Boulder, CO · POP 328,560 · EMP 192,390 · DATA GRADE A
Boulder, CO
consensus exposure · range [55.9–58.6] across 6 methodologies
more exposed than 100% of US metros
By methodology
| Index | Exposure |
|---|---|
| OpenAI task exposure (Eloundou et al. 2024) | 58.6 |
| Felten language-modeling AIOE (2023) | 56.5 |
| Microsoft AI applicability (2025) | 57.8 |
| Anthropic Economic Index observed usage (2026) | 55.9 |
| Eisfeldt et al. generative-AI exposure (2024) | 57.6 |
| Consensus (mean) | 57.3 |
Table 1. Where indices disagree, that disagreement is information: prediction-style indices (task ratings) and usage-based indices (observed AI conversations) measure different things. Methods §2.
Secondary measures
payroll-weighted exposure — higher than the headcount number: the exposed jobs are the better-paid ones
of workers are in occupations where ≥50% of tasks are LLM-exposed (Eloundou β; threshold-sensitive — note)
of area employment matched to scored occupations (grade A)
Scenario: if replacement-level AI arrives in 2030
Figure 1. Modeled displacement under the median preset (diffusion k=0.8, ceiling 0.75, automation share 0.45, friction lag 1.5y, attrition 3%/y). Solid: positions eliminated. The gap between gross and layoffs is natural attrition — speed of diffusion, not depth of exposure, determines layoffs. This is a scenario, not a forecast: adjust every assumption.
Where the losses land — and your assumptions
Positions eliminated by 2035 per occupation group, under the arrival year selected above. Drag any multiplier if you think we're wrong about a group — your model, your numbers. Multipliers scale that group's task exposure (×0 = immune, ×2 = double).
Table 3. Group exposure = employment-weighted mean task exposure (Eloundou β) over the group's local occupations. Bars use the same scenario engine as Figure 1 (median preset).
Most exposed local occupations
| Occupation | Jobs | Median wage | Exposure [range] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | 7,130 | $164,560 | 87.1 | |
| Retail Salespersons | 4,880 | $38,700 | 67 | |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | 3,230 | $99,990 | 94.1 | |
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | 3,130 | $97,600 | 88.7 | |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 3,610 | $94,040 | 76.3 | |
| Project Management Specialists | 2,920 | $122,040 | 71.6 | |
| Accountants and Auditors | 2,380 | $99,990 | 79.4 | |
| Customer Service Representatives | 2,070 | $47,830 | 91.1 | |
| Cashiers | 3,100 | $38,520 | 54.8 | |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | 1,880 | $84,660 | 88.3 |
Table 2. Ranked by exposure × local employment. Bands on the 0–100 occupation scale.
Compare Boulder against any other metro — side by side.