CensusEasy
METRO AREA

Boulder Metro

Boulder, CO · 1 counties · 328,560 residents (2025 est.) · 726 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO
The short version

Boulder is home to 328,961 people. This is an unusually credentialed place: 64% of adults have a four-year degree. The typical home is worth $756,300, having roughly tripled since 2000. Few US metro areas rank higher on income. People stay put here: 79% were in the same home a year ago. Median rent is $1,966 a month.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 37.7
US median: 38.9
More educated
64% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 80%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
328,961
+13%since 2000
from 291,288 in 2000
328,560 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
453 / sq mi
+13%since 2000
from 401 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
37.7
+13%since 2000
from 33.4 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
726 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
215K246K278K310K341K19902000201020202024Boulder
2024329K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 53.9%(12,786)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 94.8%(15,626)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.3%(17,500)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 198.8%(28,918)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 2410.2%(33,502)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3413.6%(44,623)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412.6%(41,578)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412.5%(41,040)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6412%(39,446)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7410%(33,039)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.4%(14,515)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.9%(6,388)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$103,994
+2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $55,861 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$62,436
+115%since 2000
from $28,976 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
62.6%
+19.0 ptssince 2009
from 43.6% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
11.2%
+1.7 ptssince 2000
from 9.5% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.492
+2%since 2010
from 0.483 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information9.9%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade9.8%
US avg: 9.9%
Other services5.2%
US avg: 6.7%
Wholesale trade4.9%
US avg: 6.9%
Public administration3.5%
US avg: 4.8%
Arts, entertainment, food3.1%
US avg: 1.9%
Finance & insurance3%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical2.3%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing1.4%
US avg: 2.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.9%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.7%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.6%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.2%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$756,300
+80%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $231,000 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,966
+31%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $825 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
62.0%
−2.8 ptssince 2000
from 64.7% in 2000
38.0% rent
Vacancy rate
5.3%
−1.3 ptssince 2009
from 6.6% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.30 people
−7%since 2009
from 2.48 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
23.5%
−6.2 ptssince 2009
from 29.8% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
57.2%
+1.0 ptssince 2009
from 56.2% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
7.3
+35%since 2009
from 5.4 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
81
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic83.6%(243,512)
Black0.8%(2,393)
Hispanic / Latino10.5%(30,456)
Asian3%(8,834)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic74.5%(245,197)
Black0.8%(2,490)
Hispanic / Latino14.7%(48,466)
Asian4.7%(15,302)
Other5.3%(17,506)
Diversity Score
52
+23%since 2009
from 42 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
24
−11%since 2020
from 27 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican9.9%(32,550)
Central American0.9%(2,799)
Spaniard0.7%(2,196)
Puerto Rican0.5%(1,664)
Salvadoran0.3%(1,007)
Guatemalan0.2%(769)
Colombian0.2%(734)
Cuban0.2%(697)
Honduran0.2%(684)
Venezuelan0.2%(612)
Peruvian0.2%(572)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Chilean0.2%(511)
Argentine0.1%(415)
Panamanian0.1%(191)
Bolivian0%(150)
Ecuadorian0%(139)
Dominican0%(104)
Uruguayan0%(83)
Asian origin
Chinese1.4%(4,734)
Asian Indian1.1%(3,750)
Korean0.4%(1,313)
Japanese0.3%(1,142)
Nepalese0.3%(1,005)
Filipino0.2%(699)
Vietnamese0.2%(571)
Taiwanese0.1%(359)
Thai0.1%(331)
Hmong0.1%(242)
Cambodian0.1%(242)
Sri Lankan0.1%(198)
+ 7 more asian origin groups with data
Kazakh0%(104)
Pakistani0%(70)
Malaysian0%(57)
Burmese0%(41)
Mien0%(10)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(81)
Chamorro0%(77)
Guamanian0%(19)
Ancestry
German18.1%(59,472)
English15.1%(49,832)
Irish12.6%(41,601)
Italian5.3%(17,330)
Polish3.1%(10,164)
American3%(9,717)
Scottish2.9%(9,613)
French2.9%(9,445)
Swedish2.3%(7,642)
Norwegian1.9%(6,361)
Dutch1.7%(5,709)
Russian1.5%(4,839)
+ 49 more ancestry groups with data
Scotch-Irish1.1%(3,610)
Welsh1%(3,332)
British1%(3,153)
Danish0.9%(3,052)
Czech0.7%(2,450)
Arab0.6%(1,945)
Lithuanian0.6%(1,866)
Hungarian0.6%(1,831)
French Canadian0.5%(1,740)
Ukrainian0.5%(1,676)
Greek0.5%(1,527)
Swiss0.5%(1,520)
Austrian0.5%(1,516)
Portuguese0.4%(1,388)
Canadian0.3%(956)
Finnish0.3%(891)
Belgian0.2%(733)
Iranian0.2%(685)
Lebanese0.2%(676)
Croatian0.2%(632)
Brazilian0.2%(618)
Slovak0.2%(564)
West Indian0.1%(456)
Armenian0.1%(421)
Romanian0.1%(401)
Moroccan0.1%(371)
Israeli0.1%(339)
Slovene0.1%(330)
Australian0.1%(306)
Ethiopian0.1%(278)
Turkish0.1%(230)
Nigerian0.1%(210)
Latvian0.1%(194)
Jamaican0.1%(173)
Bulgarian0%(141)
Serbian0%(102)
Egyptian0%(76)
Ghanaian0%(69)
Haitian0%(62)
Jordanian0%(53)
Syrian0%(51)
Iraqi0%(49)
Kenyan0%(20)
Somali0%(13)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
64.2%
+11.8 ptssince 2000
from 52.4% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
95.8%
+3.0 ptssince 2000
from 92.8% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
30.0%
+8.8 ptssince 2000
from 21.2% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
22.3 min
+49%since 2000
from 15.0 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
52.8%
−14.1 ptssince 2009
from 67.0% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
5.3%
−3.3 ptssince 2009
from 8.6% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
2.6%
−2.7 ptssince 2009
from 5.4% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
31.2%
+21.8 ptssince 2009
from 9.4% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
4.0%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 4.4% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
3.1%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 4.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
5.2%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 4.8% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.8%
−1.9 ptssince 2011
from 6.7% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
66.9%
−3.0 ptssince 2011
from 69.9% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
79.2%
+1.3 ptssince 2020
from 77.9% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
12.7%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 13.1% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
58.2%
+8.7 ptssince 2009
from 49.5% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.4%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 50.6% in 2009
Female
49.6%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 49.4% in 2009
Foreign born
10.1%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 10.9% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
4.3%
−3.1 ptssince 2009
from 7.4% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
9.4%
+2.3 ptssince 2012
from 7.1% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
4.4%
−6.9 ptssince 2013
from 11.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
95.7%
+7.2 ptssince 2017
from 88.5% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
98.3%
+1.9 ptssince 2020
from 96.4% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
79.0%
+1.7 ptssince 2020
from 77.3% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
84.9%
+1.2 ptssince 2016
from 83.7% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
8.2%
−1.1 ptssince 2016
from 9.3% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married43.9%(62,587)
Married44.9%(63,984)
Widowed1.8%(2,562)
Divorced9.4%(13,365)
Women 15+
Never married35.9%(50,427)
Married46.4%(65,232)
Widowed5.7%(8,079)
Divorced12%(16,813)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
4.4%
−6.9 ptssince 2013
from 11.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
63.4%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 63.3% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
18.4%
−0.9 ptssince 2020
from 19.3% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
16.0%
+1.5 ptssince 2020
from 14.5% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
12.2%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 11.8% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.3%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 1.3% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
79.3%
−1.1 ptssince 2020
from 80.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
27.0%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 25.4% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)25%(2,899)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)15.9%(1,847)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era37%(4,292)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War6%(698)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.6%(189)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 11,593 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
In this metro

Largest cities

BoulderCENTRAL105,689Longmont100,109Erie40,904Lafayette30,116Louisville20,581Superior13,637Gunbarrel10,051Niwot3,447Coal Creek2,346Lyons2,119Nederland1,463Allenspark825Lazy Acres778Paragon Estates667Altona587Pine Brook Hill543Sugarloaf474Eldora465St. Ann Highlands453Tall Timber382Sunshine330Eldorado Springs320Crisman268Jamestown245Bark Ranch199Seven Hills183Mountain Meadows180Gold Hill178Ward124Glendale69

The 30 most populous of 34 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.

What's inside

1 component county

Boulder CountyCENTRAL328,560
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Boulder

Bremerton
Pop 283,374
Lacey
Pop 304,261
Trenton
Pop 399,289
Greeley
Pop 378,426
Places similar to Boulder
Head to head

Compare Boulder side by side

BOULDER VS
Bremerton
Income$104,158same
Home value$555,100−27%
Population283,374−14%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BOULDER VS
Lacey
Income$96,563−7%
Home value$480,300−36%
Population304,261−7%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BOULDER VS
Trenton
Income$100,645−3%
Home value$377,700−50%
Population399,289+22%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BOULDER VS
Greeley
Income$97,097−7%
Home value$471,700−38%
Population378,426+15%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Boulder, CO?

Boulder, CO has about 328,961 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Boulder, CO?

The typical household in Boulder, CO earns about $103,994 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Boulder, CO expensive?

In Boulder, CO, the median home is worth about $756,300, and the typical rent is about $1,966 a month.

How educated are people in Boulder, CO?

About 64.2% of adults age 25 and over in Boulder, CO hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Boulder, CO?

About 11.2% of people in Boulder, CO live below the federal poverty line.

Has Boulder, CO grown since 1990?

Yes, Boulder, CO has grown since 1990. The population has added about 103,622 residents, a change of about 46 percent over that period.

Keep going

Explore from here

DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →