Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Boulder, CO VS Goodyear, AZ
🏆 Goodyear leads 15 of 23 categories
Boulder
Colorado
8
wins
Cost of Living Index 107.2⚠ High
Median Household Income $80,243
Violent Crime Index 85
Population 106,598 ✓ Larger
Goodyear
Arizona
15
wins
Cost of Living Index 101.2⚠ High ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income $97,307 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index 48 ✓ Safer
Population 97,542

Pros & Cons

Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.

Boulder, CO
Pros
More college-educated — 76.6% hold a bachelor's or higher
Commutes run 10 min shorter each way
Cooler summers — July highs near 88°F vs 107°F
Smaller class sizes — 17.6:1 student-teacher ratio
Cons
Pricier housing — median home is $919,700
Median income trails Goodyear by $17,064/yr
Property crime (2733.0/100k) runs high vs the U.S. average
Higher rents — median is $1,853/mo
Goodyear, AZ
Pros
Homes cost $524k less ($396,100 vs $919,700)
43% less violent crime than Boulder
Violent crime is well below the national average (182.2 vs 380/100k)
Households earn $17,064 more per year on average
Milder winters — January highs near 67°F vs 47°F
Rent averages $142/mo less ($1,711 vs $1,853)
Cons
Longer commutes — 29.7 min average each way
Hot summers — July highs average 107°F

Key Differences at a Glance

Goodyear
Cost of Living
6% cheaper
COL index 101.2 vs 107.2 (100 = US avg)
Goodyear
Median Income
$17,064
$97,307 vs $80,243/yr
Goodyear
Violent Crime
43% lower
182.2 vs 322.3 per 100k
Goodyear
Median Home Value
$524k less
$396,100 vs $919,700
Goodyear
Summer Heat
19.4°F warmer
July avg high 107.4°F vs 88.0°F

Full Data Comparison

Metric Boulder, CO Goodyear, AZ
💰 Cost of Living
Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper 107.2⚠ High 101.2⚠ High ✓ Cheaper
Median Home Value $919,700⚠ High $396,100⚠ High ✓ Lower
Median Monthly Rent $1,853⚠ High $1,711⚠ High ✓ Lower
📈 Income & Economy
Median Household Income $80,243 $97,307 ✓ Higher
Unemployment Rate 5.4%⚠ High ✓ Lower 5.5%⚠ High
Avg Commute Minutes each way 19.3 min ✓ Shorter 29.7 min⚠ High
Work From Home % 28.0% ✓ Higher 16.2%
🔒 Safety
Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property 103⚠ High 57 ✓ Safer
Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer 85 48 ✓ Safer
Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer 130⚠ High 70 ✓ Safer
🎓 Education
School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment A- (114) ✓ Better C+ (88)
Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes 17.6:1 ✓ Smaller 19.9:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 76.6% ✓ Higher 33.7%
High School or Higher 96.9% ✓ Higher 92.5%
School District Name only — no quality rating available Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 Incito Schools (91326)
🌤 Weather
Avg High — January 47.0°F 66.8°F ✓ Warmer
Avg High — July 88.0°F 107.4°F ✓ Warmer
Annual Precipitation 19.7" 8.0" ✓ Drier
Annual Snowfall 85.2" 0.0" ✓ Less
👥 Demographics
Population 106,598 ✓ Larger 97,542
Median Age 28.5 40.4 ✓ Older
Homeownership Rate 47.2% 77.8% ✓ Higher
Under 18 11.7% 22.8% ✓ More
Over 65 12.2% 18.0% ✓ More

Frequently Asked Questions

Boulder's cost of living index is 107.2 vs Goodyear's 101.2 (US average = 100). Goodyear is 6% less expensive overall.
Based on the 23 decided categories above, Goodyear leads 15 of 23 categories. Boulder wins 8 and Goodyear wins 15. The right choice depends on your priorities — use the Pros & Cons and full table above to weigh what matters to you.
Whether you're moving from Boulder to Goodyear or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($919,700 vs $396,100 median home), income ($80,243 vs $97,307), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Boulder, CO and Goodyear, AZ are about 611 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.

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