 22+ |
| 38 | Baker Central Denver | Denver Public Schools | B+ | 4 | — |
| 39 | Cherry Creek Central Denver | Denver Public Schools | B+ | 4 | — |
| 40 | Five Points Central Denver | Denver Public Schools | B+ | 5 | — |
| 41 | LoDo Central Denver | Denver Public Schools | B+ | 4 | — |
| 42 | Platt Park Central Denver | Denver Public Schools | B+ | 4 | — |
| 43 | RiNo Central Denver | Denver Public Schools | B+ | 4 | — |
| 44 | The Highlands Central Denver | Denver Public Schools | B+ | 4 | — |
| 45 | Washington Park Central Denver | Denver Public Schools | B+ | 4 | — |
| 46 | Park Hill Central Denver | Denver Public Schools | B+ | 3 | 8+ (The Goddard School Park Hill, Montessori Children's House of Denver, Park Hill Preschool & Child Care, The Children's Center at Park Hill UMC) |
| 47 | Manitou Springs Colorado Springs | Manitou Springs School District 14 | B+ | 6 | Very limited in Manitou Springs proper — most families use Colorado Springs providers (10 min) |
| 48 | Peyton Colorado Springs | Falcon School District 49 | B+ | 4 | Limited — Falcon Day Care & Pre-K (licensed in-home, 6 mo–5 yr + school age); Falcon Kids Corner programs at Falcon Elementary, Meridian Ranch Elementary, and Woodmen Hills Elementary (capacity 60 each) |
| 49 | Woodland Park Colorado Springs | Woodland Park School District RE-2 | B+ | 5 | 5+ providers — Kid City USA (2 locations, 6 weeks–12 yrs), Preschool in the Pines (312 S West St), Woodland Park Cooperative School (play-based nonprofit) |
| 50 | Johnstown Northern Colorado | Weld RE-5J (Johnstown-Milliken) | B | 5 | 5–10 (limited, growing) |
| 51 | Brighton North Metro | School District 27J | B | 3 | 15+ |
| 52 | Strasburg East Metro | Strasburg School District 31J | B | 3 | 3–4 (Just Plains Kids Childcare, Discovery Time Preschool via Parks & Rec, Hometown Kids Daycare, Prairie Learning Center) |
| 53 | Greeley Northern Colorado | Greeley-Evans School District 6 | B- | 5 | 40+ |
| 54 | Bennett East Metro | Bennett School District 29J | B- | 2 | 2–3 (Discovery Time Kids Early Learning Center, Little Blessings Daycare) |
| 55 | Watkins East Metro | Bennett 29J or Strasburg 31J | B- | 3 | 0–1 in Watkins proper (Kids At Play Day Care); nearest centers in Bennett (10 min) or Aurora (15 min) |
| 56 | Englewood South Metro | Englewood Schools (Englewood 1) | B- | 4 | 17+ (KinderCare, Jump Start, Bright Horizons, Honey Bear Tree Preschool) |
| 57 | Fountain Colorado Springs | Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8 | B- | 5 | 11+ licensed providers (centers and home-based) |
| 58 | Beulah Pueblo | Pueblo County School District 70 | B- | 5 | None in Beulah proper — nearest licensed providers are in Pueblo (25 min). A few licensed home-based providers in the Beulah Heights area. |
| 59 | Pueblo West Pueblo | Pueblo County School District 70 | B- | 5 | Limited in Pueblo West — Kid City USA (north side of E Spaulding Ave, 6 weeks–12 yrs); Kinderkirk preschool/childcare |
| 60 | Pueblo Pueblo | Pueblo City Schools (D60) | C | 5 | — |
| 61 | Commerce City North Metro | Adams 14 / School District 27J | C | 3 | 20+ |
Common Questions
FAQ — Denver communities
How are school districts organized?
School districts don’t always follow city boundaries. A single community may be split across 2–4 districts. Always verify your district by entering your address on the district’s website.
What is a Niche grade?
Niche.com grades school districts from A+ to F based on academics, teachers, diversity, college prep, and parent reviews. It’s one of the most widely used school comparison tools in the U.S.
How do I verify which school district serves my address?
Enter your address directly on the school district’s enrollment page. District boundaries can change block by block, especially in communities served by multiple districts.