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Moving to
Gunbarrel.
Gunbarrel is an unincorporated community in Boulder County, CO. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.
What it's like to live in Gunbarrel
Gunbarrel is an unincorporated community in Colorado with household incomes running above the national average, commutes that run shorter than most cities, a highly educated workforce, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Gunbarrel deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and cold winters.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Short commutes
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Air quality concerns
- Cold winters
- Heavy snowfall — 85" per year
How Gunbarrel compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Gunbarrel
Based on Gunbarrel's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,944
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $78,880 a year
- 41% of Gunbarrel renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$164,200
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $82,100
- Homes cost 7.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 40% above US
$1,972/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $1,972 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $821,000. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $821,000 · 41% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.0% county unemployment
Unemployment in Boulder County is 4.0%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Boulder County (county-wide)
Safety
184 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
Gunbarrel doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Boulder County Sheriff's Office jurisdiction as a whole, which runs below the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.
Property crime 881/100k · Policed by Boulder County Sheriff's Office (county-wide rate) · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 16% below US
22 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 21.8 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 6 in 10 workers drive to work; 40% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 86°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 22°F and snow a regular occurrence.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 96% above US
70% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
1 public school inside the boundary
There is 1 public school inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Rocky Mountain National Park (33 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Gunbarrel's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and commutes that run shorter than most cities; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,972/mo) equals 22% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (40% of workers here already work from home), people who want short commutes, and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
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