City Report · CA

Boulder Creek

Pop. 4,632·123rd most expensive in California·One of the pricier rental markets in the US

Median rent (all units)

$3,113/mo

Year-over-Year

Stable

Month-over-Month

+0.5%

vs US Median

+$1,181

Reported rents

Stable (Monthly)

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Most AffordableMost Expensive

Boulder Creek · $3,113

More expensive than 93% of US cities · National median $1,932/mo

Affordability

44% of income

STRETCHED

0%30% benchmark60%+

At $3,113/mo, rent takes about 44% of the local median household income, well above the 30% benchmark.

Income to afford

$125,000/yr

Local median income

$84,156/yr

Based on the 30%-of-income rule using Boulder Creek's median rent and household income. See the full affordability breakdown →

Medians by bedroom

Rent by unit size

Studio

$2,208

1 BR

$2,333

2 BR

$3,055

3 BR

$3,804

4 BR+

$4,054

Research median

$3,055/mo

Bedroom figures are derived from HUD Fair Market Rents and scaled to match Boulder Creek's market median, because the published HUD values all ran above it. They are gross rents that include essential utilities (electricity, water, gas, sewer, trash).

Rent trends

12-month history

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Last updated: October 17, 2026

From the history

What the numbers show

What a typical income covers

30% of the median household income ($84,156) is $2,104 a month. That is less than HUD's Fair Market Rent for a studio ($3,180).

From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Boulder Creek. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.

Annual cost

$37,356/yr

At $3,113/mo median

Rent Market Meter

Balanced Market

Renter's MarketBalancedLandlord's Market

Rents are roughly steady, with neither renters nor landlords holding a strong edge right now.

Based on rent-price momentum (+0.0% YoY, +0.5% MoM), not inventory.

Rent check

Is your rent fair?

Compare your rent to the local median.

Demographics

Who lives here

Boulder Creek, CA is majority owner-occupied, has a large retiree population, 40.2% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Population

4,632

Median income

$84,156

Median age

47.9

Renters

23.5%

Age distribution

17.8%

29.5%

12.1%

29.9%

Under 1810.7%

18–3417.8%

35–5429.5%

55–6412.1%

65+29.9%

Gender

49.6%

50.4%

Male49.6%

Female50.4%

Race & ethnicity

83.1%

White83.1%

Black0.8%

Hispanic8.8%

Asian1.7%

Other5.5%

Education (25+)

16.2%

39.9%

40.2%

No HS diploma3.7%

HS diploma16.2%

Some college39.9%

Bachelor's+40.2%

Housing tenure

76.5%

23.5%

Owner76.5%

Renter23.5%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates

2021 vs 2026

How Boulder Creek, CA has changed in 5 years

Income

$101,207 → $84,156

down 16.8%

Population

5,308 → 4,632

down 12.7%

Renter share

18.3% → 23.5%

+5.2 pts

Bachelor's+

38.4% → 40.2%

+1.8 pts

Median age

46.5 → 47.9

+1.4 yrs

Median household income slipped from $101,207 to $84,156 between 2021 and 2024, a 16.8% shift. The population has contracted by 12.7% since 2021, moving from about 5,308 residents to roughly 4,632. Renters now make up 23.5% of households, compared with 18.3% five years ago.

Community

Discussions about Boulder Creek

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View Boulder Creek rent history (2015–2026) →

Salary vs rent

Can you afford rent in Boulder Creek on your salary?

At $3,113/mo, how Boulder Creek rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).

Registered Nurse

Avg $111,486/yr · Rent = 33.5% income

stretched

Elementary School Teacher

Avg $79,154/yr · Rent = 47.2% income

rent-burdened

Police Officer

Avg $91,179/yr · Rent = 41% income

rent-burdened

Software Developer

Avg $162,970/yr · Rent = 22.9% income

affordable

Lawyer

Avg $208,235/yr · Rent = 17.9% income

very comfortable

Firefighter

Avg $74,116/yr · Rent = 50.4% income

severely rent-burdened

Truck Driver

Avg $66,918/yr · Rent = 55.8% income

severely rent-burdened

Electrician

Avg $82,482/yr · Rent = 45.3% income

rent-burdened

By apartment size

Boulder Creek rent by bedroom count

Median rent for each apartment size in Boulder Creek. Click any size for full breakdown.

Local insights

Tips for renters in Boulder Creek

About renting in Boulder Creek, CA

Last updated: October 17, 2026

The median rent in Boulder Creek is $3,113/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $2,208/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $3,055/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $2,333/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $3,804/mo.

At 44% of local median household income ($84,156/yr), Boulder Creek ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rent prices have stayed steady over the past year.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How much income do you need to rent in Boulder Creek?

To keep rent at or below 30% of gross income, you would need to earn at least $125,000/year (about $60/hour full-time) to afford the median rent of $3,113/mo in Boulder Creek. The local median household income is $84,156/yr, so the typical household falls short of that bar.