Boulder, CO

Census Place

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2024 Population
106,433
US Senator
Michael Bennet
Democratic Party
US Senator
John Hickenlooper
Democratic Party
2024 Poverty Rate
21.5%
1.61% 1-year decrease
2024 Median Household Income
$87,493
2.49% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$1.04M
5.79% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
57,272
0.343% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Boulder, CO reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

94.3% of the residents in Boulder, CO are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Boulder, CO are University of Colorado Boulder (10,241 degrees awarded in 2023), Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts-Boulder (3,662 degrees), and Naropa University (258 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Boulder, CO was $1.04M, and the homeownership rate was 47.2%.

Most people in Boulder, CO drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 18.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Boulder, CO was 2 cars per household.

Photo by Bryce Bradford
United StatesColoradoBoulder County, COBoulder, COFoothills PUMA, COEast Boulder PUMA, COBoulder PUMA, CO

Population & Diversity

Boulder, CO is home to a population of 106k people, from which 94.3% are citizens. As of 2024, 10.8% of Boulder, CO residents were born outside of the country (11.5k people).

In 2024, there were 12.9 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (83.1k people) in Boulder, CO than any other race or ethnicity. There were 6.45k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 5.74k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

94.3%
2024 Citizenship
94.5%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 94.3% of Boulder, CO residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Boulder, CO was 94.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Boulder, CO compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Boulder, CO
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    83.1k ± 1.01k
  2. Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
    6.45k ± 703
  3. Asian (Non-Hispanic)
    5.74k ± 554
10.7%
Hispanic Population
11.4k people

In 2024, there were 12.9 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (83.1k people) in Boulder, CO than any other race or ethnicity. There were 6.45k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 5.74k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

10.7% of the people in Boulder, CO are hispanic (11.4k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Boulder, CO as a share of the total population.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Colorado.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    203,143 ± 10,870 people
  2. India
    22,453 ± 3,672 people
  3. China
    17,281 ± 3,223 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Colorado was Mexico, the natal country of 203,143 Colorado residents, followed by India with 22,453 and China with 17,281.

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Foreign-Born Population

10.8%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
11.5k people
10.2%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
10.9k people

As of 2024, 10.8% of Boulder, CO residents (11.5k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Boulder, CO was 10.2%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Boulder, CO compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    953 ± 241
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    661 ± 192
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    334 ± 164

Boulder, CO has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.44 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Boulder, CO.

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Economy

The economy of Boulder, CO employs 57.3k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Boulder, CO were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (10,576 people), Educational Services (10,243 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (5,645 people), and the highest paying industries were Finance & Insurance ($111,006), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($105,238), and Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($103,438).

Employment

Occupations

57.3k
2024 Value
± 1,943
−0.343%
1 Year decline
± 4.82%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Boulder, CO declined at a rate of −0.343%, from 57.5k employees to 57.3k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Boulder, CO, are Management Occupations (6,807 people), Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (6,139 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (5,643 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Boulder, CO.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Colorado.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Colorado (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

57.3k
2024 Value
± 1,943
−0.343%
1 Year decline
± 4.82%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Boulder, CO declined at a rate of −0.343%, from 57.5k employees to 57.3k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Boulder, CO, are Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (10,576 people), Educational Services (10,243 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (5,645 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Boulder, CO, though some of these residents may live in Boulder, CO and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$58,334
Median earning men ± $4,965
$37,144
Median earning women ± $3,002

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($151,750), Information ($104,792), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($101,955).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($96,377), Manufacturing ($91,875), and Wholesale Trade ($87,404).

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Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Colorado.
Y-Axis
1.73%
Year-over-year growth
Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 2.87M people employed in Colorado. This represents a 1.73% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 11.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Colorado.

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Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Colorado went to Kamala Harris with 54.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (43.1%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.12%).

Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper are the senators currently representing the state of Colorado. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Colorado is currently represented by 8 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Voting results are not available for Boulder, CO. Showing the available data for Colorado.
2024 Election Results
  1. Kamala Harris (54.1%)
    Democratic Party
  2. Donald J. Trump (43.1%)
    Republican Party
  3. Robert Kennedy (1.12%)
    Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Colorado went to Kamala Harris with 54.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (43.1%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.12%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Colorado for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

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Senator Elections

US Senators from Colorado

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Colorado.
Michael Bennet
Senator from Colorado3
Assumed office on January 21, 2009
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Ken Salazar, who had become Secretary of the Interior.
John Hickenlooper
Senator from Colorado2
Assumed office on January 3, 2021

Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper are the senators currently representing Colorado.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Colorado over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

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Education

In 2023, universities in Boulder, CO awarded 14,204 degrees. The student population of Boulder, CO in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 25,538 male students and 25,606 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Boulder, CO are White (8,252 and 62.2%), Hispanic or Latino (1,646 and 12.4%), Black or African American (1,570 and 11.8%), and Two or More Races (859 and 6.48%).

The largest universities in Boulder, CO by number of degrees awarded are University of Colorado Boulder (10,241 and 72.1%), Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts-Boulder (3,662 and 25.8%), and Naropa University (258 and 1.82%).

The most popular majors in Boulder, CO are Culinary Arts & Chef Training (2,032 and 14.3%), Baking & Pastry Arts (1,579 and 11.1%), and General Business Administration & Management (1,407 and 9.91%).

The median tuition costs in Boulder, CO are $34,400 for private four year colleges, and $13,910 and $40,297 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University
Measure

In 2023 in Boulder, CO, the percentage of applicants admitted was 83.3%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 16.2%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 51,144 (49.9% men and 50.1% women).

The line chart  shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

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Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 51,144 students enrolled in Boulder, CO, 49.9% men and 50.1% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 30,057 records, of which 48.7% were women and 51.3% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. General Psychology
    618 degrees awarded
  2. Computer Science
    483 degrees awarded
  3. General Business Administration & Management
    1,201 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Boulder, CO was General Psychology with 618 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Boulder, CO according to their major.

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Universities

Gender
Race
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
  1. University of Colorado Boulder
    10,241 degrees awarded
  2. Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts-Boulder
    3,662 degrees awarded
  3. Naropa University
    258 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Colorado Boulder with 10,241 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 6,491 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Boulder, CO, which is 0.842 times less than the 7,713 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 8,252 degrees mean that there were 5.01 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 1,646 degrees awarded.

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Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

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Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($34,400) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,646) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,256) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Boulder, CO was $1.04M in 2024, which is 3.12 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $982,600 to $1.04M, a 5.79% increase. The homeownership rate in Boulder, CO is 47.2%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Boulder, CO have an average commute time of 18.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Boulder, CO is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$1.04M
Median Property Value 2024
±$40,565
$20,977
Median Property Taxes
±$986

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Boulder, CO the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Boulder, CO compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

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Rent vs Own

47.2%
Homeownership
2024
71.2%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 47.2% of the housing units in Boulder, CO were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 47.9%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Boulder, CO compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$87,493
Median Household Income
± $6,221
44.4k
Number of Households
± 1,580

In 2024, the median household income of the 44.4k households in Boulder, CO grew to $87,493 from the previous year's value of $85,364.

The following chart displays the households in Boulder, CO distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Boulder, CO is from Colorado.
0.462
2023 Wage GINI in Colorado
0.464
2022 Wage GINI in Colorado

In 2023, the income inequality in Colorado was 0.462 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.304% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Colorado was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Colorado in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Colorado across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (39.1%)
  2. Worked At Home (34.4%)
  3. Walked (9.53%)

In 2024, 39.1% of workers in Boulder, CO drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (34.4%) and those who walked to work (9.53%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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Commute Time

18.1 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Boulder, CO have a shorter commute time (18.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0.862% of the workforce in Boulder, CO have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Boulder, CO compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Boulder, CO distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Boulder, CO have 2 cars.

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

21.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Boulder, CO (20.3k out of 94.8k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 18 - 24, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Males 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Boulder, CO is White, followed by Hispanic and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Health

96.6% of the population of Boulder, CO has health coverage, with 58.8% on employee plans, 7.44% on Medicaid, 9.37% on Medicare, 20.1% on non-group plans, and 0.87% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Colorado see 1,207 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,207 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1161 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 204 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.6% were men and 48.4% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 16% under 18 years, 43.1% between 18 and 34 years, 28.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 12.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.6% were men and 48.4% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

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Uninsured People

3.45%
Uninsured
58.8%
Employer Coverage
7.44%
Medicaid
9.37%
Medicare
20.1%
Non-Group
0.87%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Boulder, CO declined by 1.42% from 3.5% to 3.45%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Boulder, CO changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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