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Boulder

#18 in Best Cities to Live in America
  • A+
    Overall Grade
  • City in Colorado
  • 264 reviews
A+
Overall Niche Grade
How are grades calculated?
  1. Public Schools
    A+
  2. Crime & Safety
    C+
  3. Housing
    C+
  4. Nightlife
    A+
  5. Good for Families
    A
  6. Diversity
    B+
  7. Jobs
    B
  8. Weather
    B
  9. Cost of Living
    D+
  10. Health & Fitness
    A+
  11. Outdoor Activities
    A
  12. Commute
    A+
View Full Report Card
Boulder is a city in Colorado with a population of 106,271. Boulder is in Boulder County and is one of the best places to live in Colorado. Living in Boulder offers residents a suburban feel and most residents rent their homes. In Boulder there are a lot of restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. Many young professionals live in Boulder and residents tend to have moderate political views. The public schools in Boulder are highly rated.
About Boulder...
Population
106,271

Real Estate

Median Home Value
$600,400
National
$184,700
Median Rent
$1,412
National
$949
Area Feel
Suburban
Rent vs. Own
  • Rent
    52%
  • Own
    48%
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Boulder Rankings

Niche rankings are based on rigorous analysis of key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and millions of reviews.

Boulder Neighborhood Map

  • Public Schools
  • Private Schools
  • Colleges

Crime & Safety

Crime & Safety
C+
Based on violent and property crime rates.
Violent Crimes
  • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
National
  • Assault
    161.2
    282.7
  • Murder
    0
    6.1
  • Rape
    44
    40.7
  • Robbery
    27.5
    135.5
Property Crimes
  • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
National
  • Burglary
    512
    500.1
  • Theft
    2,286.9
    2,042.8
  • Motor Vehicle Theft
    200.6
    284
Home Security Options for Boulder
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  • 24/7 Whole home protection with no contract
  • CNET Editor’s choice winner 2018

Residents

Diversity
B+
Based on ethnic and economic diversity.
Age
  • <10 years
    7%
  • 10-17 years
    6%
  • 18-24 years
    30%
  • 25-34 years
    16%
  • 35-44 years
    11%
  • 45-54 years
    10%
  • 55-64 years
    9%
  • 65+ years
    10%
Education Levels
National
  • Master's degree or higher
    39%
    12%
  • Bachelor's degree
    35%
    19%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    16%
    29%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    7%
    28%
  • Less than high school diploma
    3%
    13%

Working in Boulder

Jobs
B
Based on employment rates, job and business growth, and cost of living.
Median Household Income
$64,183
National
$55,322
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Boulder Reviews

264 reviews
All Categories
Boulder!
The flatirons, Boulders mountains, are most beautiful during all seasons of the year.
Hiking, biking and viewing the colors of autumn is fantastic.
If you like skiing, its all the better to enjoy Vail Colorado, my favorite place to visit, especially during the Christmas season of bright colorful lighting in its community.

Boulder known for its biking and miles of trails is for the novice as well as for the most experienced
biking enthusiast.

What I would like to see changed in Boulder is the congestion from massive numbers of cars, traveling though the city daily.
The positive side of Boulders traffic is the excellent bus services thoughout Boulder and the Denver Metropolitan region.

I would also like to see changes in the affordable housing , Boulder would do well to accommodate more levels of groups of people, besides the growing wealth that Boulder seems to be
attracting to itself.
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Boulder is an interesting mix between a college town and a hippie/hipster commune. There’s great food, great education, and lots of interesting folks. The only real issue I have with Boulder is how awful and entitled their pedestrians are, they are terrible jaywalkers, and extremely rude at traditional social norms for pedestrians, walking as slowly as they can through the cross walk, taunting drivers, and just being overall snobs. Other great things about Boulder is it’s outdoors and health culture, it’s extremely pet friendly, it’s cultured, and it’s close to Denver!
From Pearl Street to the Flatirons, Boulder has endless opportunities. I currently go to school at the University of Colorado Boulder. I admit that my school work has prevented me from experiencing everything Boulder has to offer. But whenever I have free time, I love being outdoors. The foothills are my escape. The mountains offer me a way to escape reality at least for a little bit. I love the views from campus and all the trees that surround the city. Boulder is also a very diverse city. There are numerous restaurants with unique cultural cuisine. I enjoy trying new things, and Boulder allows me to get a taste of multiple different cultures without leaving Colorado. Unfortunately, the cost of living in Boulder is exponentially increasing, so I do not know if I will be able to live in Boulder after I graduate from school. But overall, it is a wonderful place to visit and live. It is great if you need a day trip away from Denver. Overall, I will give Boulder 4 out of 5 stars.