Boulder County, Colorado Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Boulder County, CO Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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A+
Health Top gradeAmong the top 3 healthiest counties in Colorado
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 85% of counties in Colorado
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A+
Education Top gradeBest educated county in Colorado
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Boulder County | Colorado Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 328,961 | 5,842,429 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 444.6 | 56.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.58% | 1.09% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.2 | 35.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 137,008 | 2,364,171 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Boulder County grew by 11.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 328,961 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Boulder County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 27.0% of residents. That is 4.4 points above Colorado as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 88,736 27.0% +4.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 70,765 21.5% -2.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 67,678 20.6% +0.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 49,600 15.1% -0.2 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Colorado, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 49.3% of the people living in Boulder County and men 50.7%.
- Women 49.3% Colorado 49.4%
- Men 50.7% Colorado 50.6%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Boulder County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Boulder County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Boulder County | Colorado Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $104,963 | $95,803 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.80% | 5.41% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Boulder County is about 10% higher than in Colorado.
Housing
| Metric | Boulder County | Colorado Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $602,884 | $484,034 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,965 | $1,761 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 62.0% | 66.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Boulder County is about 25.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,965 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Boulder County spend about 37 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 156 hours, about 6.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Boulder County | Colorado Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.7 | 22.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 37.4 | 44.1 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 156 | 184 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,831 | $5,694 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 31.2% | 21.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 13,078 | 8,183 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,454 | 1,277 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Colorado:
Hinsdale County (6.6 min), Prowers County (7.6 min), Cheyenne County (7.7 min).
Slowest:
Park County (42.5 min), Elbert County (41.5 min), Teller County (31.3 min).
The average commute time in Boulder County is 19 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in Colorado.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Boulder County has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Boulder County | Colorado Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 54.5% | 40.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.30 | 2.42 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Colorado:
Boulder County (0.5), Douglas County (0.4), Broomfield County (0.4).
Lowest:
Crowley County (0.2), Bent County (0.2), Lincoln County (0.2).
Health
Boulder County has a health index of A+, which means it is exceptionally healthy.
| Metric | Boulder County | Colorado Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.6 | 80.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 8.5% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 11.5% | 16.1% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Colorado:
Douglas County (0.9), Boulder County (0.8), Broomfield County (0.8).
Lowest:
Costilla County (0.8), Otero County (0.8), Bent County (0.8).
Boulder County, CO Compared With Nearby Counties
Boulder County, CO is typical in size for this group, 328,961 residents against a local median of 367,243, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. The measure that sets Boulder County, CO apart most is commute: 18.7 min, 18% below the local median of 22.9 min. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 4.4 min on commute, so Boulder County, CO sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Boulder County, CO has the lowest commute of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder County, CO | 328,961 | $104,963 #3/4 | $602,884 #2/4 | 18.7 min #1/4 |
| Broomfield County, CO | 76,305 | $123,906 | $685,833 | 22.9 min |
| Jefferson County, CO | 579,346 | $110,559 | $591,210 | 23.4 min |
| Larimer County, CO | 367,243 | $93,803 | $530,686 | 19.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Boulder County, Colorado.
How many people live in Boulder County, Colorado?
About 328,961 people live in Boulder County, Colorado, in 137,008 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 35.2, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
Is Boulder County, Colorado mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Boulder County, Colorado has 445 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 5.1 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Boulder County, Colorado?
The median home costs 5.7 times the median household income ($602,884 against $104,963), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,965 a month takes about 22% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Boulder County, Colorado have a college degree?
54.5% of adults in Boulder County, Colorado hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 5 in 10), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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