Boulder, CO Metro Area

Metro Area

Population: 328,317 (2023 estimate)

Core-Based Statistical Area (CBSA)

Metro area data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Core-Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) are defined by the Office of Management and Budget and group counties with a central urban core plus surrounding communities that are economically tied to it. Metro areas often cross county and state lines, making them the best unit for understanding regional labor markets, housing costs, and commute patterns.

Metro income rankings Compare to another metro

Trends 2017–2023

Income Poverty Home Values Rent Homeownership Education Unemployment Commute Time Work From Home Foreign-Born Uninsured

Data: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023 (released December 2024).

Quick Facts — Boulder, CO Metro Area

What is the median household income in Boulder, CO Metro Area?: The median household income in Boulder, CO Metro Area is $102,772 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
What is the poverty rate in Boulder, CO Metro Area?: The poverty rate in Boulder, CO Metro Area is 4.3% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
What is the median home value in Boulder, CO Metro Area?: $713,900 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
What is the average rent in Boulder, CO Metro Area?: The median gross rent in Boulder, CO Metro Area is $1,893 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
What percentage of Boulder, CO Metro Area residents have a college degree?: 63.9% of adults in Boulder, CO Metro Area hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).

Population

328,317

Median Income

$102,772

Median Home Value

$713,900

Poverty Rate

4.3%

Unemployment (ACS 2023)

4.6%

Median Age

37.0 yrs

Since 2019 Median Income: +$19,753 (+23.8%) Home Value: +$216,600 (+43.6%) Poverty Rate: -0.4 pp (-8.5%) Bachelor's+: +1.8 pp (+2.9%) Unemployment: +0.4 pp (+9.5%)

Demographics

Total Population 328,317

Median Age 37.0

Female 49.5%

Race & Ethnicity

Hispanic or Latino 14.6% White (non-Hisp.) 75.3% Black 0.8% Asian 4.7% Two or More 10.6% Other 2.9%

Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)

Chinese

1.6%

Indian

1.0%

Korean

0.4%

Japanese

0.4%

Filipino

0.3%

Vietnamese

0.2%

Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)

Mexican

9.8%

Puerto Rican

0.5%

Cuban

0.3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023

Income & Poverty

Median Household Income $102,772 ±$2,628

Per Capita Income $138,788

Median Family Income $142,534

Poverty Rate 4.3%

Child Poverty Rate 6.6%

Working-Age Poverty Rate —

SNAP Recipients 5.7%

Social Security Income —

Retirement Income 21.9%

Household Income Distribution

< $10k

5.3%

$10–15k

2.2%

$15–25k

5.3%

$25–35k

5.2%

$35–50k

7.4%

$50–75k

12.4%

$75–100k

11.1%

$100–150k

17.3%

$150–200k

11.5%

$200k+

22.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023

Housing

Total Housing Units 142,809

Owner-Occupied 62.5%

Renter-Occupied 37.5%

Vacancy Rate 5.3%

Median Home Value $713,900

Median Gross Rent $1,893

Owner Cost Burden (30%+) 22.4%

Renter Cost Burden (30%+) 49.7%

Home Value Distribution

< $50k

2.3%

$50–100k

1.6%

$100–200k

0.5%

$200–300k

2.5%

$300–500k

16.8%

$500k–$1M

49.6%

$1M+

25.9%

Gross Rent Distribution

< $500

3.0%

$500–1k

4.7%

$1–1.5k

17.7%

$1.5–2k

31.3%

$2–2.5k

20.8%

$2.5–3.5k

10.0%

$3.5k+

12.5%

Vehicle Availability

No vehicle

5.1%

1 vehicle

32.8%

2 vehicles

40.3%

21.9%

Housing Type

Single-fam. det.

57.9%

Single-fam. att.

9.0%

2–4 units

1.6%

5–19 units

5.9%

20+ units

12.4%

Mobile home

2.3%

Housing Age

Pre-1940

6.2%

1940–1969

1.4%

1970–1999

19.1%

2000–2009

12.5%

2010+

11.2%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023

Education

High School or Higher 95.5%

Bachelor's or Higher 63.9%

Graduate Degree 29.4%

Some College / Associate 14.5%

Less Than High School 2.2%

Enrolled in School —

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023

Employment

Labor Force Participation 67.3%

Unemployment Rate 4.6%

Work from Home 27.9%

Self-Employed 7.7%

Government Workers 14.5%

Private For-Profit 77.6%

Industry

Edu/Health

24.3%

Prof. Services

20.6%

Manufacturing

10.0%

Arts/Entmt.

9.9%

Retail

9.5%

Construction

5.2%

Finance

4.8%

Information

3.2%

Transportation

3.0%

Public Admin

2.8%

Wholesale

1.5%

Agriculture

1.0%

Occupation

Management

57.4%

Sales

16.7%

Food Prep

13.7%

Production

7.3%

Construction

4.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023

Commute

Median Travel Time 23.2 min

Drove Alone 55.6%

Carpool 5.7%

Public Transit 3.1%

Work from Home 27.9%

Walked 3.8%

Bicycle —

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023

Households & Families

Total Households 135,230

Avg. Household Size 2.00

Avg. Family Size —

Married-Couple Households 45.1%

Single-Mother Households —

Single-Father Households —

Living Alone —

Households with Children 17.8%

Multigenerational —

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023

Age Distribution

Under 5

4.0%

5–9

4.9%

10–14

5.5%

15–19

8.7%

20–24

10.2%

25–34

13.6%

35–44

12.6%

45–54

12.6%

55–64

6.3%

65–74

5.9%

75–84

9.8%

85+

4.2%

Under 18: 18.0% Working age (18–64): 82.0% 65 and over: 15.8%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023

Social Characteristics

Immigration

Foreign Born 10.0%

Naturalized Citizen 50.1%

Speaks English Less Than Very Well 3.5%

Foreign-Born Origin

Asia

33.8%

Latin America

31.5%

Europe

25.1%

Africa

2.8%

Veterans & Disability

Veteran 4.4%

With a Disability 8.8%

Cognitive Difficulty —

Ambulatory Difficulty —

Health Insurance

Insured 95.6%

Uninsured 4.4%

Employer Insurance —

Medicaid —

Medicare —

Technology & Mobility

Broadband Internet 95.0%

Has a Computer 97.9%

Same House 1 Year Ago 78.3%

Moved from Abroad 0.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023