NAICS 62

Healthcare and Social Assistance in Boulder, CO

Metro Market Score 54.6 (Challenging), ranked #171 of 248 metros. 1,880 establishments, 23,159 jobs.

Metro Market Score 54.6

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national healthcare and social assistance average.

💰High-Cost Market

At #171 of 248 metros, Boulder's healthcare and social assistance sector scores 54.6 on the market index. Concentration (16.9), wage levels (82.3), and growth (27.4) all track close to the median. Local factors like lease costs and client access will matter more than macro signals.

Industry Concentration

16.9

LQ: 0.83

Rank #42 of 248 metros

Wage Competitiveness

82.3

$69,077 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 27.4

Employment growth index

Rank #181 of 248 metros

Wage Pressure

40.0

YoY wage change index

1,880 Healthcare and Social Assistance Firms in Boulder

1,880

Establishments

+0.6% YoY

23,159

Total Employment

+2.1% YoY

$69,077

Average Annual Wage

+2.9% YoY

0.83

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Colorado

#6 of 6

healthcare and social assistance metros in state

Colorado state rank

#35 of 51

for healthcare and social assistance entry risk

vs State Median

+10.5

worse than median (44.1)

Boulder vs Colorado Statewide

How this metro's healthcare and social assistance market compares to Colorado overall. The state ranks #35/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Boulder	CO Statewide
Overall Score	54.6 Challenging	46.7 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#171 of 248 metros	#35 of 51 states

Metro and state scores use different methodologies (metro has 4 QCEW-based metrics; state adds BDS survival and momentum data). Direct score comparisons are approximate.

Other Industries in Boulder

Construction 53.8 Administrative and Support Services 54.0 Other Services 55.5 Retail Trade 58.3 Finance and Insurance 61.4 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 66.6 Information 68.1 Accommodation and Food Services 71.6 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 84.0

Healthcare and Social Assistance in Other Colorado Metros

Greeley 26.6 #12/248 Fort Collins-Loveland 38.3 #61/248 Colorado Springs 43.5 #88/248 Grand Junction 44.1 #93/248 Pueblo 54.0 #165/248

Healthcare and Social Assistance Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Boulder's 54.6 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA 54.7 #172/248 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 54.3 #170/248 Kahului-Wailuku, HI 54.3 #169/248 Erie, PA 54.3 #168/248 State College, PA 54.1 #167/248 Homosassa Springs, FL 54.0 #166/248 Pueblo, CO 54.0 #165/248 Providence-Warwick, RI 53.9 #164/248 Lexington Park, MD 53.9 #163/248 Muncie, IN 53.8 #162/248

Healthcare and Social Assistance in States Bordering Colorado

State-level entry risk for healthcare and social assistance in adjacent states. Use this to weigh cross-border options.

Utah 22.9 #1/51 Nebraska 23.7 #2/51 Kansas 34.0 #15/51 Wyoming 36.4 #18/51 Arizona 44.1 #32/51 Oklahoma 49.7 #41/51 New Mexico 53.1 #47/51

Browse Healthcare and Social Assistance in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for healthcare and social assistance across all 51 markets, sorted by rank.

About Metro Market Score: A weighted composite of industry concentration (25%), wage competitiveness (25%), wage pressure (20%), and employment growth trend (30%). Lower scores indicate more favorable conditions. For Boulder's healthcare and social assistance sector, the employment growth component (72.6) has the strongest pull on the composite. Metro scores use QCEW data only (no BDS survival data at metro level). Read full methodology →

Data Sources

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), Bureau of Labor Statistics. MSA-level establishment counts, employment, wages, and location quotients for the Boulder, CO MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment