01 · the cities
Boulder
Boulder is the Flatirons rising right behind town, the Pearl Street Mall pedestrian shopping, and a population that runs more, climbs more, and bikes more than basically any other American city. CU keeps it young, the foothills keep it active, and the food scene leans organic-virtuous. The access to the Rockies is unmatched and the sunshine is relentless, and locals invest in the city like it's a lifestyle, not just an address.
full dispatch→Chicago
Chicago is deep-dish for tourists, thin-crust tavern style for locals, and a hot dog that absolutely will not have ketchup on it. The L rumbles overhead, the lakefront stretches for 18 unbroken miles of beach and trail, and the architecture boat tour is the single best $50 you'll spend. Summer in Chicago might be the best summer in America. The improv comedy gene pool is unmatched.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,216/mo
$2,170/mo
Median home price
Median home price
$783k
$365k
$418k less than Boulder
State income tax
State income tax
4.4%
5.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$5,751/mo
$5,751/mo
Gross left after rent reflects state income tax but not federal, based on $100k salary. Enter your salary to find your ideal city.
03 · the weather
Pleasant days/yr
Pleasant days/yr
178 days
153 days
25 fewer than Boulder
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
13 days
1 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
42 days
38 days
days below 20°F per year
Boulder has 12 more days above 95°F each year than Chicago.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
79 / 100
70 / 100
9.0 pts behind Boulder
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
169 routes
217 routes
48 more direct routes than Boulder
Metro size
Metro size
327k metro
9.3M metro
Boulder has 215.8x fewer events per month than Chicago.
the verdict
3
Boulder
categories won
3
Chicago
categories won
Boulder and Chicago split the categories evenly.
run your numbers
How far does your Boulder salary go?
Enter your salary to see a full ranked list of cities where you would live better.
see your top citiesWe use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.
Walk Score® is a trademark of Walk Score, a Redfin company. How Walk Score works