Overview
Boulder’s creative economy in 2024 remained robust and deeply integrated into the city’s broader economic landscape. Boulder continues to outperform national averages across creative industry indicators, underscoring its position as a cultural hub and the creative sector’s role as a key driver of innovation and quality of life. This report analyzes creative employment within the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan (BVCP) boundary, which covers the city and nearby areas. It uses NAICS (North American Industry Classification System (NAIUCS based W-2 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages. The nonprofit data comes from IRS filings of Form 990.
Key Figures for 2024
- 6,611 creative industry jobs
- Location quotient of 3.0 — indicating a concentration of creative employment three times the U.S. average
- $303.5 million in total creative industry earnings
- $27.8 million in nonprofit arts revenues across 33 organizations
These data confirm that the arts and creative sectors continue to be vital economic and social contributors to Boulder’s community identity.
Employment Trends
Creative employment in Boulder remained concentrated in a few dominant categories:
- Performance Arts led employment with 2,387 jobs and a location quotient of 8.4, meaning this field is over eight times more concentrated than the national average.
- Architecture (763 jobs, LQ 3.9) and Writing, Publishing, and Journalism (1,060 jobs, LQ 2.5) are particularly concentrated in Boulder, employing far more people per capita than the national average.
- Artisan Manufacturing and Film & Television concentration levels (LQ = 1.0) aligned with national averages.
From 2022 to 2024, total creative employment declined from 7,132 to 6,611 jobs: a 7% decrease. The largest contraction occurred in Marketing and Advertising and Radio/Music/Media, suggesting some post-pandemic restructuring within the creative services sector.
Earnings and Wages
Creative workers in Boulder earned a total of $303.5 million in 2024, with notable disparities across subfields:
- Writing, Publishing, and Journalism yielded the highest average wage ($86,490) and the greatest total earnings ($81.1M).
- Marketing and Advertising and Architecture followed closely with average wages of $76,007 and $69,851, respectively.
- Performance Arts, while the largest employer, had an average wage of only $10,465, highlighting the sector’s continued income precarity.
- The average wage across all creative categories was $43,032.
Nonprofit Impact
Nonprofit arts organizations generated $27.8 million in total revenue in 2024, underscoring their essential role in Boulder’s creative fabric.
Top-earning nonprofit categories:
- Visual Arts Organizations – $5.7M
- Music – $3.5M
- Arts Education – $2.8M
- Arts Service Organizations – $2.6M
Boulder hosted at least seven nonprofit categories with five or more organizations, with the most numerous being Arts & Cultural Organizations – Multipurpose, followed by Music, Visual Arts, and Theatre groups.
Methodology
The report’s findings derive primarily from:
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) for employment and earnings data, organized using NAICS codes aligned with Creative Vitality Suite categories.
- IRS Form 990 filings for nonprofit financial data.
The nine creative categories analyzed include Performance Arts, Writing/Publishing, Architecture, Marketing & Advertising, Radio/Music/Media, Film & Television, Artisan Manufacturing, Photography/Printing, and Other Creative Industries.
Creative Industry Categories and Professions Included
The dataset covers a wide array of creative occupations, grouped into the following categories based on NAICS industry codes:
- Performance Arts – theater companies, dance companies, musical groups and artists, independent performers, performing arts promoters (with and without facilities), and artist management.
- Writing, Publishing, and Journalism – newspaper, periodical, and book publishers; greeting card and directory publishers; printing and bookbinding; libraries and archives; and booksellers.
- Architecture and Design – architectural, landscape architecture, drafting, interior design, and industrial design services.
- Marketing and Advertising – advertising agencies, public relations firms, media buying, direct mail, and display advertising services.
- Radio, Music, and Media Networks – radio and music publishers, recording studios, record production, sound recording, and streaming or digital content networks.
- Film and Television – motion picture and video production, post-production, distribution, and television broadcasting.
- Artisan Manufacturing – glass, metal, wood, pottery, and jewelry makers; custom furniture, ceramics, and craftspeople; and related retailers.
- Photography and Printing – portrait and commercial photography, printing services, and photo finishing.
- Other Creative Industries – museums, galleries, historical sites, florists, art dealers, graphic design services, and independent artists.
Together, these professions represent the portion of Boulder’s creative workforce captured through NAICS classifications based on W-2 employment data—from artists and performers to architects, designers, and creative service professionals.
Key Takeaways
- Boulder maintains a creative employment concentration three times the national average, reinforcing its identity as a national leader in arts-based economic vitality.
- The Performance Arts sector dominates employment but faces low wage levels, suggesting both cultural richness and financial vulnerability.
- Higher-wage creative fields such as publishing, marketing, and architecture contribute significantly to total earnings.
- The nonprofit creative sector remains a cornerstone of Boulder’s cultural life, with strong representation across visual arts, music, and education.
Conducted by:
BUSINESS RESEARCH DIVISION
Leeds School of Business
University of Colorado Boulder
420 UCB
Boulder, CO 80309-0420
Colorado.edu/business/brd
September 2025