Boulder County vs Mesa County
A side-by-side comparison of Boulder County and Mesa County: population, income, housing, and more.
Boulder County and Mesa County are counties in Colorado. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Boulder County has the higher population (328,317 vs 157,316 in Mesa County). Boulder County has the higher median household income ($102,772 vs $71,485 in Mesa County). Boulder County has the higher median home value ($713,900 vs $349,400 in Mesa County).
Population, income & housing
| Boulder County | Mesa County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 328,317 | 157,316 |
| Median age | 37.5 yrs | 40.8 yrs |
| Median household income | $102,772 | $71,485 |
| Median home value | $713,900 | $349,400 |
| Median gross rent | $1,893 | $1,154 |
| Housing units | 142,809 | 68,861 |
| Homeownership rate | 62.5% | 71.9% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 63.9% | 30.6% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | 5.1% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Boulder County | Mesa County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 322,510 → 328,317 (+1.8%) | 151,218 → 157,316 (+4.0%) |
| Median household income | $83,019 → $102,772 (+23.8%) | $55,379 → $71,485 (+29.1%) |
| Median home value | $497,300 → $713,900 (+43.6%) | $227,000 → $349,400 (+53.9%) |
| Median gross rent | $1,495 → $1,893 (+26.6%) | $963 → $1,154 (+19.8%) |
Boulder County
322,510328,317
$83,019$102,772
$497,300$713,900
$1,495$1,893
Mesa County
151,218157,316
$55,379$71,485
$227,000$349,400
$963$1,154
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Boulder County | Mesa County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 4.0% | 5.2% |
| 5 to 17 | 14.0% | 15.7% |
| 18 to 24 | 15.3% | 8.5% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.6% | 12.8% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.6% | 12.9% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.6% | 11.1% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.2% | 13.4% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.8% | 12.4% |
| 75 and over | 6.0% | 8.0% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Boulder County | Mesa County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 75.3% | 79.0% |
| Black or African American | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.2% | 0.4% |
| Asian | 4.6% | 0.9% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Two or more races | 4.2% | 3.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 14.6% | 15.2% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Boulder County | Mesa County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 4.5% | 7.6% |
| High school graduate | 11.0% | 28.5% |
| Some college or associate's | 20.6% | 33.3% |
| Bachelor's degree | 34.5% | 20.7% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 29.4% | 9.9% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Boulder County | Mesa County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 55.6% | 72.7% |
| Carpooled | 5.7% | 7.9% |
| Public transit | 3.1% | 0.8% |
| Walked | 3.8% | 2.4% |
| Bicycle | 3.0% | 1.3% |
| Worked from home | 27.9% | 13.1% |
| Other means | 0.9% | 1.8% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Boulder County | Mesa County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 57.9% | 71.2% |
| 1-unit, attached | 9.0% | 4.6% |
| 2 to 4 units | 5.9% | 6.7% |
| 5 to 19 units | 12.4% | 4.4% |
| 20 or more units | 12.4% | 4.7% |
| Mobile home & other | 2.4% | 8.4% |
Poverty & households
| Boulder County | Mesa County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 11.4% | 11.2% |
| Average household size | 2.33 | 2.37 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 23 | 19 |
| Median year structure built | 1986 | 1987 |
Full profiles
2Related rankings
21- Largest by population — counties in Colorado
- Most densely populated — counties in Colorado
- Highest median household income — counties in Colorado
- Highest median home value — counties in Colorado
- Most affordable home values — counties in Colorado
- Highest median gross rent — counties in Colorado
- Cheapest median gross rent — counties in Colorado
- Oldest by median age — counties in Colorado
- Youngest by median age — counties in Colorado
- Most college-educated — counties in Colorado
- Highest poverty rate — counties in Colorado
- Lowest poverty rate — counties in Colorado
- Highest homeownership rate — counties in Colorado
- Lowest homeownership rate — counties in Colorado
- Longest commutes — counties in Colorado
- Shortest commutes — counties in Colorado
- Largest households — counties in Colorado
- Newest housing — counties in Colorado
- Oldest housing — counties in Colorado
- Fastest-growing (2019–2023) — counties in Colorado
- Fastest-shrinking (2019–2023) — counties in Colorado