New Boulder county minimum wages takes effect

BOULDER, Colo. — Boulder County’s new minimum wage of $16.82 took effect January 1.

The change came after Boulder County commissioners voted in November to walk back a minimum wage increase they had approved in 2023. The previous plan would have increased the minimum wage to $17.99 per hour in 2026 and $25 per hour in 2030. 

Citing feedback from the community, county commissioners decided to align the county’s minimum wage with the City of Boulder, which is $16.82. 

Business owners, like Seth and Alison Steele who own the Niwot Market, and farmers like Michael Moss of Kilt Farms, vehemently opposed the county’s previous minimum wage schedule, which only applied to unincorporated pockets of Boulder County, such as Niwot and Gold Hill, and was a dollar more than the City of Boulder. 

“We felt very relieved,” said Seth Steele about the policy change. “To have the county commissioners hear us and react, it felt like government was actually working.” 

Starting next year, the Boulder County minimum wage will increase annually based on the consumer price index (CPI), which serves as a gauge for inflation. Historically, the CPI has risen roughly three percent per year. 

The minimum wage in Boulder County is higher than that statewide rate of $15.16, but lower than Denver, where employers must pay $19.29 per hour.