By Prerna Kapoor, CLHMS | REAL Brokerage | July 26, 2026
Two of my clients this month were weighing the exact same decision: build new in Sterling Ranch, near Highlands Ranch, or in Painted Prairie, out toward Aurora. They’re the two biggest new-construction communities in their part of the metro, and both have long waitlists on their most popular floor plans. Each sales office will hand you a glossy binder that makes its community sound like the obvious choice. What the binder won’t walk you through is the one thing that actually shapes your monthly budget: how each community pays for its own amenities. That’s worth understanding before you fall in love with a model home.
Two Very Different Communities, Two Very Different Parts of the Metro
Sterling Ranch sits in unincorporated Douglas County, near Highlands Ranch and Littleton, about 20 miles south of downtown Denver with C-470 access. It’s been the top-selling master-planned community in the Denver metro for five years running and one of the top 50 best-selling communities in the country. Nine builders are active there across a growing set of villages, with new construction starting in the mid-$500s. The community just opened its fourth village, Parkvale, planned for roughly 2,200 single-family homes and 400-plus multifamily units. Model homes from Trumark and Richmond American are already open, with Pulte, David Weekley, and Lion Residential arriving later this year.
Painted Prairie sits about 18 miles east of downtown Denver in Aurora, close to Denver International Airport and the Anschutz Medical Campus. Six builders, including David Weekley, Toll Brothers, and KB Home, are building there, with prices starting in the $400s, meaningfully lower than Sterling Ranch’s entry point. It leans into walkability, with front-porch designs, more than 30 acres of parks, and miles of connected trails.
The Real Difference Isn’t the Amenities, It’s How You Pay for Them
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This is the part most buyers skip past, and it’s the one I always slow down for. Neither community runs on a traditional HOA the way an older Parker or Castle Rock subdivision does. I’ve written before about how Colorado metro districts work and why they change your real monthly cost, and this comparison is a textbook example of why that matters.
Sterling Ranch funds its shared amenities, snow removal, and landscaping through its metro district’s mill levy rather than a monthly HOA bill. According to the Douglas County School District’s own Sterling Ranch resource page, that levy currently runs 88.444 mills, on top of a separate 30.942 mills for Douglas County School District RE-1. Mill levy dollars are also part of your standard property tax deduction, which a flat HOA fee never was.
Painted Prairie layers things differently. You’ll pay a homeowners association fee that varies by home type, from around $66 a month for a single-family home with a front-load garage up to roughly $209 a month for a townhome, plus a metro district mill levy on top of that. The 2025 total mill levy for Painted Prairie residential ran between about 168.5 and 199.6 mills, noticeably higher than Sterling Ranch’s combined rate, and property taxes there are paid to the Adams County Treasurer rather than Douglas County’s. The upside: metro district bonds have a payoff date, typically 20 to 30 years, so a portion of that bill is designed to shrink over time in a way an HOA fee never does.
Schools Are the Sharpest Contrast Right Now
If you have school-age kids, this is where the two communities genuinely diverge in 2026. Painted Prairie already has established schools in place. It falls within Aurora Public Schools, with elementary and middle school students attending Aurora Highlands P-8 and high schoolers headed to Vista Peak Preparatory, both already open and operating.
Sterling Ranch is in a different moment. It sits within the well-regarded Douglas County School District RE-1, and residents currently rely on nearby schools like Coyote Creek Elementary in Highlands Ranch. But the district’s Board of Education approved attendance boundaries in May 2026 for a brand-new elementary school built directly inside Sterling Ranch, currently called Elementary School 51, sized for about 750 students. It’s slated to open for the 2027-2028 school year. If you’re buying in Sterling Ranch today with a kindergartner, you’re looking at one more year of a drive to Highlands Ranch before a school opens inside your own neighborhood. That’s not really a downside, more a timing question worth asking your builder about directly.
Commute, Employment Centers, and What You’re Actually Buying Into
Sterling Ranch’s pitch is proximity to the foothills and a straightforward C-470 commute, with the developer citing roughly 30 minutes to downtown Denver. It suits someone who wants mountain views, a quieter southern Douglas County feel, and easy weekend access to Chatfield State Park and the foothills trail system.
Painted Prairie’s pitch is proximity to jobs. Sitting close to Denver International Airport and the Anschutz Medical Campus, one of the largest employment hubs in the state, it’s a genuinely practical choice if you or your partner works in aviation, logistics, or healthcare on that side of the metro. The lower entry price point also stretches further for a first move into new construction.
Which One Actually Fits Your Situation
Neither community is the “right” one in any universal sense. They’re built for different priorities. If your budget starts around $550,000 and up, you want the foothills and a Douglas County RE-1 school commitment, and you can live with one more year of an off-site elementary school, Sterling Ranch is worth a serious look. If you want to get into new construction starting in the $400s, you work on Aurora’s east side or near the airport, and you want schools already open on day one, Painted Prairie is the more practical fit. If you’re still comparing across all of Douglas County’s new-build options, I’ve also put together a broader Douglas County buyer’s guide and a look at Parker’s own new-construction neighborhoods, which sit closer to my home base and are worth cross-shopping too.
Quick answers
Is a metro district mill levy the same thing as an HOA fee?
Not exactly. Both fund shared amenities and maintenance, but a mill levy is assessed as part of your property tax bill and is generally tax-deductible, while an HOA fee is a separate flat charge that isn’t. Metro district bonds also have a payoff date, so that portion of your bill can shrink over time.
Does Sterling Ranch have its own schools yet?
Not fully, not yet. Residents currently use nearby Douglas County schools like Coyote Creek Elementary in Highlands Ranch. A new elementary school inside Sterling Ranch, Elementary School 51, has approved attendance boundaries and is set to open for the 2027-2028 school year.
Which community is more affordable to buy into?
Painted Prairie’s entry price starts in the $400s, while Sterling Ranch starts in the mid-$500s. But Sterling Ranch’s combined mill levy currently runs lower than Painted Prairie’s, so it’s worth comparing total monthly cost, not just the sticker price on the home.
If you want to walk through the real numbers for either community, or compare them against options closer to Parker and Highlands Ranch, I’m always happy to run through it with you. No pressure, no pitch.
Prerna Kapoor | REALTOR® | Luxury Home Specialist
REAL Brokerage | 720-949-5450 | info@prernakapoor.com
CLHMS • RENE • PSA • ABR | International Sterling Society Award Winner
Prerna specializes in residential real estate across Parker, Aurora, Lone Tree, Castle Pines,
Highlands Ranch, Cherry Creek, Greenwood Village, and Centennial. She speaks English, Japanese,
and Hindi.
