Boulder is a city of 105,689, and it grades B overall, 73rd among Colorado's 158 graded towns. Its schools outperform 93% of the state's and CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 92% of the country. The trade-offs: homes are expensive, about $938K for a typical one and 9 times the Boulder metro’s $104K median household income, and its police reported 376 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, a higher rate per resident than 85% of U.S. towns. 77% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Boulder, where Colorado’s towns sit at 44% and U.S. towns at 29%. Boulder is among the most walkable places in the country. Its National Register listings include Colorado Chautauqua and Boulder County Courthouse.

StrongestA⁺Walkability A⁺Outdoors A⁺Civic lifeWeakestD⁻Cost of living C⁻Safety CHazard risk

What makes Boulder stand out

Where Boulder beats most towns.

Colorado Chautauqua

History

Settled in 1858

22 places on the National Register

A history going back 168 years.

WalkabilityA⁺

More walkable than 99% of U.S. towns

22.6% of workers walk, bike or ride transit

EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.

Conserved land & trails

OutdoorsA⁺

27.1% conserved land

Colorado Chautauqua · National Register of Historic Places

Boulder’s story

168 years in pictures

Colorado Chautauqua is one of 2 National Historic Landmarks here, the National Register’s top tier. Its founding year, 1858, comes before those of 98% of the Colorado towns we grade with a known year.

Census counts: 343 in 1870, 108,250 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1866 and 4 maps from 1902 on.

22 places on the National Register of Historic Places.

1858Boulder is settled

Explore the history →

How Boulder grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Colorado), ordered by how far Boulder is from typical.

How grading works

Its grades run from A+ for walkability (better than 99% of comparable towns) to D− for cost of living (better than 4%), so the B overall blends very different results.

WalkabilityEPA walkability 14.3 of 20; 9.1% of households have no carA⁺Open →Cost of livingD⁻Open →SchoolsAOpen →HealthBoulder Community Health 2.6 miles awayAOpen →Jobs & income$87K median household incomeAOpen →SafetyC⁻Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listCOpen →

Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.

OutdoorsA⁺Open →History44 notable people born hereBOpen →Civic life8.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA⁺Open →

Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.

ClimateSnowy winters, 88° summer afternoons, 85″ of snow–Open →Housing market55 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 28.8–Open →

How TownRatings grades towns →

Nearby attractions

Red Rocks Amphitheatre and 67 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Boulder. Close and well known come first.

All 77 attractions →

Big draw25 mi TheatreRed Rocks Amphitheatre

in town Stadium & arenaFolsom Field

Big draw23 mi Stadium & arenaEmpower Field at Mile High

23 mi Stadium & arenaBall Arena

19 mi National ParkRocky Mountain National Park4.2M visitors a year

23 mi Stadium & arenaCoors Field

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons

Photo credits

Red Rocks Amphitheatre: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Folsom Field: Thelastcanadian, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Empower Field at Mile High: Thelastcanadian, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ball Arena: KM Newnham, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Rocky Mountain National Park: Charles M. Sauer -- Charlessauer, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Coors Field: Matt Kozlowski, CC BY-SA 3.0

Getting set up

Moving to Boulder: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Boulder, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →

PowerXcel Energy15.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA

WaterCity of Boulder water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA

Internet9 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & dumpEco-Cycle/City of Boulder CHaRM: Center for Hard-to-Recycle MaterialsDrop-offTown site

SchoolsBoulder Valley School District RE-2Which school depends on your addressNCES

Register to voteOnlineIn Colorado you can register online until 8 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 8 days before).vote.gov

Who runs elections hereBoulder County Clerk and Recorder, Elections DivisionBoulder County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025

ZIP codes80304, 80302, 80303, 8030580304 24% · 80302 20% · 80303 19% · 80305 16%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Boulder.

Boulder is shaped by its college students, has schools in the top 5% of Colorado and draws workers from Longmont and beyond.

HousingCost of living grade D⁻

Boulder’s grade for cost of living is a D−

At 9 years of the Boulder metro’s $104K median household income, the typical home (about $938K) costs more against local pay than in 89% of Colorado towns; that ratio is one input to that grade. The typical value, about $938K, is 9% below its July 2022 peak.

On the market in Boulder: a median 55 days to sell. Zillow values the typical Boulder home at about $938,000, up 1.5% in a year, 77% above the Colorado typical home. 47% of households live in a home they own locally.

$938KZillow home value

	Boulder	Colorado towns	U.S. towns
Households that own their home	47%	71%	73%
Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent	66%	53%	48%
Median rent	$2,018 a month	$1,807 a month	$1,185 a month

Typical home value

Boulder$938K

Colorado$529K

Market temperature

days on market

98.2%

sale-to-list price

+1.5%

value change, 1 year

106

homes sold in May

Full pageBoulder’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page

Prices over the yearsUp 1.5% in a year Years of income to buyA typical home costs 10.7 years of income Rents$2,018 a month · Median rent Vs. the neighborsBehind its 2 graded neighbors

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

SchoolsA

Boulder’s grade for schools is an A

That grade ranks #6 of the 159 Colorado towns we grade for schools. It comes with a D− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $938K.

The public schools here belong to the Boulder Valley School District No. Re2. Of its 39 schools, three are listed below, each with the reason. 6 public schools serve Boulder, with 2,300 students in all.

93%of CO districts it outscoresASchool Grade

School	Level	Students	Letter
Centennial Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8	Grades 6–8	598	B⁺
Boulder High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12	Grades 9–12	1,939	A⁺
Fairview High SchoolTop results in townGrades 9–12	Grades 9–12	1,863	A⁺

Full pageBoulder’s schools pageOpen the page

The districtsBoulder Valley School District No. Re2 Vs. the neighborsAhead of 1 of its 2 graded neighbors Every school39 schools · Foothill Elementary School Questions“Are Boulder’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts · graded within CO on state tests and graduation

OutdoorsA⁺

Protected land: nearly a quarter of Boulder

90 miles of trail in 54 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is National Center for Atmospheric Research, 452 acres with 6.1 miles of trail. Boulder’s trail density comes in at 3.3 miles per square mile.

#19for trails in CO

27.1%

conserved · 4,820 of 17,802 acres

90 mi

of trails · 3.2 per sq mi

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. National Center for Atmospheric Research	6.1 mi	452
2. Harlow Platts Community Park	1.7 mi	52
3. Chautauqua Park	0.9 mi	36

Full pageBoulder’s outdoors pageOpen the page

Trail map90 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walk6.1 miles of trail · National Center for Atmospheric Research Conserved land27.1% conserved · 4,820 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in Boulder?”

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Work & commuteJobs & income grade A

About one in two working residents works right in Boulder

87,930 jobs are based in Boulder, 2.5 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 18.1 minutes, against 25.2 across Colorado.

Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Boulder rose by 13,457, to 87,930. Boulder: just over a fifth of residents live below the poverty line. Only 10 of the 159 Colorado towns we compare have a higher share of workers working from home than Boulder. Its mean commuting time comes in at 18 minutes.

44%work in town

	Boulder	Colorado towns	U.S. towns
Work from home	34%	18%	11%
Below the poverty line	22%	8.4%	9.6%
Average trip to work	18 minutes	25 minutes	25 minutes
Median household income	$87,000	$95,000	$80,000

Where working residents work

In Boulder44%

Denver12%

Longmont3%

Louisville3%

Broomfield3%

6 mi

median commute distance

87,930

jobs based in Boulder

A job hub

jobs vs. working residents

A+

Walkability grade: among the most walkable U.S. towns

Full pageBoulder’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here87,930 jobs based here · A job hub Where people work44% work in Boulder Commute times18 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 6 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

HealthA

Boulder stands out in Colorado and nationally: a smaller share of its adults have obesity

Within Colorado it is healthier than 60% of the 159 graded towns: Colorado sets a high bar. Its widest gap with Colorado is obesity: 16.5% of its 93,761 adults have obesity, against 26.1% statewide.

The share of adults in Boulder who have been diagnosed with depression: 26%. Among 159 Colorado towns, just 4 have a lower share of adults who have high blood pressure than Boulder. CDC measures, 26 in all: Boulder beats Colorado on 16 and trails on 4.

92%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade

	Boulder	Colorado towns	U.S. towns
Obesity (CDC PLACES)	17%	26%	35%
High blood pressure (CDC PLACES)	19%	27%	35%
Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES)	66%	71%	79%
Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES)	24%	30%	36%

26 measures vs. Colorado

16 better6 too close to call4 worse

What stands out	Boulder	CO
Fewer adults with obesity	16.5%	26.1%
Fewer adults with diabetes	5.7%	8.6%
More adults in frequent mental distress	17.9%	16%

Boulder Community Health

2.6 mi away · emergency room

2 of 3

care shortages: primary care, mental health

60th

percentile among CO towns

Full pageBoulder’s health reportOpen the page

Everyday habitsFewer adults who get no exercise Hospitals & doctors nearby2.6 miles to an ER · Boulder Community Health How adults are doingFewer adults in fair or poor health Every CDC estimateBetter than CO on 16 of 26

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

SafetyC⁻

Boulder’s grade for safety is a C−

At 41 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 67% of Colorado’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 3,559 to 2,915 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.

The violent offense rate in Boulder is 3.5 per 1,000 residents. The level of property crime here is 23.9 per 1,000 residents.

15%of U.S. towns report more crimeC⁻Safety Grade

	Boulder	Colorado towns	U.S. towns
Property crimes per 1,000 (2025)	23.9 per 1,000 residents	15.2	9.9
Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025)	3.5 per 1,000 residents	2.3	1.6

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Boulder3.5

Colorado4.4

U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Boulder23.9

Colorado22.4

U.S.15.5

15th

percentile among U.S. towns we grade

33rd

percentile among CO towns

376

violent crimes reported in 2025

2,539

property crimes reported in 2025

Full pageBoulder’s safety reportOpen the page

Violent crime by type3.5 violent crimes per 1,000 Crime over the yearsDown since 2023 Vs. the neighbors4 bordering towns Questions“Is Boulder, CO safe?”

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police

Climate

Snowy winters and hot summers in Boulder

The Boulder 2.9 S weather station records that 85 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 95% of U.S. towns.

July afternoons reach 88° and January nights drop to 17°.

85″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter18–46°

Spring33–63°

Summer53–86°

Fall35–66°

Oct 5

typical first frost

May 6

typical last frost

+1.0°

vs. the 20th-century average

Full pageBoulder’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 88°, January lows 17°Rain & snow85″ of snow a winter · 19 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingMostly a heating bill Then and now+1.0° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C

Boulder has a moderate natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding

911 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 15 properties have flooded more than once.

For Boulder, the risk rating from FEMA is 59 of 100. 911 flood insurance claims have been paid here since 1980. Expected losses in Boulder break down as 66% from inland flooding and 10% from tornadoes. Households here have drawn federal disaster aid in 5 declared disasters, most recently in 2021.

59risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Inland floodingTornadoesHail

911

paid flood claims since 1980

federal disasters paid out here

Full pageBoulder’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesModerate risk Flood claims911 paid flood claims · Since 1980 Past disasters5 federal disasters · Paid out in Boulder Get ready0.8 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Boulder

20pages on Boulder

The big questions

SchoolsABeat 93% of CO districts · 39 schools SafetyC⁻3.5 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthABetter than CO on 16 of 26 CDC measures Cost of livingD⁻$938K typical home · up 1.5% in a year Work & commuteA$87K median household income · 87,930 jobs here Natural hazardsCFEMA risk higher than 59% of U.S. communities · inland flooding

Out and about

OutdoorsA⁺90 mi of trails · 27% conserved land PlacesAttractions77 nearby · Folsom Field under 1 mi LibraryA⁺Carnegie Branch for Local History CollegesUniversity of Colorado Boulder, in town

The story

HistoryBSettled 1858 · 22 on the National Register Famous people44 born in Boulder Town Hall & politicsOne full-time town employee per 60 residents Climate88° summer highs · 85″ of snow

Day to day

News10 recent stories about Boulder WeatherHandbookZIP code 80301, 80302, 80303 Town SquareNeighbors

After high school

Colleges nearby

4 within 15 miles of the center of Boulder

University of Colorado BoulderUniversity or college · Public · BoulderIn town$15,666 in-state tuition Naropa UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · BoulderIn town$36,620 tuition Institute of Taoist Education and AcupunctureUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Louisville6.4 mi

College town 31 of every 100 Boulder residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Colorado.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

College town

31% of Boulder is in college

2 colleges in town.

University of Colorado Boulder37,286 students on campus

Admission: 78%
Net price: $25,346
Graduate: 74%

Naropa University738 students on campus

Admission: 100%
Net price: $29,179
Graduate: 37%

College Scorecard · IPEDS

Landmarks

22 places in Boulder on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →

Colorado ChautauquaNational Historic Landmark

Chautauqua AuditoriumBuilt 1898

Squires-Tourtellot House

Highland SchoolBuilt 1891

Famous people from Boulder

44 notable people were born in Boulder.

See all 44 →

Edward Lawrie TatumUS genetics scientist · 1909–1975

Kristin DavisAmerican actress · born 1965

Scott CarpenterAmerican test pilot, astronaut and aquanaut · 1925–2013

John Carroll LynchAmerican character actor and film director · born 1963

Emma CoburnAmerican steeplechaser · born 1990

Jesse CarmichaelAmerican musician · born 1979

About Boulder

Home rule city and seat of Boulder County, Colorado, United States

Official town website ↗

Boulder is a home rule city that is the county seat of, and the most populous municipality in, Boulder County, Colorado, United States. With a population of 108,250 at the 2020 census, it is the 12th-most populous city in Colorado. Boulder is the primary city of the Boulder, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had 330,758 residents in 2020, and is part of the Front Range Urban Corridor. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, at an elevation of 5,430 feet (1,655 m) above sea level. The city is 25 miles (40 km) northwest of the Colorado state capital of Denver. Boulder is a college town, hosting the University of Colorado Boulder, the flagship and largest …

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established: 1858
Area: 26 sq mi
Elevation: 5,430 ft
ZIP code: 80301, 80302, 80303

Boulder’s neighbors

4 towns share a border with Boulder.

Explore the map →

GunbarrelPine Brook HillNiwotValmontBoulder

Gunbarrel

Pine Brook Hill

Niwot

Valmont

How the neighbors grade

Town	CO rank	Overall	Cost	Safety	Schools	Health
Boulder	#73	B	D⁻	C⁻	A	A
Gunbarrel	#12	A	D	—	A	A⁺
Pine Brook Hill	—	—	—	—	—	—
Niwot	#35	A⁻	C⁻	—	A⁻	A⁺
Valmont	—	—	—	—	—	—

Gunbarrel and Niwot report no FBI crime data of their own. Pine Brook Hill and Valmont aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Boulder with a neighbor →

Questions about Boulder

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Boulder, CO a good place to live?

By most measures, yes. Boulder grades B overall, better than 62% of U.S. towns and #73 of 158 in Colorado. It grades A for health, C− for safety and A for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.

Is Boulder, CO safe?

Boulder reports more crime per resident than 85% of U.S. towns, a C− Safety Grade: 376 violent and 2,539 property crimes in 2025.

Is Boulder, CO expensive?

Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.

What is Boulder, CO known for?

44 notable people were born here, including Edward Lawrie Tatum and Kristin Davis.

Post to Boulder

Check your email

BoulderCO

What is it like to live in Boulder?

What makes Boulder stand out

168 years in pictures

How Boulder grades

Red Rocks Amphitheatre and 67 more within 40 miles

Moving to Boulder: who provides what

The data

Boulder’s grade for cost of living is a D−

Typical home value

Boulder’s grade for schools is an A

Protected land: nearly a quarter of Boulder

About one in two working residents works right in Boulder

Where working residents work

Boulder stands out in Colorado and nationally: a smaller share of its adults have obesity

Boulder’s grade for safety is a C−

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Snowy winters and hot summers in Boulder

Typical low → high °F

Boulder has a moderate natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding

Everything we know about Boulder

Colleges nearby

31% of Boulder is in college

Landmarks

Famous people from Boulder

About Boulder

Boulder’s neighbors

Questions about Boulder