Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Boulder, Colorado
A $983,000 home here costs
$6,790per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $5,054. The real number is $1,736 higher every month — 34% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Boulder against Boulder County and Colorado
| Measure | Boulder | Boulder County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $982,600 | $713,900 |
| Median property tax | $5,023 | $3,821 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.511% | 0.535% |
| Median gross rent | $1,924 | $1,893 |
| Population | 106,274 | 328,317 |
The weather behind that power bill
Boulder sits in Boulder County, which averages a high of 67.9°F in its hottest month and a low of 11.5°F in its coldest, with 33.86" of precipitation a year and 36% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 0 cooling and 10,824 heating degree days, which is what sets the $145 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Boulder County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Boulder County
Full Boulder County cost breakdown · Every county in Colorado
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Boulder?
A $983,000 home in Boulder, Colorado costs approximately $6,790 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $5,054 principal and interest, $419 property tax, $285 homeowners insurance, $213 utilities and $819 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Boulder?
Boulder has an effective property tax rate of 0.511%, based on a median home value of $982,600 and median real estate taxes of $5,023. That is lower than the Boulder County average of 0.535%.
What is the average home price in Boulder?
The median owner-occupied home value in Boulder, Colorado is $982,600, against $713,900 across Boulder County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Boulder?
Median gross rent in Boulder is $1,924 a month, against $6,790 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Boulder — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Colorado.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.