Housing decision brief
Boulder County, CO Housing Market
Boulder County screens as a higher purchase price, rent that needs comparison, a higher tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
60th lowest home value out of 64 Colorado counties with data | 60th lowest rent out of 64
Median home value
$713,900
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$1,893/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$1,970/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
6.9x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
34.0%
At or above the 30% burden threshold.
Rent vs own
$77/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
No signal
No strong positive housing signal was available in the current dataset.
What to Check
Tax rate needs attention
0.54% effective property-tax rate is No Colorado county median comparison available
Crime data coverage
Crime data coverage is partial. Treat zero or low crime rates as incomplete until you check the source coverage.
Best Fit For
- No strong fit signal was available in the current dataset.
Poor Fit For
- Anyone treating reported crime rates as complete without source context
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Boulder County is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $713,900 | $358,350 | $281,900 | 99% pressure99% above Colorado county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $1,893 | $1,110 | $1,163 | 71% pressure71% above Colorado county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $1,970 | $1,007 | $1,672 | 96% pressure96% above Colorado county median |
Median household income | $102,772 | $71,230 | $74,755 | 44% favorable44% above Colorado county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.54% | 0.00% | 1.02% | Needs dataNo Colorado county median comparison available |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 34.00% | 29.00% | N/A | 17% pressure34.00% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
+$27,052
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$18,343
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Boulder County is affordable for renters, with a median gross rent of $1,893/month representing approximately 22.1% of median household income. The rent burden (GRAPI) stands at 34.0%.
Rent vs own
At $1,893/month rent versus $1,970/month in owner costs, renting is roughly $77/month cheaper , a 4% difference.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $75,720/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $84,429/year. With a median household income of $102,772, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 34.0% of renter households in Boulder County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Compared to Arapahoe County where rent averages $1,812/month, Boulder County is approximately 4% more expensive.
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Routt County, CO | $756,200 | $1,845/mo | Same-state comparison near $756,200 home value and $1,845/mo rent. |
| Eagle County, CO | $814,700 | $2,032/mo | Same-state comparison near $814,700 home value and $2,032/mo rent. |
| Summit County, CO | $850,700 | $1,851/mo | Same-state comparison near $850,700 home value and $1,851/mo rent. |
| Jefferson County, CO | $604,400 | $1,792/mo | Same-state comparison near $604,400 home value and $1,792/mo rent. |
| Broomfield County, CO | $631,600 | $2,074/mo | Same-state comparison near $631,600 home value and $2,074/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Boulder County
Is Boulder County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Boulder County?
How much income do you need for housing in Boulder County?
What should I double-check before moving to Boulder County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.