Population 115,839 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Boulder
Household size in Boulder
| Period | Boulder | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.14 | 2.57 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.38 | 2.63 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.31 | 2.64 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.36 | 2.54 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.22 | −0.04 | −0.03 |
Households in Boulder are small: just 2.36 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Household size has climbed from 2.14 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Boulder
| Period | Boulder | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.1 | 36.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 34.1 | 37.7 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 35.3 | 38.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 34.9 | 39.1 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.8 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 34.9, Boulder is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. Since 2006–10, the median age has crept up from 34.1, as it has nationally. The youngest areas are in the center, the oldest in the northwest.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Boulder
| Period | Boulder | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.9% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.8% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.0% | 9.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.7% | 9.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.8 pts | −1.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 6.7% of households in Boulder, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 0.8 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Boulder
Renters in Boulder
| Period | Boulder | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 47.3% | 32.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 47.9% | 35.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 47.0% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 48.3% | 33.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is far more common in Boulder than nationally: 48.3% of households rent their homes, against 34.8%. Among owners, 47.8% have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Since 2006–10, the renter share has edged up 1.0 points, mirroring the country. Only four of the 133 Colorado cities with 5,000+ people have a higher share of renters.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Boulder
| Period | Boulder | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.1% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.5% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.3% | 8.0% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.0% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.1 pts | −3.0 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Boulder than nationally: 8.0%, against 9.6% for the U.S. That is in line with the rest of Colorado. Compared with other Colorado cities, though, Boulder has a higher vacancy rate than most.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Boulder
| Period | Boulder | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1973 | 1981 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1974 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1975 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1976 | 1988 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +7 | +6 |
Homes in Boulder are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1976, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are older than in Colorado as a whole, where the median home dates to 1988. The median year built has moved up from 1973 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the north, while the west has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Boulder
| Period | Boulder | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,170 | $1,051 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,322 | $1,165 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,669 | $1,450 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,241 | $1,963 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,071 | +$912 | +$606 |
The median renter in Boulder pays $2,241 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $1,071 a month since 2006–10, up 92%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 38.5% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. The priciest rents are in the west; the most affordable are in the center.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Boulder
Bachelor's degrees in Boulder
| Period | Boulder | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 65.3% | 36.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 67.8% | 37.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 75.3% | 40.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 74.6% | 45.9% | 35.6% |
| Change | +9.3 pts | +9.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Boulder is highly educated: about three-quarters of adults 25 and older (74.6%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 9.3 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Of the 133 Colorado cities with 5,000+ people, only three have a higher share of college graduates.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Boulder
| Period | Boulder | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 95.8% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 95.9% | 90.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 97.1% | 91.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 97.0% | 92.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.2 pts | +3.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Boulder: 97.0% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has edged up 1.2 points, a smaller shift than nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Boulder
| Period | Boulder | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.2% | 6.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.8% | 7.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.5% | 4.4% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.3% | 4.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.9 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs a little high in Boulder: 6.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment is down 0.9 points from 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Boulder compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder | 2.36 | 34.9 | 6.7% | 48.3% | 8.0% | 1976 | $2,241 | 74.6% | 97.0% | 6.3% |
| Crisman | 2.40 | 42.6 | 5.6% | 6.4% | 16.8% | 1977 | $1,823 | 66.0% | 100.0% | 1.0% |
| Gunbarrel | 2.05 | 43.8 | 6.2% | 41.8% | 2.5% | 1984 | $2,169 | 73.3% | 98.7% | 7.5% |
| Eldorado Springs | 2.14 | 48.3 | 4.5% | 9.1% | 5.0% | 1969 | $2,560 | 74.2% | 100.0% | 5.3% |
| Louisville | 2.54 | 42.4 | 8.6% | 32.7% | 6.0% | 1993 | $2,296 | 71.3% | 98.1% | 3.3% |
| Niwot | 2.52 | 48.6 | 5.3% | 11.3% | 3.9% | 1986 | $2,347 | 76.5% | 99.1% | 1.3% |
| Superior | 2.72 | 39.6 | 7.1% | 39.1% | 6.3% | 1998 | $2,783 | 79.2% | 99.6% | 3.9% |
| Jamestown | 2.20 | 48.8 | 7.6% | 6.9% | 16.9% | 1983 | $1,457 | 71.9% | 98.5% | 3.3% |
| Lafayette | 2.45 | 41.4 | 10.6% | 34.9% | 3.6% | 1993 | $2,313 | 62.0% | 94.7% | 3.8% |
| Coal Creek | 1.95 | 53.7 | 6.1% | 8.1% | 9.9% | 1981 | $2,358 | 54.6% | 97.0% | 2.7% |
| Sugarloaf | 2.35 | 42.4 | 5.9% | 8.8% | 13.6% | 1978 | $2,295 | 70.2% | 99.2% | 0.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Denver, CO · Daytona Beach, FL · Cordova, TN · Dallas, GA · Denham Springs, LA · Concord, NC · Compton, CA · Dallas, TX · Danbury, CT · Detroit, MI
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Boulder. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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