County FMR · HUD FY2026
Boulder County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Boulder County, CO - 87% above the US average.
- $1,795
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $2,124
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +5.5%
- YoY change
- +87%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Boulder is the 4th most expensive of 64 counties in Colorado by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #94 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 5.5% since FY 2025, a modest shift relative to most counties.
- #94
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #4
- most expensive of 64 in Colorado (2BR)
- +55%
- vs the state average
- $71,800
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (16%), while Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary spend the most (68.6%); only 6 of 15 common occupations here can afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent without exceeding the 30% threshold.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Boulder County, CO. Verify with HUD →
Boulder County, Colorado carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $1,795 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $2,124/mo and a studio is $1,553/mo. That's 87% above the national benchmark of $959 and 55% above the Colorado average of $1,161.
Rent increased5.5% from FY 2025 ($1,702), outpacing inflation. Clearing the 30% rule here takes $71,800/year, a high bar relative to most US counties.
Observed renter burden: 57.1% of the 50,769 renter households counted by ACS paid at least 30% of income in gross rent. This ACS 2023 household measure is distinct from HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent benchmark above.
Market slack: The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 3.7%, a tight rental market where HUD's annual FMR schedule can lag what landlords are actually asking.
Local labor market: The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 3.8% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Colorado. Population: 328,658. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+2.3%, Census ACS). That's slower than Colorado's statewide growth of +5.1% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area BOULDER·COUNTY·CO·CO
Boulder County, CO: $1,795/mo 1BR · #94 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA CO
- 1BR-FMR $1,795
- 2BR-FMR $2,124
- RANK-UPPER #94
- YOY-SURGE +5.5%
- VSUS-HIGH +87%
- VS-ST-HIGH +55% CO
- INC-MID 21%
- POP-MAJOR 329K
- PHOTO-NEAR El Paso County
- VOUCH-90-110 $1,616–$1,975
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: El Paso ($331 1BR gap)
Read with: Understanding rent burden
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,466 | $1,553 | +$87 (+5.9%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $1,702 | $1,795 | +$93 (+5.5%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $2,059 | $2,124 | +$65 (+3.2%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $2,704 | $2,820 | +$116 (+4.3%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $3,092 | $3,239 | +$147 (+4.8%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Boulder County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.
How we calculate this
Rent burden = (FMR × 12) ÷ county median household income. Required income = (FMR × 12) ÷ 0.3, the federal 30%-of-gross-income rule HUD uses to define cost burden. Median household income is from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey; FMR is from HUD's FY2026 release. See methodology.
Where Boulder sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$2,124 Top 3% higher than 97% of 3,145 counties
Each bar is a $0.2K-wide band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents · FY2026
How Boulder compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Colorado counties
- Boulder
Boulder County
$1,795 1BR FMR / mo
- Denver
Denver County
$1,754 1BR FMR / mo
- Arapahoe
Arapahoe County
$1,754 1BR FMR / mo
- Jefferson
Jefferson County
$1,754 1BR FMR / mo
- Adams
Adams County
$1,754 1BR FMR / mo
- Douglas
Douglas County
$1,754 1BR FMR / mo
- El Paso
El Paso County
$1,464 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Boulder is highlighted. Nearby Colorado counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Boulder County (this county) ($1,795), Denver County ($1,754), Arapahoe County ($1,754), Jefferson County ($1,754), Adams County ($1,754), Douglas County ($1,754), El Paso County ($1,464).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
Against a high local FMR of $1,795/mo, which of 15 common occupations still clear the 30% line using Colorado BLS wages?
| Occupation | CO Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $134,540 | 16% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $130,340 | 16.5% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $96,520 | 22.3% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $96,100 | 22.4% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $90,030 | 23.9% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $73,380 | 29.4% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $62,090 | 34.7% | Stretched |
| Elementary School Teachers | $61,550 | 35% | Stretched |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $60,260 | 35.7% | Stretched |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $48,070 | 44.8% | Stretched |
| Customer Service Representatives | $46,020 | 46.8% | Stretched |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $37,270 | 57.8% | Unaffordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $36,960 | 58.3% | Unaffordable |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $35,440 | 60.8% | Unaffordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $31,390 | 68.6% | Unaffordable |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Boulder County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Boulder (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 27.1% overall, from $1,412 to $1,795. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +15.5% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑5.5% | $1,553 | $1,795 | $2,124 |
| FY 2025 ↓6.6% | $1,466 | $1,702 | $2,059 |
| FY 2024 ↑15.5% | $1,585 | $1,823 | $2,217 |
| FY 2023 ↑8.9% | $1,397 | $1,578 | $1,911 |
| FY 2022 ↑1.5% | $1,284 | $1,449 | $1,748 |
| FY 2021 ↑1.1% | $1,279 | $1,428 | $1,724 |
| FY 2020 | $1,273 | $1,412 | $1,717 |
Part of the Boulder, CO Metro Area
Boulder County is a central county of the Boulder, CO metropolitan statistical area.
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Boulder County, both outside Colorado so the link neighborhoods are not the same-state geography lattice above. Axes stay disjoint: burden peers exclude the FMR peer set.
Similar 2-bedroom FMR
Nearest HUD 2BR Fair Market Rents outside CO (FY2026).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside CO).
Nearby Counties in Colorado
Largest counties by population in Colorado
Showing the 8 largest of 63 other counties in Colorado.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Boulder County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Boulder County is $1,795 per month. A 2-bedroom is $2,124 and a studio is $1,553.
How does Boulder County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Boulder County is 87% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,795 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Boulder County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Boulder County's 2-bedroom FMR of $2,124 ranks #94 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the highest-rent tenth of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Boulder County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $71,800 ($5,983/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Boulder County.
Is rent going up or down in Boulder County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Boulder County increased by 5.5% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $1,702 to $1,795.
Which jobs can afford rent in Boulder County?
Based on Colorado BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, General and Operations Managers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $1,795/mo. 6 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Boulder County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Boulder County went from $1,412 in FY 2020 to $1,795 in FY 2026, a total change of +27.1% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Boulder County?
In Boulder County, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,795/mo for a 1-bedroom sets the baseline that local housing authorities use for Section 8 payment standards.
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Boulder County?
For Boulder County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,795/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Boulder County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 3.7%, a tight rental market where HUD's annual FMR schedule can lag what landlords are actually asking.
What is the unemployment rate in Boulder County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 3.8% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Boulder's FY2026 Fair Market Rent as HUD's affordability benchmark, not a single market quote.
- Budget to roughly 30% of income: the FY2026 1-bedroom FMR of $1,795 implies about $71,800/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
- Colorado counties vary widely around this figure - compare specific counties before assuming this applies to yours. Compare vs El Paso
- See where Boulder ranks nationally on rent. National rankings
Fair Market Rent is HUD's 40th-percentile policy benchmark used to set Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. Actual asking rents can run higher or lower, and HUD updates FMRs once a year. This site is informational and not financial or relocation advice.
Every figure on PlainRent is rendered directly from HUD's published Fair Market Rent records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of FY 2026.