Boulder County (unincorporated areas) minimum wage 2026
The minimum wage in Boulder County (unincorporated areas) is $16.82 an hour in 2026, $1.66 above the Colorado rate of $15.16. It rises to $17.43 on January 1, 2027. This rate covers only unincorporated Boulder County, the areas outside any city or town. The county first set it in 2023 on a path toward about $25 by 2030, then scaled that back in November 2025; from January 1, 2027 it follows Denver-area inflation.
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At a glance
| Minimum wage now | $16.82 an hour, since January 1, 2026123 |
|---|---|
| Next change | $17.43 on January 1, 2027 (announced)1 |
| Tipped employees | $13.80 cash wage, tip credit up to $3.0221 |
| Full-time pay | $673 a week, $34,986 a year at 40 hours a week before taxes · calculate for your hours |
| Enforced by | Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, Division of Labor Standards and Statistics, 303-318-8441 |
What to know about the Boulder County (unincorporated areas) minimum wage
Boulder County's commissioners adopted Ordinance 2023-004 in 2023, and the county wage took effect on January 1, 2024 at $15.69. The original plan aimed for about $25 an hour by 2030.13 After the rate reached $16.57 in 2025, farm and business owners raised concerns, and Ordinance 2025-001, adopted November 20, 2025, replaced the schedule: the 2026 rate became $16.82, a rise of only 25 cents, chosen to match the City of Boulder.2
Geography decides who is covered. The ordinance reaches only places outside any city or town, such as Niwot, Hygiene, Gold Hill, Eldora, Allenspark and parts of Gunbarrel, and any employer with someone working 4 or more hours a week there.1 A farmworker in Hygiene is covered; a store clerk in Longmont is paid under the state law. The county's property search confirms whether an address is unincorporated.
From January 1, 2027 the wage follows the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood Consumer Price Index, using the year-over-year figure published each August.21
Enforcement is by the state: the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment enforces the ordinance, the commissioners' office answers questions, and the District Attorney accepts wage theft reports.1
All 2026 rates
Most workers get the standard county rate. Food and beverage employers may count up to $3.02 an hour of a worker's actual tips toward it, giving a cash wage of $13.80 in 2026; everyone else, including minors, must get the full rate.
| Rate | Applies to | Per hour |
|---|---|---|
| Unincorporated county rate | Work in unincorporated Boulder County, any employer size$17.43 from January 1, 20271 | $16.82123 |
| Tipped food and beverage cash wage | Food and beverage workers whose tips cover the $3.02 tip credit$14.41 from January 1, 20271 | $13.8013 |
Compared with Colorado
When a local minimum wage, the state minimum wage and the federal minimum wage differ, the employer must pay the highest one that applies to the work. For most covered work in Boulder County (unincorporated areas), that is the local rate.
| Minimum wage | Next change | Per hour now |
|---|---|---|
| Boulder County (unincorporated areas) | $17.43 on January 1, 2027 | $16.82 |
| Colorado (state) | $15.71 on January 1, 2027 | $15.16 |
| Federal | None scheduled | $7.25 |
Tipped employees
| Tip credit | Allowed |
|---|---|
| Minimum cash wage | $13.80 an hour21 |
| Maximum tip credit | $3.02 an hour |
Food and beverage workers' actual tips may offset no more than $3.02 an hour of the county wage, so their cash wage is at least $13.80 in 2026.
An employer that takes a tip credit must make up the difference whenever wages plus tips fall short of the full minimum wage for the workweek. See the tipped minimum wage guide.
How the rate changes
From January 1, 2027 the rate rises each January 1 by the year-over-year increase in the Consumer Price Index (all items) for Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, published each August.
Rate history
Who is covered
Covers anyone who works, or is expected to work, at least 4 hours a week in unincorporated Boulder County, for an employer of any size, including minors. It does not apply in Boulder, Erie, Jamestown, Lafayette, Longmont, Louisville, Lyons, Nederland, Superior or Ward; communities such as Allenspark, Eldora, Eldorado Springs, Gold Hill, Hygiene, Niwot and parts of Gunbarrel and Coal Creek Canyon are covered, and the county's property search shows whether an address is unincorporated.
- Employers must post the county minimum wage in English and Spanish (the state's COMPS poster satisfies this) and keep payroll records for three years.
- Wage complaints are enforced by the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment; wage theft can also be reported to the Boulder County District Attorney (303-441-3700).
Other local rates in Colorado
Everywhere else in Colorado, the state rate applies.
Get help or file a claim
If you are paid less than the minimum wage that applies to your job, you can file a wage claim with the agency below. Federal law prohibits firing or otherwise retaliating against a worker for complaining about federal minimum wage rights.
| Agency | Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, Division of Labor Standards and Statistics |
|---|---|
| Phone | 303-318-8441 |
| The law | Boulder County Ordinance 2023-004 (local minimum wage, effective January 1, 2024); Boulder County Ordinance 2025-001 (amended schedule, adopted November 20, 2025) |
| Federal | U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, 1-866-487-9243 |
Sources
- 1 Boulder County, Commissioners' Office, Local Minimum Wage Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
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