Boston vs Highlands Ranch
The short version
- Highlands Ranch is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 2% lower than in the Boston area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $712,700 in Highlands Ranch and $731,700 in Boston.
- Households earn more in Highlands Ranch ($159,307 vs $97,344 median).
- Highlands Ranch has the warmer winter: January highs of 47°F vs 37°F.
- Highlands Ranch has more scorching days: 42 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 14.
- Commutes are shorter in Highlands Ranch (24 vs 30 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Boston, MA | Highlands Ranch, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 672,973 | 102,257 |
| Growth since 2020 | -0.8% | n/a |
| People per square mile | 13,921 | 4,214 |
| Median age | 33.3 | 41.5 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 55% | 68% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $97,344 | $159,307 |
| Median home value | $731,700 | $712,700 |
| Home value to income | 7.5× | 4.5× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $2,147 | $2,531 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 108.3 | 105.8 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 148.4 | 146.9 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $81,200 | $79,300 |
| Homeowners | 36% | 78% |
| Top state income tax | 9% | 4.4% |
| Combined sales tax | 6.25% | 7.89% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 30.3 | 24.2 |
| Work from home | 21% | 33% |
| Take public transit | 23% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 6.1% | 4% |
| Poverty rate | 16.6% | 2.9% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 37° / 23° | 47° / 18° |
| July high / low | 82° / 66° | 90° / 59° |
| Precipitation per year | 44 in | 15 in |
| Snowfall per year | 49 in | 49 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 14 | 42 |
| Nights below freezing | 92 | 156 |
| Comfortable months | 6 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 93.5 | 88.7 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 71% | 29% |
| Home prices, past year | +3.2% | -0.5% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +39.7% | +21.4% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Boston: May to October. Highlands Ranch: May to June and September.
Full monthly tables: Boston weather by month and Highlands Ranch weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $81,200 in Boston and $79,300 in Highlands Ranch. Moving from Boston to Highlands Ranch, you would need about $73,300 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Boston and Highlands Ranch
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Boston and Highlands Ranch.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.