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Downtown vs Foothills

Downtown and Foothills are both neighbourhoods of Boulder, CO. There are 6 homes for sale in Downtown and 7 in Foothills as this page loaded. Foothills is the more expensive of the two: a median asking price of $3,245,000 against $1,440,000 in Downtown, about 125% higher. By the foot it is $862 in Downtown against $842 in Foothills — so the cheaper home is the dearer space, which usually means the homes in Foothills are simply bigger. A typical home is 1,608 square feet in Downtown and 3,991 in Foothills, built around 2026 and 1970 respectively. Homes are moving faster in Downtown: a median of 116 days on the market against 181 in Foothills. Both are in the Boulder Valley RE 2 school district, so the difference between them is the assigned schools rather than the district.

Side by side

MeasureDowntownFoothills
For sale today
Homes for sale67
Median asking price$1,440,000$3,245,000
Cheapest home for sale$599,000$1,895,000
Dearest home for sale$1,590,000$8,500,000
Median price per sq ft$862$842
Median days on market116181
The homes themselves
Median size (sq ft)1,6083,991
Median bedrooms24
Typical year built20261970
What actually sold, last 12 months
Homes sold67
Median sold price$752,000$1,150,000
Schools the homes for sale are assigned to
School districtBoulder Valley RE 2Boulder Valley RE 2
ElementaryWhittier E-8Foothill
MiddleCaseyCentennial
High schoolBoulderBoulder
Getting around, out of 10
Walkability9/106/10
Transit7/105/10
Biking9/108/10
Quiet4/108/10
Calm streets3/109/10
Getting around9/108/10

The darker figure in each row is the lower price, the shorter wait, the bigger number or the higher score — which of those is good news depends entirely on whether you are buying or selling, and on what you want from a street.

Downtown

6
Homes for sale
$1,440,000
Median asking price
$862
Median per sq ft
116
Median days on market

Foothills

7
Homes for sale
$3,245,000
Median asking price
$842
Median per sq ft
181
Median days on market

What each one is like

Downtown

Downtown Boulder is the vibrant heart of the city, featuring Pearl Street Mall—a pedestrian-friendly corridor lined with shops, restaurants, galleries, and cafes. The neighborhood blends historic architecture with modern amenities, attracting both residents and visitors year-round. The Flatirons provide a stunning natural backdrop, and outdoor recreation is steps away.

Full Downtown guide

Foothills

Foothills is Boulder's premier hillside neighborhood, offering stunning mountain views and a peaceful, upscale residential setting. Residents enjoy proximity to hiking trails, open space, and excellent schools, with easy access to downtown Boulder and the vibrant Pearl Street corridor.

Full Foothills guide

Questions people ask

Is Downtown or Foothills more expensive?

Foothills is more expensive. The median asking price is $3,245,000 in Foothills against $1,440,000 in Downtown. By price per square foot they run $862 in Downtown and $842 in Foothills, which is the fairer comparison when the homes are different sizes.

Which has bigger homes, Downtown or Foothills?

A typical home for sale is 1,608 square feet in Downtown and 3,991 square feet in Foothills, with a median of 2 and 4 bedrooms respectively.

Which is the older neighborhood?

Going by the homes on the market today, Foothills is the older of the two: a typical home there was built around 1970, against 2026 in Downtown.

Which sells faster, Downtown or Foothills?

Homes for sale in Downtown have been listed a median of 116 days, against 181 days in Foothills. Over the last twelve months 6 homes sold in Downtown and 7 in Foothills, which is the better measure of how busy each one is.

What schools serve Downtown and Foothills?

Both are in the Boulder Valley RE 2 school district. The homes for sale in Downtown are most often assigned to Whittier E-8 Elementary, Casey Middle, Boulder High School; in Foothills it is Foothill Elementary, Centennial Middle, Boulder High School. School assignment can change, so confirm with the district before it decides anything.

Which is more walkable, Downtown or Foothills?

Symbio rates Downtown 9 out of 10 for walkability, against 6 for Foothills. On transit they score 7 and 5.

How current are these figures?

They are not a monthly snapshot. Both neighbourhoods are worked out from the live MLS feed every fifteen minutes and both sides are read from the same instant, so the two sides are always measured against each other rather than against different weeks. The exact moment is stamped at the foot of this page.

Other Boulder comparisons

Look at either one on its own

Both neighbourhoods come from the live MLS feed, worked out again every fifteen minutes, and both are read from the same instant, so the two sides are always comparable. Figures cover residential homes; rentals, land and commercial are excluded, as are fractional co-ownership shares, which are priced per share and would distort the medians. Sold figures cover the last twelve months. Schools shown are the ones the homes for sale today are assigned to and can change - check with the district before relying on them. Market data is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Common questions, answered with live Colorado numbers

These figures were worked out from the live MLS feed at October 27, 2026 at 1:23 PM Mountain time, and are recomputed every fifteen minutes.