Boulder County, Colorado: commercial real estate data.
Boulder County, Colorado has a population of 328,961 across 726 square miles, down 0.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $39.31 bn in 2024, 12,990 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 666 7(a) approvals worth $358.3 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Boulder County
How many people live in Boulder County
- Population328,961
- Households137,008
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$103,994
- Median age37.7
- Median gross rent$1,966 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$756,300
- Home value to household income7.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income22.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher64.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree30.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over220,629
- Population under 1857,715
- Share under 1817.5 percent
- Population 65 and over53,942
- Share 65 and over16.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64217,304
- Civilian labor force186,484
- Unemployment rate4.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over68.8 percent
- Rank by population among Colorado counties9th of 64
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents223rd
Boulder County is the 9th largest of 64 Colorado counties by population. A median home costs 7.3 times median household income, which is a stretched ownership market and usually shows up as rental demand. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 17.5 percent against 16.4 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Boulder County
Is Boulder County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.15 percent
- Census 2020 base population330,770
- Births, 20242,424
- Deaths, 20242,114
- Natural change, 2024310
- Net domestic migration, 2024-1,034
- Net international migration, 20242,545
- Total net migration, 20241,511
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-7,945
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1892nd
The county has lost 0.15 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Boulder County
Where people moving to Boulder County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving13,514
- People arriving, from those returns19,749
- Adjusted gross income arriving$1.56 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$115,300
- Largest single originBoulder County Non-migrants (123,986 households)
- Largest single destination (123,986 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder County Non-migrants | 123,986 | 234,737 | $21.83 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 3,464 | 4,999 | $379.4 m |
| Other flows - South | 1,222 | 1,890 | $169.3 m |
| Denver County | 1,083 | 1,422 | $117.4 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 909 | 1,229 | $73.4 m |
| Weld County | 899 | 1,589 | $74.0 m |
| Jefferson County | 839 | 1,170 | $76.5 m |
| Adams County | 751 | 1,135 | $51.0 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Boulder County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Boulder County
What the Boulder County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$39.31 bn
- County GDP, 2023$37.69 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.3 percent
- GDP change over five years29.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among Colorado counties6th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents152nd
- GDP per resident$119,500
Output grew 4.3 percent in the latest year and 29.4 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Boulder County
Who employs people in Boulder County
- Covered employment, annual average193,920
- Establishments reporting18,751
- Average annual pay$96,397
- Average weekly wage$1,854
- Sector 54, employment34,458
- Sector 54, average annual pay$159,722
- Sector 62, employment23,159
- Sector 62, average annual pay$69,077
- Sector 31-33, employment20,858
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$100,696
- Sector 72, employment16,694
- Sector 72, average annual pay$31,715
- Sector 44-45, employment16,620
- Sector 51, employment8,421
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 54 | 34,458 | 5,750 | $159,722 |
| Sector 62 | 23,159 | 1,880 | $69,077 |
| Sector 31-33 | 20,858 | 619 | $100,696 |
| Sector 72 | 16,694 | 898 | $31,715 |
| Sector 44-45 | 16,620 | 1,119 | $44,017 |
| Sector 51 | 8,421 | 694 | $219,681 |
| Sector 42 | 7,642 | 1,076 | $148,861 |
| Sector 81 | 5,885 | 1,454 | $59,146 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 34,458 jobs, 17.8 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Boulder County
What businesses operate in Boulder County
- Establishments, all industries12,990
- Employment at those establishments159,619
- Annual payroll$13.22 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents39.5
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Boulder County
What is being built in Boulder County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20241,680
- Declared construction value permitted$535.4 m
- Single family units authorised441
- Multifamily units authorised1,239
- Multifamily share of units73.8 percent
- Average declared value per unit$318,686
- Units authorised per 1,000 households12.3
Multifamily is 73.8 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Boulder County
How much SBA lending happens in Boulder County
- 7(a) approvals recorded666
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$358.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$537,915
- Median 7(a) approval$250,000
- 10th percentile approval$30,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,385,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)7,480
- Jobs per approval11.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active98
- Distinct industries receiving approvals201
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer9.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms60
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter565
- Franchise loans104
- Franchise share of approvals15.6 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (29)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (92)
- 504 approvals recorded247
- 504 gross approval dollars$197.2 m
- Average 504 approval$798,239
- Median 504 approval$517,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval8.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved10.0
- Most active CDCB:Side Capital (208)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals72.9 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$555.4 m
The average approval of $537,915 sits well above the median of $250,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 9.0 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Boulder County
Do SBA loans in Boulder County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded123
- Paid in full113
- Charged off10
- Charge off rate on resolved loans8.1 percent
- Status: Paid in full113
- Status: Exempt from disclosure416
- Status: Charged off10
- Status: Cancelled82
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed45
Of the 123 loans that have reached a final outcome, 8.1 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Boulder County
Which parts of Boulder County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending20
- BOULDER, approvals267
- LONGMONT, approvals137
- Lafayette, approvals90
- Louisville, approvals73
- ERIE, approvals32
- SUPERIOR, approvals23
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| BOULDER | 267 | $148,428,800 |
| LONGMONT | 137 | $69,744,700 |
| Lafayette | 90 | $44,458,900 |
| Louisville | 73 | $46,083,200 |
| ERIE | 32 | $13,911,000 |
| SUPERIOR | 23 | $8,658,400 |
| NIWOT | 16 | $14,340,100 |
| Lyons | 5 | $1,091,000 |
BOULDER accounts for 267 approvals against 137 in LONGMONT. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Boulder County
How big is Boulder County
- Land area726 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Colorado counties52nd of 64
- Width, east to west33 mi
- Height, north to south24.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land453
- Establishments per square mile17.89
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Boulder County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Boulder County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population328,961
- Households137,008
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$103,994
- Median age37.7
Common questions
Boulder County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Boulder County, Colorado?
328,961, in 137,008 households, ranking 9th of 64 Colorado counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Boulder County growing?
The population has fallen 0.15 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 2,424 births against 2,114 deaths, with net migration of 1,511. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Boulder County?
$103,994. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $756,300, which is 7.3 times income, and median gross rent is $1,966 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Boulder County?
12,990 establishments, employing 159,619 people with an annual payroll of $13.22 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Boulder County?
Average annual pay is $96,397, or $1,854 a week, across 193,920 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Boulder County?
666 7(a) approvals totalling $358.3 m since FY2020, across 98 lenders, with a median approval of $250,000, plus 247 504 approvals worth $197.2 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Boulder County get paid back?
Of the 123 loans that have reached a final outcome, 113 were paid in full and 10 charged off, a charge off rate of 8.1 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Boulder County?
1,680 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $535.4 m. Multifamily was 73.8 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Boulder County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Boulder County come from?
The largest single origin is Boulder County Non-migrants, with 123,986 households. Arriving households report an average income of $115,300 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Boulder County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Boulder County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.