Is Boulder County, CO good for real estate investing?

Boulder County has an investment score of 31/100, rated as "Avoid". The county ranks #748 nationally among 1000 counties analyzed.

What is the rent-to-price ratio in Boulder?

The rent-to-price ratio in Boulder County is 3.71% annually, which ranks in the 3th percentile nationally. Higher ratios indicate better cash flow potential.

What is the median home price in Boulder?

The median home price in Boulder County is $728,821. This ranks #968 in affordability among all US counties.

Can you cash flow on rental properties in Boulder?

Based on median values with 20% down at current rates, a typical rental in Boulder County would generate negative cash flow of $2,356/month. Individual property performance varies based on purchase price, rent, and operating expenses.

Boulder County

ColoradoPopulation: 328,658Boulder, CO Metro

/100

Avoid

#748 of 1,000 counties

#55 in Colorado (62 counties)

Analysis by RentalCalcs ResearchIndependent data + algorithm-driven scoring

Updated June 1, 2026Sources: Zillow ZHVI, Zillow ZORI, US Census ACS, Tax Foundation

Market Snapshot

$728,821

Median Home Price

212% above national median

$2,253/mo

Median Rent

49% above national median

3.71%

Rent-to-Price Ratio

Top 97% nationally

-$2,356

Est. Monthly Cash Flow

With 20% down at 6.9% rate

Scenario comparison

Same $2,253/mo rent assumption, 20% down, 6.85% rate. What changes is the acquisition price.

Scenario	Purchase price	Monthly cash flow	Cap rate	Cash-on-cash
75% of median value-add or distressed	$546,616	-$1,401/mo	3.2%	-13.4%
Median typical MLS deal	$728,821	-$2,356/mo	2.4%	-16.9%
125% of median newer / premium	$911,026	-$3,311/mo	1.9%	-19.0%

Price History

Historical data from Zillow ZHVI/ZORI

Quick Investment Calculator

Down Payment20%

5%50%100%

Purchase

Purchase Price$728,821

Down Payment (20%)$145,764

Loan Amount$583,057

Interest Rate6.85%

Monthly Cash Flow

Gross Rent+$2,253

Monthly P&I-$3,821

Est. Expenses (35%)-$788

Net Cash Flow-$2,356/mo

2.4%

Cap Rate (all cash)

-16.9%

Cash-on-Cash Return

3.71%

Rent-to-Price Ratio

Negative leverage: At 6.85% rates, borrowing costs exceed the 2.4% cap rate. All-cash buyers may see better returns.

* Based on county median values. 35% expenses include taxes, insurance, maintenance, vacancy, and property management. Actual results vary by property.

Run Full Analysis Try House Hack Strategy

Score Breakdown

Overall Investment Score

31/100

Cash Flow(30%)

26/100

Based on 3.71% rent-to-price ratio. Higher ratios indicate stronger cash flow potential.

Appreciation(25%)

36/100

Based on -2.9% YoY price growth. Moderate growth (3-8%) scores highest.

Stability(25%)

50/100

Population data not available.

Affordability(20%)

9/100

Based on price relative to estimated local incomes.

Scores are calculated using real Zillow home value and rent data, Census population data, and economic indicators. The weighted average produces the overall investment score. Markets with missing rent data use estimated values based on regional averages.

Investment Outlook

Strengths

+Complete rent data available

Challenges

-Below-average rent-to-price ratio (3.71%)
-Declining home values (-2.9% YoY)
-Negative cash flow at typical financing (-$2,356/mo)
-Negative leverage (cap rate 2.4% < mortgage rate 6.9%)

Economic Indicators

Population

328,658

Median Income

—

Data pending

Unemployment Rate

—

Data pending

Price-to-Income

—

Data pending

Who this market fits

Best for

+All-cash buyers: removing debt service flips the cap rate to actual yield

Skip if

−You need positive cash flow on day one at typical leverage
−You can't tolerate negative leverage (cap rate below mortgage rate today)
−You expect appreciation to carry the deal, but prices have declined year over year
−You rely on FHA-style financing: prices are stretched relative to local incomes

Compare to Nearby Counties

County					Verdict
JeffersonCO	38	$609,991	$1,904	3.75%	Avoid	View
DenverCO	37	$532,579	$1,859	4.19%	Avoid	View
SummitCO	36	$987,547	$3,324	4.04%	Avoid	View
RouttCO	36	$1,086,367	$3,444	3.80%	Avoid	View
GrandCO	34	$752,023	$2,335	3.73%	Avoid	View
CurrentBoulderCO	31	$728,821	$2,253	3.71%	Avoid

The Bottom Line

AvoidBoulder may be challenging for traditional rentals. High prices or low rents make cash flow difficult.

Boulder County in Colorado scores 31/100, ranking #748 of 1,000 US counties (top 99%). At 20% down and current rates, a median-priced rental loses about $2356/month; the 3.71% gross rent-to-price ratio doesn't survive debt service. The thesis here is appreciation, value-add, house hacking, or all-cash.

Monthly Cash Flow

$-2,356/mo

Cap Rate

2.4%

Cash-on-Cash

-16.9%

Related markets

Markets like Boulder with stronger cash flow

Cheaper alternatives to Boulder

Head-to-head comparisons

All counties in Colorado →

Ready to Analyze a Deal in Boulder?

Use our investment calculators to run detailed numbers on specific properties.

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Scenario comparison

Same $2,253/mo rent assumption, 20% down, 6.85% rate. What changes is the acquisition price.

Scenario	Purchase price	Monthly cash flow	Cap rate	Cash-on-cash
75% of median value-add or distressed	$546,616	-$1,401/mo	3.2%	-13.4%
Median typical MLS deal	$728,821	-$2,356/mo	2.4%	-16.9%
125% of median newer / premium	$911,026	-$3,311/mo	1.9%	-19.0%

Quick Investment Calculator

Down Payment20%

5%50%100%

Purchase

Purchase Price$728,821

Down Payment (20%)$145,764

Loan Amount$583,057

Interest Rate6.85%

Monthly Cash Flow

Gross Rent+$2,253

Monthly P&I-$3,821

Est. Expenses (35%)-$788

Net Cash Flow-$2,356/mo

2.4%

Cap Rate (all cash)

-16.9%

Cash-on-Cash Return

3.71%

Rent-to-Price Ratio

Negative leverage: At 6.85% rates, borrowing costs exceed the 2.4% cap rate. All-cash buyers may see better returns.

* Based on county median values. 35% expenses include taxes, insurance, maintenance, vacancy, and property management. Actual results vary by property.

Run Full Analysis Try House Hack Strategy

Score Breakdown

Overall Investment Score

31/100

Cash Flow(30%)

26/100

Based on 3.71% rent-to-price ratio. Higher ratios indicate stronger cash flow potential.

Appreciation(25%)

36/100

Based on -2.9% YoY price growth. Moderate growth (3-8%) scores highest.

Stability(25%)

50/100

Population data not available.

Affordability(20%)

9/100

Based on price relative to estimated local incomes.

Who this market fits

Best for

+All-cash buyers: removing debt service flips the cap rate to actual yield

Skip if

−You need positive cash flow on day one at typical leverage
−You can't tolerate negative leverage (cap rate below mortgage rate today)
−You expect appreciation to carry the deal, but prices have declined year over year
−You rely on FHA-style financing: prices are stretched relative to local incomes

County

Verdict

JeffersonCO

$609,991

$1,904

3.75%

Avoid

View

DenverCO

$532,579

$1,859

4.19%

Avoid

View

SummitCO

$987,547

$3,324

4.04%

Avoid

View

RouttCO

$1,086,367

$3,444

3.80%

Avoid

View

GrandCO

$752,023

$2,335

3.73%

Avoid

View

CurrentBoulderCO

$728,821

$2,253

3.71%

Avoid

The Bottom Line

AvoidBoulder may be challenging for traditional rentals. High prices or low rents make cash flow difficult.

Monthly Cash Flow

$-2,356/mo

Cap Rate

2.4%

Cash-on-Cash

-16.9%