Boulder, Colorado is the largest city in Boulder County, yet continually receives national recognition for it’s healthy lifestyle. In 2011, this primarily liberal city has been named #3 of America’s Healthiest Metros by the Atlantic Cities, the Happiest City in America by Gallup Healthways Well-Being Index, America’s Best Town for Startups by Bloomberg Businessweek and America’s Best Adventure Town by National Geographic.
Yesterday and Today
Boulder made its mark on the map in 1861 when legislation was passed to build the state university. In 1875 the first cornerstone was laid, and today the University Colorado in Boulder attracts top tier faculty, staff and students from around the world. The school has produced numerous Nobel laureates and MacArthur Fellows and excels with its sciences, engineering, business, law, arts, humanities and music programs.
Economy
Boulder has a flourishing economy, with a gross metropolitan product of $18.3 billion. It is home to many companies, including IBM, Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Level 3 Communications and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The median household income in Boulder is $50,209 and the the median family income is $85,807. Housing prices in Boulder have continued to climb despite the lower home values found nationwide, and the average single family home in Boulder sells for $548,000.
Festivals and Parks
One of the things that makes Boulder such a healthy place to live is the amount of open space devoted to recreation. There are more than 36,000 acres of recreational space surrounding the city, mainly in the form of parks, conservations and nature preserves.
In addition to activities in the great outdoors, Boulder residents and visitors are rarely with a lack of things to do. The city hosts many festivals and traditions, ranging from family fun to the bizarre. The Boulder International Film Festival, the Boulder Creek Festival, numerous races and even the Naked Pumpkin Run and Polar Bear Plunge provide opportunities for fun you don’t want to miss.
