Boulder, CO Cost Of Living
Cost Of Living In Boulder, CO Summary
Cost of living in Boulder research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Boulder is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Colorado, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Boulder is 170, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Boulder is 1.7x higher than the national average.
Boulder ranks as the #110 cheapest in Colorado out of 113.
Boulder ranks as the #6,068 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Boulder is $948,562.
The median income in Boulder is $85,364.
Table Of Contents
Boulder's Overall Cost Of Living
Higher Than The National Average
What is the cost of living in Boulder, CO?
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Boulder has an overall cost of living index of 170, which is 1.7x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Colorado, Boulder has a cost of living index that's 1.5x higher than Colorado's index of 111.
The standard of living in Boulder ranks as #110 most affordable out of the 113 places we measured in Colorado. By definition, that implies Boulder ranks as the #3 most expensive place in the Centennial State.
For more reading on life in Boulder, check out:
In Colorado
In America
Boulder Cost Of Living Vs. Colorado
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Boulder. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Boulder is 105.
The Groceries index in Boulder is 94.
The Health index in Boulder is 87.
The Housing index in Boulder is 329.
The Transportation index in Boulder is 109.
The Utilities index in Boulder is 86.
| Living Expense | Boulder | Colorado | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 170 | 111 | 100 | |
| Services | 105 | 102 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 94 | 103 | 100 | |
| Health | 87 | 101 | 100 | |
| Housing | 329 | 134 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 109 | 107 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 86 | 89 | 100 | |
Boulder, CO Housing Cost Breakdown
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Colorado, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Boulder is $948,562.
The Median Rent in Boulder is $1,924.
The Median Income in Boulder is $85,364.
The Home Value To Income in Boulder is 11.1x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Boulder is 0.27x.
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Income
Boulder, CO Costs By Category
Detailed Boulder Services Costs Vs. Colorado
Detailed Boulder Groceries Costs Vs. Colorado
Detailed Boulder Health Costs Vs. Colorado
Detailed Boulder Transportation Costs Vs. Colorado
Detailed Boulder Utilities Costs Vs. Colorado
Boulder SnackAbility
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Cost Of Living In Cities Around Boulder
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Boulder. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Westminster, CO has a cost of living index of 127, 0.7x Boulder.
Northglenn, CO has a cost of living index of 120, 0.7x Boulder.
Wheat Ridge, CO has a cost of living index of 130, 0.8x Boulder.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Boulder |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westminster, CO | 115,546 | 127 | 0.7x |
| Northglenn, CO | 37,953 | 120 | 0.7x |
| Wheat Ridge, CO | 32,158 | 130 | 0.8x |
| Golden, CO | 20,467 | 144 | 0.8x |
| Sherrelwood, CO | 19,368 | 117 | 0.7x |
| Firestone, CO | 17,353 | 127 | 0.7x |
| Welby, CO | 16,232 | 110 | 0.6x |
| Frederick, CO | 15,893 | 128 | 0.8x |
| Federal Heights, CO | 14,160 | 93 | 0.5x |
| Berkley, CO | 10,838 | 119 | 0.7x |
