Boulder Cost Of Living And Expenses Guide
If we're talking real estate costs, Boulder is a bit high compared to some parts of the country, but nowhere near places like Manhattan, San Francisco, and L.A. Other costs though including gasoline are pretty close to the rest of the country.
Groceries
In general, groceries in Boulder are more costly than in other areas of the country but not too much. For example, a pound of chicken breasts costs about $4.00, a gallon of whole milk is about $3.50, and a dozen eggs is approximately three and a half dollars. Popular grocery stores in the area are King Soopers, Safeway, and Whole Foods Market, Natural Grocers, Lucky's Market, Ideal Market and even Trader Joes. The variety of national and specialty grocers in the area make it easy for people to find competitive pricing for pretty much whatever they're looking for, and at the same time it's easy to find specialty items.
Restaurants
Boulder has an amazing restaurant selection. There are restaurants in almost any type and price, from nationally recognized fine dining options like Frasca, Flagstaff House, and Mateo to the usual tasty locally owned options and even fast food if that's your thing! A meal from an 'regular' restaurant might be about $10-$15 per person, you could spend $200 - $400 per person if you really went all out, and of course fast food is the same just about everywhere. For dinner at an 'average' restaurant you might spend $60 to $80 with drinks or a glass of wine.
Transportation
There are so many ways to get around in and around Boulder. Lots of people commute into the city each day for work. As a result, drivers often encounter traffic heading into Boulder in the mornings and out of the city to towns like Longmont, Lafayette, Louisville, Broomfield, Westminster, and Denver in the evenings. Despite the traffic, the commute time into Boulder from smaller towns is shorter than the national average.
It's also pretty common here for people to cycle to work due to the massive amount of multi-use paths. One of our admin staff usually skateboards to work. The bus system called RTD, is really efficient and well-used also. I know many people who work outside of Boulder but live in town and they use RTD regularly instead of paying the price for parking and fuel and wasted time driving.
There's a wide number of choice for available housing in the greater Boulder area. From compact condos and apartments to multi-million dollar homes, the price of housing in Boulder is higher than what it costs in most of the rest of Colorado, there's no doubt about that. It's also a very stable housing market. We didn't even really see values drop back in 2008/2009. Housing prices are ever on the rise, Boulder has regularly ranked among the top housing markets nationwide for home price growth and stability, according to a report from SmartAsset that analyzed 25 years of home value data across 358 metropolitan areas around the country.
We're at an elevation of 5,428 feet above sea level, Boulder, Colorado, is about 25 minutes northwest of Denver. The Flatirons on the western side of Boulder (pictured above), are slabs of sedimentary rock that seem to lean onto the foothills, and they are constantly considered a symbol of Boulder. The metropolitan area of Boulder is large, but the city itself has a population of approximately 106,000 residents. Boulder is home to the University of Colorado Boulder, the largest university in the state. When we add in the 33,000 students the population grows considerably.
The climate in Boulder is awesome, with almost 300 days of sun throughout the year. Boulder is somewhat cold in the winter but even in January we can see the sun come out, melt all the snow and people are walking around in shorts in January. I've even many times gone on a motorcycle ride with my friends and my son in December, January and February. Boulder typically sees an average of about 65-70 inches of snow per year. The climate and topography of the city and especially the Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) land gives everyone a chance for a wide variety of outdoor activities. Many people choose to live in Boulder not just for a fancy house, but to be close to the trails and Open Space opportunities. Here we have a saying: "my living room is outside".
Boulder has a city-wide plan that controls zoning, transportation, and urban planning decisions as well as a Historic Preservation Code and residential growth management ordinance. Because of the efforts of city leaders, Boulder is known as a green city.
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Zachary Epps
GRI®, ABR®, MCNE®, CLHMS®, SRES®, REALTOR®,
RE/MAX Hall of Fame, RE/MAX Platinum Club