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 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 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.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Boulder was:
White
Two or more races
Asian
Other race
Black or African American
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
---|---|---|---|---|
All | 42,610 | 2.21 | 47.7 | 52.3 |
Non Family | 25,269 | 1.72 | 30.8 | 69.2 |
Married | 13,991 | 2.88 | 76.9 | 23.1 |
Female | 2,083 | 3.17 | 52.9 | 47.1 |
Male | 1,267 | 2.89 | 52.6 | 47.4 |
2.81
Average Family Size
2.21
Average Household Size
47.7%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
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.
rate
20.86%
Overall Poverty Rate
20.79%
Male Poverty Rate
20.92%
Female Poverty Rate
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%.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
31.2%
Overall Marriage Rate
29.8%
Male Marriage Rate
32.8%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
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.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
5.55%
Veteran Poverty Rate
29.59%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
64.7%
Labor Force Participation
61%
Employment Rate
5.6%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
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.
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
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.
Year | Population | Growth | Growth Rate |
---|---|---|---|
1880 | 3,069 | -92,804 | 2.34% |
1890 | 3,330 | 261 | 0.82% |
1900 | 6,150 | 2,820 | 6.33% |
1910 | 9,539 | 3,389 | 4.49% |
1920 | 11,006 | 1,467 | 1.44% |
1930 | 11,223 | 217 | 0.2% |
1940 | 12,958 | 1,735 | 1.45% |
1950 | 19,999 | 7,041 | 4.44% |
1960 | 37,718 | 17,719 | 6.55% |
1970 | 66,870 | 29,152 | 5.89% |
1980 | 76,685 | 9,815 | 1.38% |
1990 | 83,312 | 6,627 | 0.83% |
2000 | 94,673 | 11,361 | 1.29% |
2010 | 97,385 | ||
2011 | 98,471 | 1,086 | 1.12% |
2012 | 99,557 | 1,086 | 1.1% |
2013 | 100,643 | 1,086 | 1.09% |
2014 | 101,729 | 1,086 | 1.08% |
2015 | 102,815 | 1,086 | 1.07% |
2016 | 103,901 | 1,086 | 1.06% |
2017 | 104,987 | 1,086 | 1.05% |
2018 | 106,073 | 1,086 | 1.03% |
2019 | 107,159 | 1,086 | 1.02% |
2020 | 105,262 | -1,897 | -1.77% |
2021 | 104,175 | -1,087 | -1.03% |
2022 | 103,099 | -1,076 | -1.03% |
2023 | 102,034 | -1,065 | -1.03% |
2024 | 100,980 | -1,054 | -1.03% |
2025 | 99,937 | -1,043 | -1.03% |
2026 | 98,905 | -1,032 | -1.03% |
2027 | 97,884 | -1,021 | -1.03% |
2028 | 96,873 | -1,011 | -1.03% |
2029 | 95,873 | -1,000 | -1.03% |