Cost of living in Boulder: rent, homes and salary
In the Boulder, CO metro area, the 2024 BEA regional price parity (RPP) comes to 105.2, with the US at 100 and housing alone at 157.0. That leaves the cost of living in Boulder 5.2% higher than the US average.
- Level of prices
- 105.2US = 100, BEA 2024
- Price level for housing
- 157.0 for rents, US = 100.
Cost of living index for Boulder
A regional price parity compares what one basket of goods and services costs in a single place against the US average, which is set at 100. Boulder belongs to the Boulder, CO metro area, where BEA measures prices for the entire area together. Housing (rents) is the part that sits furthest from the US average, at 157.0, and it is 57.0% above the US.
| Price level, US = 100 | Boulder, CO metro | Colorado | Metro against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 105.2 | 103.1 | +5.2% |
| Goods | 96.1 | 98.7 | −3.9% |
| Housing (rents) | 157.0 | 127.4 | +57.0% |
| Utilities | 82.7 | 85.0 | −17.3% |
| Other services | 99.8 | 99.6 | −0.2% |
The 2024 regional price parities for each metro area and state come from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). BEA regional price parities
Rents in Boulder
The Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) puts Boulder's typical asking rent at $2,435 a month. ZORI tracks rent on homes listed now, and the figure is +2.2% on a year. In the US, that figure is $1,932. Census puts the median gross rent at $2,068, and that figure counts every renting household, not only new leases. One year of the asking rent equals 34% of the median household income.
| Rent | Boulder | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical asking rent, Zillow ZORI | $2,435 | $1,932 |
| Asking rent, 12-month change | +2.2% | |
| Median gross rent, Census ACS 2024 | $2,068 | $1,487 |
| Share of median income for a year of asking rent | 34% | 28% |
One-year estimates from the Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024, plus the Zillow Observed Rent Index.
Boulder home prices
The Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) values a typical home in Boulder at $937,901 as of September 2026. It tracks what a home near the middle of the market is worth. The yearly change is +1.5%, against $366,157 for the US. That equals 10.9 years of median household income, compared with 4.5 for the US.
| Home prices | Boulder | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value, September 2026 | $937,901 | $366,157 |
| 12-month change | +1.5% | +1.2% |
| 10-year change | +47.7% | +77.4% |
| Price to income (years of median income) | 10.9 | 4.5 |
| Price to rent (years of asking rent) | 32.1 | 15.8 |
Days on market, the forecast, and the price chart since 2000: Boulder housing market.
What salary you need in Boulder
What you earn and where you live decide the salary in Boulder that lets your pay keep buying what it buys now.
- Moving out of
- Salary
The method, with every city side by side: compare cities by cost of living.
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Boulder cost of living compared with other cities
| City | Level of prices | Housing | Typical rental cost | Value of a typical home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder | 105.2 | 157.0 | $2,435 | $937,901 |
| Denver | 105.8 | 146.9 | $1,855 | $520,947 |
| Colorado Springs | 100.7 | 116.2 | $1,717 | $439,542 |
| New York City | 112.6 | 148.6 | $4,089 | $825,854 |
| Los Angeles | 113.6 | 170.4 | $2,772 | $927,891 |
| Chicago | 103.6 | 112.0 | $2,311 | $334,108 |
| Houston | 98.6 | 104.5 | $1,544 | $259,465 |
| Phoenix | 103.3 | 121.2 | $1,571 | $404,067 |
| Philadelphia | 102.6 | 113.1 | $1,757 | $231,584 |
Price levels come from BEA regional price parities, 2024, with US = 100. Rent figures come from Zillow ZORI. Home value comes from Zillow ZHVI, September 2026.
All cities, ranked: cost of living comparison by city. All states: living cost by state.