Boulder home appreciation rate second in Colorado, does well on national level

Boulder’s home appreciation rate continued to hold its own in the first quarter of this year, coming in second only to Grand Junction in Colorado and among the top 55 metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) in the nation, according to the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight.

With a 4.11 percent increase in appreciation for the first quarter of 2007 to the first quarter of 2008, the Boulder MSA grabbed the 53rd slot among 259. Grand Junction, with its 9.08 percent increase in a year, was ranked 2nd nationwide and was the state’s top performer. While the Colorado MSA’s of Greeley/Weld and Pueblo saw home prices depreciate over the year, both managed to stay out of the bottom 20 MSA’s nationwide. Here’s a look at how all seven of the Colorado MSA’s appreciation rates compared with the state, the national average and other MSA’s throughout the U.S.


Metro Area Appreciation Rates - 1st Quarter 2008



Source: Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight

Boulder officially ranked among top ‘green cities’ in the nation

Country Home magazine ranked Boulder No. 5 among the 2008 Top 25 Places to Live, based on factors such as official energy policies, green power, green buildings and the availability of fresh, locally grown food. Fort Collins/Loveland was the only other Colorado metro area to join Boulder on the top 25, coming in at No. 14. Corvallis, Oregon, took the No. 1 slot.

Other Colorado cities, ranked on their eco-friendly lifestyles, to make the list of all 379 “green” cities were Denver-Aurora, No. 29; Colorado Springs, No. 41; Grand Junction, No. 83; and Greeley, No. 91. The Denver metro area also was ranked No. 8 among cities with a population 500,000 or more.