Boulder, Colorado Population 2023

102,034

Boulder is a city located in Boulder County Colorado. Boulder has a 2023 population of 102,034. It is also the county seat of Boulder County.Boulder is currently declining at a rate of -1.03% annually and its population has decreased by -3.07% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 105,262 in 2020.

The average household income in Boulder is $123,606 with a poverty rate of 20.86%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Boulder is 28.9 years, 28.4 years for males, and 29.4 years for females.

Boulder is located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains about 25 miles northwest of Denver. Boulder is well-known for its history, the University of Colorado and its large hippie population in the 1960s. The city also frequently tops rankings for education, health, and quality of life.

Boulder Population Statistics

Boulder has a population younger than the national average with a median age of 28.7 years compared to the U.S. median age of 37.2. About one-third of Boulder's population is between the ages of 18 and 24, mostly due to a large number of university students.

The city has a median household income of just over $57,000, with a median family income of $113,600. Full-time female workers make $47,500 compared to full-time male workers at $72,000. A full 25% of the population lives below the poverty line. Boulder usually has higher home prices than nearby areas.

Boulder Facts

  • Among 14 comparable cities, Boulder has the most people who walk to work, work at home and carpool, and it ranks second in terms of people who bike.
  • Bicycling is so popular in the city that the Boulder Creek bike path is often plowed of snow before the roads.
  • Colorado has fewer overweight people per capita and more people who exercise regularly than any other state.
  • 70% of Boulderites own a bicycle.
  • Boulder is the largest beer-producing triangle in the world with Anheuser-Busch and Coors.
  • Robert Redford was a janitor in Boulder before he became famous.
  • Boulder has a "blue line" which deters expanding structures over four stories that would prevent views of the mountains.
  • Boulder's top rankings include Lesser-Known LGBT Family-Friendly City, Best City to Raise an Outdoor Kid, Top 10 Healthiest Cities to Live and Retire (#6), Top Brainiest City, Top Happiest City, Top 10 Cities for Artists (#8).

Boulder was first home to Native Americans who had a village nearby. The first non-native settlement was established in 1858 by gold seekers. The Boulder City Town Company was created a year later with lots that had a purchase price of $1,000, which was lowered to bring in more residents. The government was formalized in 1871 when the town was incorporated.

By 1880, Boulder had a population of more than 3,000. Many trainees came to the area after World War II as business people and students, joining veterans attending the University. Before this, the population had not grown since the 1920s.

Boulder Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Boulder was:

  • White: 84.25%
  • Two or more races: 6.52%
  • Asian: 5.98%
  • Other race: 1.85%
  • Black or African American: 1.09%
  • Native American: 0.25%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.06%
Land Area (mi²)
26.3 sq mi
Density (mi²)
3,880.70/sq mi
Growth Rate
-1.03% (-1,065)
Growth Since 2020
-3.07% (-3,228)
The current population of Boulder, Colorado is 102,034 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates.The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 105,262.

Boulder, Colorado Population 2023

Population by Race

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Race
Population
Percentage (of total)
White88,40484.25%
Two or more races6,8426.52%
Asian6,2765.98%
Other race1,9391.85%
Black or African American1,1431.09%
Native American2630.25%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander630.06%
showing: 7 rows

White

Two or more races

Asian

Other race

Black or African American

Native American

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Boulder Population by Race

Boulder Population Pyramid 2023

Boulder Median Age

28.9

Total

28.4

Male

29.4

Female

Boulder Adults

There are 91,800 adults, (12,395 of whom are seniors) in Boulder.

Boulder Age Dependency

32.1

Age Dependency Ratio

15.6

Old Age Dependency Ratio

16.5

Child Dependency Ratio

Boulder Sex Ratio

Female50,89848.51%
Male54,03251.49%

Boulder Population by Age

Boulder Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

Household Type
Count
Average Size
Owner
Renter
All42,6102.2147.752.3
Non Family25,2691.7230.869.2
Married13,9912.8876.923.1
Female2,0833.1752.947.1
Male1,2672.8952.647.4
showing: 5 rows

2.81

Average Family Size

2.21

Average Household Size

47.7%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Boulder Households and Families

Male

Female

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Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Boulder Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Boulder Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

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The highest rate of high school graduation is among native american people with a rate of 72.43%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among white people with a rate of 52.81%.

Boulder Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

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$54,991

Average Earnings

$64,606

Average Male

$43,851

Average Female

Boulder Earnings by Educational Attainment

Boulder Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Boulder Language

85.02% of Boulder residents speak only English, while 14.98% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 5.68% of the population.

Boulder Language

Boulder Poverty by Race

rate

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Name
Total
In Poverty
Poverty Rate
White74,78415,35920.54%
Hispanic9,7212,15822.2%
Multiple6,1521,42123.1%
Asian4,9551,06921.57%
Other1,89146624.64%
Black94621122.3%
Native2074220.29%
Islander341647.06%
showing: 8 rows

20.86%

Overall Poverty Rate

20.79%

Male Poverty Rate

20.92%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Boulder

The race most likely to be in poverty in Boulder is Islander, with 47.06% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Boulder is Native, with 20.29% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.29%. Among those working part-time, it was 36.21%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 31.76%.

Boulder Poverty

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Less Than 9th Grade30.19%
High School13.88%
Some College13.34%
Bachelors or Greater5.72%
showing: 4 rows

Boulder Poverty Rate by Education

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Male Unemployed37.88%
Female Unemployed24.29%
Female Employed19.72%
Male Employed10.49%
showing: 4 rows

Boulder Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Boulder Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

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mean

median

Income by Household Type

Boulder Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

31.2%

Overall Marriage Rate

29.8%

Male Marriage Rate

32.8%

Female Marriage Rate

Boulder Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Boulder Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.

Boulder Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Boulder Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

2,794

Number of Veterans

2,505

Male Veterans

289

Female Veterans

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Boulder Veterans by War

count

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Boulder Veterans by Age

count

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Boulder Veterans by Race

Boulder Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

5.55%

Veteran Poverty Rate

29.59%

Veteran Disability Rate

Boulder Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

64.7%

Labor Force Participation

61%

Employment Rate

5.6%

Unemployment Rate

Boulder Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Boulder Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Boulder Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

31.72%

Born in Boulder

99.54%

Native Born

11.85%

Foreign Born

6.96%

Non Citizen

4.89%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

99.54% of Boulder residents were born in the United States, with 31.72% having been born in Colorado. 6.96% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.

Boulder Place of Birth

Note: data after 2021 is projected based on recent change

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Year
Population
Growth
Growth Rate
18803,069-92,8042.34%
18903,3302610.82%
19006,1502,8206.33%
19109,5393,3894.49%
192011,0061,4671.44%
193011,2232170.2%
194012,9581,7351.45%
195019,9997,0414.44%
196037,71817,7196.55%
197066,87029,1525.89%
198076,6859,8151.38%
199083,3126,6270.83%
200094,67311,3611.29%
201097,385
201198,4711,0861.12%
201299,5571,0861.1%
2013100,6431,0861.09%
2014101,7291,0861.08%
2015102,8151,0861.07%
2016103,9011,0861.06%
2017104,9871,0861.05%
2018106,0731,0861.03%
2019107,1591,0861.02%
2020105,262-1,897-1.77%
2021104,175-1,087-1.03%
2022103,099-1,076-1.03%
2023102,034-1,065-1.03%
2024100,980-1,054-1.03%
202599,937-1,043-1.03%
202698,905-1,032-1.03%
202797,884-1,021-1.03%
202896,873-1,011-1.03%
202995,873-1,000-1.03%
showing: 33 rows

Boulder Population by Year