Lafayette receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Lafayette
Boulder
Opportunity
58 · Top 47%
vs50 · Bottom 36%
Growth
32 · Bottom 20%
vs15 · Bottom 4%
Climate
59 · Bottom 11%
vs42 · Bottom 1%
Physical resilience
53 · Bottom 45%
vs52 · Bottom 45%
Housing affordability
65 · Bottom 28%
vs33 · Bottom 2%
Access
100 · Top 1%
vs100 · Top 3%
Economic stability
81 · Top 6%
vs46 · Bottom 26%
Measured values
| Metric | Lafayette | Boulder | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 30,602 | 106,433 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $119,040 | $87,493 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $62,261 | $63,074 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,307/sq mi | 3,960/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $686,500 | $1,039,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,121 | $2,018 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 65.7% | 47.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 4.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.1% | -3.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 63.5% | 76.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.6% | 21.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 14 | 70 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.5 | 0.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 100.0% | -86.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 68°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 18°F | 12°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 15.4" | 33.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 6 mi | 11 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.6 min | 20.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.1 | 28.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 23 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.61 | 17.69 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 34.0% | 24.4% | 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
Lafayette
Elevated or high exposure: hail, wildfire, tornado.
Boulder
Elevated or high exposure: hail, wildfire, tornado.
Full profiles: Lafayette, CO · Boulder, CO · How this is calculated: methodology