Boulder vs Westminster
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $532,400 in Westminster and $1,039,500 in Boulder.
- Households earn more in Westminster ($100,272 vs $87,493 median).
- Boulder gets far more snow: 93 inches a year vs 49.
- Westminster is growing faster: -0.4% since 2020 vs -2.6%.
- Commutes are shorter in Boulder (18 vs 27 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Boulder, CO | Westminster, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 105,689 | 116,182 |
| Growth since 2020 | -2.6% | -0.4% |
| People per square mile | 3,932 | 3,674 |
| Median age | 28.8 | 37.4 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 77% | 45% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $87,493 | $100,272 |
| Median home value | $1,039,500 | $532,400 |
| Home value to income | 11.9× | 5.3× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $2,018 | $1,882 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 105.2 | 105.8 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 157.0 | 146.9 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $78,900 | $79,300 |
| Homeowners | 47% | 62% |
| Top state income tax | 4.4% | 4.4% |
| Combined sales tax | 7.89% | 7.89% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 18.1 | 27.0 |
| Work from home | 34% | 22% |
| Take public transit | 5% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 6% | 3.7% |
| Poverty rate | 21.5% | 7.3% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 47° / 22° | 47° / 18° |
| July high / low | 88° / 57° | 90° / 59° |
| Precipitation per year | 21 in | 15 in |
| Snowfall per year | 93 in | 49 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 33 | 42 |
| Nights below freezing | 138 | 156 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 90.7 | 91.2 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 58% | 29% |
| Home prices, past year | -2.3% | -0.5% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +22.5% | +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: Boulder: May to June and August to September. Westminster: May to June and September.
Full monthly tables: Boulder weather by month and Westminster weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $78,900 in Boulder and $79,300 in Westminster. Moving from Boulder to Westminster, you would need about $75,400 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Boulder and Westminster
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Boulder and Westminster.
Which would you pick?
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