Published October 18, 2026 in Market Update

South Boulder is the tightest part of the Boulder area right now

By Cecilia De Villiers

Real estate, Boulder area

Rates topped 7% for the first time since January 2025, according to Realtor.com. That slows buyers in most places. But South Boulder is not most places.

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 2.1 months of supply in ZIP 80305 for the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is the lowest of any Boulder ZIP code in this period. Less supply means buyers have fewer choices and less time to decide.

The Real Estate Data Aggregator found that 52.5% of homes in ZIP 80305 went under contract within two weeks. That share is up 21 points from the same period in 2025. More than half the homes there did not sit long.

How South Boulder compares with the rest of Boulder

Not every part of Boulder moved this fast. Here is how the five ZIP codes stacked up for the three months ending August 31, 2026, according to the Real Estate Data Aggregator.

Months of supply across Boulder ZIP codes

ZIP 80302 had 7.6 months of supply. That is more than three times the supply in ZIP 80305. The same city, very different conditions.

A closer look at South Boulder (ZIP 80305)

The median price in ZIP 80305 dipped 2.3%, to $975,000, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. Prices are not flying up. But 80 homes sold, up 37.9% from a year before. Demand is real. Homes sold at 98.8% of list price on average.

The Real Estate Data Aggregator also found that 23.8% of homes in ZIP 80305 sold above list price. That share is up 10 points from a year before. Not every home got a bidding war, but nearly 1 in 4 did.

Rates are high, and that is real

Realtor.com reported that mortgage rates topped 7% for the first time since January 2025. Redfin reported the weekly average hit 7.4% on October 8, a three-year high. Fannie Mae, as reported by CNBC, forecast rates at 7.4% for the rest of 2026 and 7.5% through 2027.

Higher rates make monthly payments bigger. Redfin reported the typical homebuyer's monthly payment reached $2,777, the highest on record except for the week before. That is a real cost for buyers in any ZIP code.

Still, South Boulder kept moving. The combination of very low supply and strong buyer interest held up even as rates climbed.

The wider Boulder area

Across all five ZIP codes, the Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 439 homes sold in the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is up 1.2% from the same period in 2025. Sales are nearly flat overall, but the story inside that number varies a lot by ZIP.

New listings across Boulder rose 11.9%, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. More sellers are coming to market. In most ZIP codes, that is adding supply. In ZIP 80305, it is still not enough to loosen things up.

One more thing: these are ZIP code numbers. One street can read very differently from the whole ZIP. A home's condition, price and exact location all matter.