Denver-Aurora-Centennial receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Boulder
Denver-Aurora-Centennial
Opportunity
55 · Top 50%
vs58 · Top 45%
Growth
58 · Top 38%
vs60 · Top 33%
Climate
42 · Bottom 1%
vs62 · Bottom 37%
Physical resilience
53 · Bottom 47%
vs48 · Bottom 39%
Housing affordability
54 · Bottom 3%
vs66 · Bottom 9%
Access
94 · Top 18%
vs100 · Top 1%
Economic stability
85 · Top 8%
vs97 · Top 1%
Measured values
| Metric | Boulder | Denver-Aurora-Centennial | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 328,961 | 3,002,721 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $103,994 | $105,762 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $62,436 | $57,998 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 453/sq mi | 360/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $756,300 | $603,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,966 | $1,874 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 62.0% | 64.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.1% | -2.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 64.2% | 49.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.2% | 8.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 2,321 | 16,728 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 7.1 | 5.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 34.5% | 5.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 68°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 12°F | 19°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 33.9" | 15.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 20 mi | 10 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.2 min | 29.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.7 | 37.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Boulder
Elevated or high exposure: hail, wildfire, tornado.
Denver-Aurora-Centennial
Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Boulder
63
Your Score
56
Area Score
Denver-Aurora-Centennial
70
Your Score
62
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Boulder, CO Metro Area · Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology