Prism Geo · city intelligence · pilot
Pearl Street Mall, Boulder, Colorado · image via Wikimedia Commons
Prism Geo · United States · Colorado · Boulder

Boulder

Colorado, United States · updated 2026-08-05

Boulder is a research-powered technology city with a deep startup bench and a surprisingly light industrial footprint. Its institutions generate substantial work in climate, machine learning and earth hazards, while software leads the tracked business base. The uneasy counterweight is a sober news cycle: targeted violence and conflict have gained attention, even as broader crime coverage and disease-outbreak signals recede.

Pearl Street Mall, Boulder, Colorado · image via Wikimedia Commons
news reported (civic)
9,290
companies + mapped places
3,915 + 47
research works (est.)
≈61,271
govt money announcements
436
The city at a glance
economic fabric

What is Boulder made of?

💻 Technology
10/10
🏥 Healthcare
9/10
🛍 Retail
9/10
🏭 Manufacturing
9/10
🌱 Sustainability
9/10
🎓 Education
8/10
🏟 Sports
8/10
🚛 Logistics
7/10
🛕 Religion & tourism
7/10
🌾 Agriculture
6/10

news coverage + 3×registered companies + 2×mapped places, log-scaled vs strongest sector

momentum

What the city turned toward · Jan–Apr 2026

Each topic's share of news attention, January–April 2026 against September–December 2025 — news ingestion paused in May, so this is the latest complete window.

Policing Law Enforcement

10 → 25 news reports
▲92%

Legal Judicial

11 → 5 news reports
▼65%

Missing Persons

10 → 6 news reports
▼54%

Public Safety

21 → 14 news reports
▼49%

Disasters Emergencies

32 → 60 news reports
▲44%

Infrastructure & housing

27 → 25 news reports
▼29%

Governance

29 → 48 news reports
▲27%

Crime

93 → 105 news reports
▼13%

Terrorism Conflict

9 → 12 news reports
▲3%

Accidents

63 → 83 news reports
▲1%

a rising share means the city's attention is turning toward it — not necessarily more incidents

top city themes

What Boulder's news is about

Themes across the city's entire news coverage — ≈67.5K located reports — with each theme's momentum, its most specific keywords, and how the coverage feels. A CRITICAL badge means most of that theme's coverage is extremely negative.

Business

▲7.1% growing
Brewery Business Plans · Craft Beer Marketing · Permitting for Breweries · Cannabis Policy Reform Discussions
87% positive coverage

Politics

▼28.6% declining
City Council Meeting · Council Vote · State Firearm Statutes · Federal Firearms License
79% negative coverage

Crime

steady coverage
Mass Shooting · Multiple Victim Shooting · Truck Accident · Sexual Assault
100% negative coverage

Sports

▼32.1% declining
College Playoffs · Ncaa Updates · Campus Sports · National Championship Game
81% positive coverage

Education

steady coverage
Campus Assault · Campus Safety · Student Assault · Campus Police
64% positive coverage

Government

steady coverage
City Council Meeting · Council Vote · Council Agenda · Municipal Legislation
55% positive coverage

Technology

steady coverage
Solar Electricity Generation · Solar Pv · Telephoto Lens Wildlife · Wildlife Photo Blinds
94% positive coverage

Environment

steady coverage
Wildfire Control · Weather Update · Weather Forecast · Meteorological Prediction
51% negative coverage

Weather

steady coverage
Weather Forecast · Weather Update · Meteorological Prediction · Daily Forecast
80% negative coverage

momentum window: Jan–Apr 2026 vs Sep–Dec 2025 · sentiment is a property of the news coverage, not a city rating

city signals

The character of Boulder

  • ✓Research-powered technology hub— The university and standards institute dominate locally produced research.
  • ✓Deep startup bench— 747 tracked companies have raised outside money.
  • ✓Software at the core— Computer software leads the registry with 306 companies.
  • ✓Climate research strength— Climate change leads both promising and cautionary research themes.
  • ✓Professional-service streets— Software firms, designers, accountants and recruiters lead mapped businesses.
  • ✓Thin industrial footprint— Only 1 manufacturer or industrial place is mapped.
  • ✓Education-backed investment— Education and social welfare lead government money themes.
  • ✓Serious public-safety shadow— Targeted violence and conflict gained sharply in local coverage.
everyday life

Living in Boulder means…

  • ✓working near research anchors— The university and standards institute lead locally produced research.
  • ✓finding tech-led career options— Software leads the registry, and Google appears among top recruiters.
  • ✓needing broad practical skills— Employers seek Excel, cameras, phones, Python and customer systems.
  • ✓watching safety news closely— Negative coverage and rising targeted violence keep the mood serious.
  • ✓seeing education attract funding— Education is a leading theme in government money announcements.
  • ✓being close to hazard research— Local work studies climate, landslides, earthquakes and rock mechanics.

read from the news record — not a survey

hidden depth

Things most people don't know

  • The National Institute of Standards and Technology contributes 2040 locally produced papers, second only to the University of Colorado Boulder.
  • A Colorado announcement tied Boulder to a $74 million tax-credit bill for construction of a quantum technology incubator.
  • Wild Oats is the largest listed employer at 8617 staff, ahead of the Boulder Valley School District.
  • Landslides and related hazards lead the research topics that study Boulder itself.
  • A recent business headline says Boulder-based a2 Milk recalled infant formula due to toxin.
The verdict & benchmarks — BoulderWhat the record is made of — BoulderJustice & accountability — BoulderEvents & specifics — BoulderThe civic record of BoulderWhat problems are increasing?What diseases are rising?What projects is my government investing in?What companies are hiring?What skills are in demand?Which industries dominate?The startup picture in BoulderIs this city good for manufacturing?What research is done in Boulder?What research studies Boulder?Who runs the political conversation?What is the news saying?
Safety & civic life
Civic intelligence · Prism engine

Where does Boulder stand against the developed world?

Six-nation developed-median report card (USA · UK · FR · DE · AU · CA) computed from the same data, like-for-like. ▼ worse than the norm, ▲ better.

Six-nation developed median (USA · UK · France · Germany · Australia · Canada) — ▼ worse than the norm, ▲ better

Fatality-linked News
26.5%here
15.3%benchmark
▼
Road-accident Accountability
11.0%here
5.8%benchmark
▲
Enforcement Action
23.3%here
20.3%benchmark
▲
Communal Politics
5.2%here
3.6%benchmark
▼
Corruption Load
0.5%here
1.8%benchmark
▲
Cases Concluded
6.1%here
5.5%benchmark
▲
Civic record homeBenchmarksThe recordJusticeEvents
Open the full data →

four chapters, plus the politics and money layers

Civic record

What problems are increasing?

terrorism conflict is taking the fastest-growing slice of the city's news (up 13.6 points), with immigration border next (up 1.6). Crime still leads in volume, but its share is shrinking.

Each problem's slice of city news — change in points, 2024–26 vs 2021–23
Terrorism ConflictTerrorism ConflictTerrorism Conflict: +13.6 points of coverage share+13.6Immigration BorderImmigration BorderImmigration Border: +1.6 points of coverage share+1.6Legal JudicialLegal JudicialLegal Judicial: +0.7 points of coverage share+0.7Missing PersonsMissing PersonsMissing Persons: +0.4 points of coverage share+0.4Protest Civil UnrestProtest Civil UnrestProtest Civil Unrest: +0.3 points of coverage share+0.3Public HealthPublic HealthPublic Health: -1.7 points of coverage share-1.7Policing Law EnforcementPolicing Law EnforcementPolicing Law Enforcement: -2.1 points of coverage share-2.1Disasters EmergenciesDisasters EmergenciesDisasters Emergencies: -4.2 points of coverage share-4.2Crime ViolenceCrime ViolenceCrime Violence: -6.4 points of coverage share-6.4
Fastest-rising specific problems
hate crime attack +9.0 ptstargeted attack +5.3 ptshate crime firebombing +4.5 ptsterror attack +2.2 ptsterrorist attack +1.7 ptshit and run +1.1 ptshomicide attempt +1.1 ptspower outage +0.9 pts
Summary

The clearest civic shift is toward targeted violence: coverage of terrorism and conflict takes a bigger slice of the city's news (up 13.6 points), while hate-crime attacks are up 9.01 points. Broader crime and violence coverage fell 6.4 points. This shows a changing news mix, not a direct measure of everyday risk.

WATCH Watch whether targeted-attack and hate-crime coverage remains elevated as broader crime coverage falls.
Open the full data →

9,290 pieces of news reported

Health

What diseases are rising?

No disease signal is rising in 2024–26 — outbreak coverage is receding. disease outbreak is the most-covered signal.

SignalNews Reported2024–26 Trend
Disease Outbreak13▼ receding
Public-health coverage by year
2026: 1201720261
Summary

Disease-outbreak coverage is receding after 13 local-news mentions. That is encouraging but narrow evidence, and it does not support a broad claim about residents' health.

WATCH Watch for any renewed rise in disease-outbreak coverage.
Open the full data →

disease signals drawn from local news coverage

Money & governance
Public money

What projects is my government investing in?

other leads 436 tracked announcements — development-authority land purchase, Smart City works and national-highway tenders anchor the money trail.

Announcement themes
Largest place-directed announcements
DateThemeLevelAmountWhat
2014-09EducationState / Province$100 MillionColorado allocated $100 million for public higher education institutions including the University…
2022-04Defense SecurityNational$99.6 MillionThe U.S. Navy awarded Northrop Grumman a $99.6 million contract for space vehicle terminals and…
2025-08EducationNational$95 MillionColorado state legislators approved a ballot measure to raise $95 million from the Healthy School…
2017-11Defense SecurityNational$93.7 MillionThe U.S. Air Force awarded a $93.7 million contract to provide weather system follow-on microwave…
2024-05OtherNational$74 MillionColorado signed a $74 million tax credit bill to support the construction of a quantum technology…
2015-02EducationState / Province$69.7 MillionThe University of Colorado Boulder campus proposes a 3.0% tuition increase for in-state…
Summary

Public funding activity leans toward welfare, education and transport, while its biggest named commitments mix universities, defense and quantum technology. The cited education allocation is $100 million, the Navy terminal contract $99.6 million, and the quantum-incubator tax-credit bill $74 million.

WATCH Watch whether quantum investment becomes a durable bridge between research and local industry.
Open the full data →

amounts are announcement headlines — shown, never summed

Politics

Who runs the political conversation?

1072 statements track Boulder politics — communal-coded rhetoric runs 3.2% (developed-world median ≈3.65%; a typical Indian city runs ≈11%).

Loudest voices
Stance mix
supports · 438opposes · 308condemns · 183proposes · 103demands · 13endorses · 12
Summary

Political conversation is relatively low on religious or communal framing: 3.2%, below the developed-world median of 3.65%. Donald Trump is the loudest tracked voice with 48 mentions, ahead of Jared Polis and Phil DiStefano.

WATCH Watch whether local leaders take more of the conversation from national figures.
Open the full data →

from political statements naming the city

Economy & work
Jobs

What companies are hiring?

Mercor leads 1,548 tracked postings; top advertised role: Sales Associate.

Top hiring companies · May–Jul 2026
Hiring volume by month · May–Jul 2026
Summary

Hiring has mixed leadership: Mercor tops the list with 86 advertised jobs, Micro1 ranks second, and the University of Colorado Boulder follows with 52. Google, Boulder Community Health and SciTec widen the employer mix.

WATCH Watch whether university, health and science employers move up the hiring list.
Open the full data →

1548 job postings tagged to the city in May–Jul 2026 (a floor, not a census)

Jobs

What skills are available?

Most-demanded skills: excel, digital camera, cell phone.

Most-demanded skills
Summary

Employers want practical range more than a single elite toolkit: Excel leads with 40 mentions, digital cameras and cell phones each have 36, and Python has 20. Salesforce, customer management software, SQL, truck-driving credentials and AI round out a notably mixed list.

WATCH Watch whether AI, Python and SQL become more central to advertised work.
Open the full data →

demand-side signal (what employers ask for), not a resident skill census

Economy

Which industries dominate?

Registered economy: computer software, health, wellness and fitness, information technology and services lead 3,915 tracked companies · biggest tracked employer: Wild Oats.

Registered companies by industry
Street economy — mapped places
Summary

The tracked company base is technology-first but broad: computer software leads with 306 companies, health, wellness and fitness has 195, and information technology and services has 177. Marketing, internet, food and beverages, finance and real estate add consumer and business depth.

WATCH Watch whether healthcare closes the gap with the city's software core.
Open the full data →

company registry (startup-skewed) + mapped business places

Economy

Is this city good for manufacturing?

Weak Base (0/4 signals) — each signal below is a live threshold that can fail.

  • 113 of 3915 registered startups/companies (3%) are manufacturing-adjacent
  • infrastructure news share falling (down 0.0 points)
Summary

Manufacturing has visibility without much physical depth: manufacturing-adjacent organizations are just 3% of the registry, and only 1 manufacturer or industrial place is mapped. The strong manufacturing sector score is therefore driven more by coverage and registered firms than a street-level cluster.

WATCH Watch for more factory-floor businesses appearing beyond the city's strong manufacturing headlines.
Open the full data →

computed verdict — each signal is a live threshold that can fail

Startups & capital
Startups

Is there VC activity?

747 of 3,915 tracked companies have raised outside money — #1 among its peer set.

Funded startups — peer cities
Summary

Boulder has real funding depth: 747 of 3915 tracked companies have ever raised outside money. A recent headline announcing Halter's $220M Series E puts a very large round in the current picture.

WATCH Watch whether new funding reaches the many companies still listed as unfunded.
Open the full data →

round amounts sparse for tier-3 cities — counts shown, dollar totals withheld

Startups

Is a startup ecosystem forming?

Formation is real — 618 companies founded since 2018 — but capital progression is weak: deadpool 7.0%, and stages are dominated by Unfunded.

Companies founded by year
2026: 6200820266
Stage distribution
Unfunded · 947Acquired · 304Deadpooled · 295Seed · 175Funding Raised · 168Private · 107
Summary

New-company formation is active but attrition is visible: 618 companies were founded since 2018, and 7.0% of all tracked companies have shut down. The stage mix is still led by unfunded businesses, with acquired and deadpooled companies also prominent.

WATCH Watch whether newly formed companies move from unfunded status into seed funding.
Open the full data →

gate: ≥150 companies & ≥20 recent founds — passed (3915/618)

The knowledge engine
Research · Prism stance layer

What research is done IN Boulder?

University of Colorado Boulder leads ≈61,271 estimated works. 50% of oriented output reads promising/breakthrough — clusters in climate change, machine learning, mathml.

Institutions (papers in sample)
Research orientation
Opportunities (promising + breakthrough)
Climate Change · 68Machine Learning · 67MathML · 43Sustainability · 31Materials Science · 30Material Science · 27Nanotechnology · 25
Cautions (cautionary + critical)
Climate Change · 42Machine Learning · 12Education · 11NASA · 9COVID-19 · 9Sustainability · 8Antarctica · 8
Problems flagged
Climate Change · 44Education · 20Sustainability · 19Research · 18Machine Learning · 15Artificial Intelligence · 12COVID-19 · 9
Also: research ABOUT Boulder →
Summary

Research is a defining asset: local institutions account for 8753 papers in this partial view, led by the University of Colorado Boulder with 6756 and the National Institute of Standards and Technology with 2040. Climate change and machine learning lead the strongest areas.

WATCH Watch whether climate and machine-learning research turns into new local companies.
Open the full data →

figures marked ≈ are scaled estimates from a partial sample · Prism stance layer over 2017+ papers

Research · Prism stance layer

What research is done FOR Boulder?

Narrower but distinct: 3337 title-matched works study Boulder itself — led by landslides and related hazards, geology and paleoclimatology research, earthquake and tectonic studies.

Top topics in city-focused research
Works about the city by year
2026: 112000202611
Summary

Research about Boulder is strikingly terrain-led: 3337 papers study the city, with landslides and related hazards leading at 34, followed by geology and paleoclimatology at 26. Earthquakes, tectonics and planetary science reinforce the physical-science tilt.

WATCH Watch how hazard studies evolve as Boulder continues to draw geological scrutiny.
Open the full data →

papers whose title or entities mention Boulder (any author location) · partial sample · distinct from research done at the city's institutions

The pulse
News pulse

What is the news saying?

News attention is 40% negative-toned (typical for city civic coverage) — the volume trend tracks total attention on Boulder.

Monthly news-feature volume
2026-05-01: 42023-012026-054
Summary

The news mood is sober: 40% of coverage reads negative. In the latest period, policing and law-enforcement attention rose 92%, and disasters and emergencies rose 44%, while several safety themes lost share.

WATCH Watch whether the rise in policing and emergency attention deepens the negative mood.
Open the full data →

from location-tagged news · sentiment skew is a property of news, not the city

Need to go deeper than a city?

Fliar Prism answers any market, company or research question with the same depth — real-time, across every industry.

Explore Fliar Prism →