Golden receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Boulder
Golden
Opportunity
50 · Bottom 36%
vs56 · Bottom 49%
Growth
15 · Bottom 4%
vs18 · Bottom 7%
Climate
42 · Bottom 1%
vs59 · Bottom 11%
Physical resilience
52 · Bottom 45%
vs31 · Bottom 24%
Housing affordability
33 · Bottom 2%
vs45 · Bottom 7%
Access
100 · Top 3%
vs98 · Top 15%
Economic stability
46 · Bottom 26%
vs56 · Bottom 41%
Measured values
| Metric | Boulder | Golden | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 106,433 | 20,417 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $87,493 | $98,582 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $63,074 | $56,368 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,960/sq mi | 2,118/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,039,500 | $837,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,018 | $1,953 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 47.2% | 56.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 3.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.1% | -2.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 76.8% | 59.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 21.5% | 12.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 70 | 13 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 0.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -86.3% | -58.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 68°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 12°F | 18°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 33.9" | 15.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 11 mi | 13 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.1 min | 26.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 28.8 | 34.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 23 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.69 | 18.33 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 24.4% | 22.9% | 2024-25 school 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.
Golden
Elevated or high exposure: hail, wildfire, tornado.
Full profiles: Boulder, CO · Golden, CO · How this is calculated: methodology