Boulder Area Information
.Boulder is a highly desirable, vibrant community of just over 108,000. Nestled next to the iconic Flatiron foothills and surrounded by a publicly owned greenbelt of open space of over 27 square miles, the city has a nationwide reputation for natural beauty, opportunities for an active lifestyle and a thriving economy. It all adds up to a top place to live, work, start a business, or raise a family.
Culture: Get outside!
Boulder is a play hard, work hard, enjoy life kind of place. Residents revel in the best of two worlds: vast outdoor and recreational opportunities alongside a vibrant economy fueled by entrepreneurs, startups, established companies, government agencies, and the flagship campus of one of the nation’s leading universities.
Publicly owned mountains and grasslands give access to 45,000 acres crossed with 300 miles of public hiking and biking trails. In addition, the city lies in close proximity to world class ski areas from close by Eldora Ski Area to Vail, Aspen, and host of others.
If you’re thirsty, Boulder has more breweries per capita than any city in the country, two dozen of which can be sampled biking along the Boulder Beer Trail. Or, you can sample delicious herbal teas at Hain Celestial.
The award-winning, pedestrian Pearl Street Mall presents a go-to for unique shopping, dining, and entertainment. Citywide, more than 400 restaurants and cultural activities abound year round including the Boulder Symphony, movie and stage theaters, festivals, and more than 30 art galleries.
Families with children benefit from highly ranked public and private schools. In keeping with the city’s ‘healthy’ reputation, Boulder has three city recreation centers, a host of healthy eating options, and excellent high-tech hospitals.
Economy: From Aerospace to the Outdoors
Boulder is home to a diverse mix of industries including digital, scientific and healthcare technology, natural foods, outdoor recreation and scientific government agencies, according to BizWest Economic Profile & Market Facts.
Google’s recently built 330,000-square-foot campus augments Boulder’s position as the 19th best tech town in the US. Boulder hosts major business- and government-sector employers including
Medtronic
Crispin Porter +Bogusky
IBM
NOAA
UCAR/NCAR
Array BioPharma
Ball Aerospace
Hain Celestial
NIST
Qualcomm
Zayo Group
University of Colorado
Situated on ‘The Hill’ in the center of the city, the University of Colorado Boulder is known for several Nobel laureates, Rhodes scholars, a top engineering school, and aerospace program and highly ranked Leeds School of Business, plus an annual Shakespeare Festival.
Attended by more than 30,000 students, CU-Boulder is the Rocky Mountain region’s largest and most-comprehensive campus.
Real Estate: Known for Stability
With a median home sales price approaching $1 million, Boulder’s housing has proven its value and stability. According to analysis by SmartAsset.com, Boulder ranks No. 1 for home value stability and growth in the U.S. for the fifth consecutive year. Boulder homeowners have a zero chance of losing up to 5 percent of its value in the 10 years after purchase. With an increase of 268 percent from 1994 through 2018, Boulder is the fourth-highest metro in the study’s top 10, and fifth-highest overall.
Accolades
It’s no wonder that Boulder has been acclaimed over the years, including:
- The Happiest City in the U.S., National Geographic, 2017
- No. 1 in Bloomberg Brain Concentration Index, Bloomberg, 2019, which measures the concentration of residents working in science, technology, and engineering occupations or who have science and engineering college degrees or post-graduate degree
- No. 1 of the 50 Best College Towns in America, Best College Reviews, 2019
- Boulder Top U.S. Housing Market for Growth and Stability (for 5th consecutive year), SmartAsset, 201
Sources: BizWest Economic Profile & Market Facts, Current U.S. Census Bureau Data, Boulder Area Association of Realtors, IRES MLS for 201
For more information see:
http://bouldereconomiccouncil.org/boulder-economy/key-industries-companies/
https://bizwest.com/2019-economic-profile-market-facts/
