COL in Boulder... really that high?? (Denver, Fort Collins: apartments, rental, houses)

[angelaf]

When I started looking into moving to Colorado, I was warned that Boulder is a very expensive place to live. So we're looking at Fort Collins. BUT--I was just looking at Craigslist and found more homes (not apartments, because we have a big dog) for rent in our price range (under 900.00/month) in Boulder than in Fort Collins. Do you think this is accurate, or maybe Craigslist just isn't the right place to be looking? Is it more expensive to live in Boulder for other reasons besides housing? (This is assuming we'll be renting the whole time we live there.) Is it generally harder to find a job in Boulder than FC?

[nelumbo]

Are you sure the 'Boulder" listings are actually in Boulder, and not in Longmont/Louisville/Lafayette? I'd be surprised to see a SFH in the city of Boulder for less than $900, unless there was some good reason for the price to be anomalously low....

[angelaf]

I guess you're right... the ones I saw were in Boulder/Gold Hill, Longmont, Louisville, Broomfield... there were a couple that said North or South Boulder... Are these places much less desirable? Commutable to Boulder?

[Katarina Witt]

Of the three cities you mentioned, Louisville is closest to Boulder. Many people commute to Boulder every day from Louisville, also from Broomfield and Longmont. Both the latter would be similar distance.

I do not think these places are less desirable, but they are very different from Boulder. There is lots of information on CD about these cities; I would suggest doing a search.

[nelumbo]

North and South Boulder are actually in Boulder, just not as close to the more expensive Pearl St/downtown area. Louisville, Lafayette, and Longmont are separate towns several miles away from Boulder. Niwot is also a separate town, as are Broomfield, Erie, and Lyons. I'd never heard of "Gold Hill", which turns out to be a tiny town in the mountains. The "Hill" neighborhood of Boulder is next to CU and has a lot of college students and low quality housing.

[moorsie32]

there are no jobs in boulder, for the most part. it's purely a college town unless you want to work through the university or other pre-degree jobs.

[Neditate]

Originally Posted by moorsie32

there are no jobs in boulder, for the most part. it's purely a college town unless you want to work through the university or other pre-degree jobs.

Well, that is ridiculous! What gives you that idea?
I lived and worked in Boulder for 15 years as did my husband. Neither of us worked for the University. Many of our friends still work in Boulder and they are professionals in all different lines of work.
Have you ever driven US36 in the morning? There is more traffic headed toward Boulder. When I moved there 26 years ago it was the opposite, traffic was going toward Denver. Have you ever been on US36 after 4 pm in the afternoon? The traffic is mainly leaving Boulder. I don't think it's ALL tourists!

[Katarina Witt]

In addition to the University, which is a large employer, there are: IBM, the Federal Labs (NIST and NOAA), and a number of small to medium sized companies in Boulder. There is also the hospital system, doctors's offices and a branch of Rocky Mtn Cancer Center.

[POhdNcrzy]

The job market in Boulder is very, very competitive. Also, it tends to be a "it's who you know" kind of place. Most jobs aren't really advertised. Also, many of the jobs that don't require specialized skills or education pay quite poorly relative to the high cost of living in Boulder.

$900/mo. to rent a house in Boulder?? Ha, that's way, way off. Try $1,600 to $2,200 as sort of a low to middle range, more for the nicer rental houses.

[Spincycle]

Originally Posted by POhdNcrzy

The job market in Boulder is very, very competitive..

I concur 100%.

Originally Posted by POhdNcrzy

Also, it tends to be a "it's who you know" kind of place. Most jobs aren't really advertised.

Hidden job market? Important to network?