Metro FMR · CBSA 14500 · HUD FY2026

Boulder, CO MSA Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for the Boulder, CO MSA metro area - 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

A 2-bedroom in the Boulder, CO MSA area rents at $2,124 under HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent - 81% above the US average, higher than 93% of the 387 metro areas HUD tracks.

#27
priciest of 387 US metros (2BR)
+81%
vs the US 2-bedroom average
$84,960
income to afford it (30% rule)
+5.5%
1BR change, FY2025→2026

Affordability & income context

Boulder: #27 priciest nationally · income context

At the metro's ACS median household income of $102,772, this 1-bedroom FMR takes 21.0% of annual income. It is well below the 30% affordability guide for a median-income household.

The 2-bedroom figure places Boulder in the highest-rent tenth of HUD metro areas, using the same FY2026 HUD schedule as the national comparison.

With 328,658 residents, this is a mid-sized metro benchmark rather than a single-neighborhood rent quote.

That budget pressure matches a top-decile 2-bedroom FMR nationally (#27 of 387 HUD-tracked metros).

The studio-through-two-bedroom FMR bands stay below 30% of recorded median income here; the larger-bedroom rows show where that headroom narrows.

ACS median household income lags the FY2026 HUD FMR schedule. The income share is a same-metro cross-source read (Census ACS B19013 vs HUD FMR), not a same-vintage ratio.

Studio

$1,553/mo

18.1% of median income

1 Bedroom

$1,795/mo

21.0% of median income

2 Bedroom

$2,124/mo

24.8% of median income

3 Bedroom

$2,820/mo

32.9% of median income

4 Bedroom

$3,239/mo

37.8% of median income

FMR filing desk

CBSA CBSA·14500

Boulder: $1,795/mo 1BR · #27 of 387 metros (2BR) · FY2026 CBSA 14500

  • CBSA 14500
  • 1BR-FMR $1,795
  • 2BR-FMR $2,124
  • RANK-UPPER #27
  • YOY-SURGE +5.5%
  • VSUS-HIGH +87%
  • IN-ST-HIGH #7 CO
  • INC-MID 21%
  • POP-MAJOR 329K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Colorado Springs
  • VOUCH-90-110 $1,616–$1,975
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Colorado Springs ($331 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent burden

Where Boulder sits among every US metro

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 387 HUD metro areas

$2,124 Top 7% higher than 93% of 387 metro areas

$800–$1,000: 28 metro areas (7%). Below this entry. $1,000–$1,200: 114 metro areas (29%). Below this entry. $1,200–$1,400: 95 metro areas (25%). Below this entry. $1,400–$1,600: 52 metro areas (13%). Below this entry. $1,600–$1,800: 41 metro areas (11%). Below this entry. $1,800–$2,000: 26 metro areas (7%). Below this entry. $2,000–$2,200: 9 metro areas (2%). This entry sits in this band. $2,200–$2,400: 5 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $2,400–$2,600: 5 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $2,600–$2,800: 5 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $2,800–$3,000: 4 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $3,000–$3,200: 2 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $3,200–$3,400: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $3,400–$3,600: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $3,600–$3,800: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $3,800–$4,000: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $4,000–$4,200: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $4,200–$4,400: 1 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. This metro $800 $4,400 every US metro, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $0.2K-wide band; taller bars hold more metro areas. 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

Boulder studio–4BR schedule (FY2026) · 2BR #27 nationally

1BR $1,795 (+87% vs US, +5.5% YoY). Each bedroom band below is FY2026 HUD FMR for CBSA 14500.

Studio
$1,553
US avg $893
↑5.9% YoY +74% vs US
1 Bedroom
$1,795
US avg $959
↑5.5% YoY +87% vs US
2 Bedroom
$2,124
US avg $1,175
↑3.2% YoY +81% vs US
3 Bedroom
$2,820
US avg $1,525
↑4.3% YoY +85% vs US
4 Bedroom
$3,239
US avg $1,756
↑4.8% YoY +84% vs US

How Boulder compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other CO metro areas

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Boulder highlighted among 5 peers · FY2026 1BR HUD FMR.

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) As of FY2026

Boulder: out-of-state FMR & burden peers

PlainRent pairs Boulder with the 4 nearest HUD 2BR schedules and 4 nearest burden matches outside CO (burden peers exclude the FMR set; pop ≥50k).

2BR FMR · outside CO

Nearest schedules by 2BR delta (FY2026).

Bozeman
MT · 2 BR $2,154/mo
Calvert County
MD · 2 BR $2,083/mo
Vallejo
CA · 2 BR $2,178/mo
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario
CA · 2 BR $2,201/mo

Burden % · outside CO

Nearest 2BR FMR ÷ ACS median income (FY2026).

Tucson
AZ · 24.8% of income · 2 BR $1,402/mo
Victoria
TX · 24.9% of income · 2 BR $1,442/mo
St. George
UT · 24.7% of income · 2 BR $1,575/mo
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard
WA · 24.7% of income · 2 BR $2,031/mo

Boulder: quick answers

What is the average rent in the Boulder, CO MSA metro area? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Boulder, CO MSA is $1,795 per month. A 2-bedroom is $2,124 and a studio is $1,553.
How does Boulder, CO MSA rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in the Boulder, CO MSA metro area is 87% above the national average. A 1-bedroom costs $1,795 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Boulder rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
HUD's FY 2026 2-bedroom FMR of $2,124 ranks #27 most expensive among 387 US metro areas (the highest-rent tenth of HUD metro areas).
What income do I need to afford rent in Boulder, CO MSA? ▼
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 the Boulder, CO MSA area.

Compare Boulder vs Colorado Springs →

Data as of FY 2026. Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Fair Market Rents. Population and demographic data from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS).

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

FY 2026 HUD FMR $1,795/mo · 1BR CO

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.