Living Wage - League of Women Voters® of Boulder County

HomeLiving Wage Campaign 2023–2025

Living Wage Campaign 2023–2025

Where we are now . . .

City of Boulder

Boulder City Council voted unanimously on October 10th, 2024, to raise the minimum wage in the city by 8% a year for three years, from the 2024 state minimum of $14.42 per hour to $15.57 per hour in 2025, $16.82 in 2026, and $18.17 in 2027. Tipped employees are paid $3.02 per hour less, per state laws. The proposed increase includes unemancipated minors. We supported this decision.

The new law is Chapter 12-6 of the Boulder Revised Code, Minimum Wage.

Unincorporated areas of Boulder County

In 2023, our Boulder County Commissioners unanimously passed an ordinance that increased the 2024 minimum wage in unincorporated areas of the county to $15.69 per hour. That was 15% above the state minimum ($13.65 in 2023), as state law allows.

In 2025 the increase is 5.67%, to $16.57 for non-tipped employees and $13.55 for tipped employees. After that, increases in 2026 through 2030 are 8.58%, arriving at $25 per hour in 2030.

Table showing minimum wages in Colorado, Denver, Edgewater, Boulder County, and Boulder

Colorado minimum wages

In 2025, Colorado’s minimum wage is $14.81 per hour for non-tipped employees / $11.79 per hour for tipped employees. Colorado adjusts its minimum wage annually using a formula tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The “tip offset” of $3.02 is in the state constitution and does not change.

Boulder’s minimum wage this year is $15.57 / $12.55. Unincorporated Boulder County’s minimum wage is $16.57 / $13.55.

In 2025 the legislature amended state law concerning tipped employees. Beginning in 2026, a local government with a minimum wage higher than that of the state may increase the amount of the tip offset for tipped employees, as long as a tipped employee is not earning less than the state minimum wage for tipped employees.

For example (using 2025 figures because we don’t yet know the 2026 state minimum wage), Boulder’s tip offset could be up to $3.78 ($15.57-$11.79). Unincorporated Boulder County’s could be up to $4.78 ($16.57-$11.79). The local tipped employee minimum wage can be higher than the state’s, but never lower.

Some background

Since 2019, Colorado law has allowed local governments to raise the minimum wage for all workers, not just municipal employees.

By law, various stakeholders—groups that are impacted by the outcome of this effort—are required to participate in the process before the minimum wage can be raised. Stakeholders include chambers of commerce, small and large businesses, businesses that employ tipped workers, workers, labor unions, and community groups.

Yearly increases cannot exceed 15%. Increases can only occur on January 1 of any given year.

The Living Wage Campaign

During the living wage campaign In 2024, two kinds of information were available to city and town councils in Boulder, Louisville, Lafayette, Longmont, and Erie to make their decisions: community engagement feedback and economic data.

Community engagement feedback. — From February into April 2024 a number of virtual and in-person engagement opportunities, with English and Spanish options, took place in each municipality. Discussions included information about how much people are currently being paid, how people feel about raising the minimum wage, and any positive and negative impacts that may come to individuals, businesses, and the community. People were also invited to respond to an online questionnaire.

Economic data. — A study was commissioned from a third-party consultant, ECOnorthwest, to analyze economic factors in the county and make recommendations about raising the minimum wage.

Lafayette and Longmont City Councils and Erie Town Council did not reach a decision in 2024. Each asked for more input.
Council members need to hear from residents!
A livable minimum wage strengthens a local economy and benefits employers and employees alike.

Louisville City Council in a straw poll voted not to consider raising the minimum wage.
We urge Louisville residents to ask your council members to reconsider.

Boulder, Lafayette, Louisville, Longmont, and Erie councils heard staff presentations of the material, including a virtual discussion with the ECOnorthwest researcher in charge of the Boulder County study. Videos are available on YouTube:

Boulder - Aug 22, 2024 - at 2:26:00
Lafayette - Sept 3, 2024 - at 2:25:50
Longmont - Aug 27. 2024 - at 20:30
Louisville - Sept 10, 2024

The Boulder County Self-Sufficiency Wage Coalition

Our organization was a member of the Boulder County Self-Sufficiency Wage Coalition, an advocacy group formed in 2023 of labor organizations, nonprofits, faith communities, and other community organizations. The Coalition's original proposal would have gradually raised the minimum wage to $25 per hour by 2028.

We support the efforts of the Boulder County Consortium of Cities, which is made up of elected officials, to achieve a minimum wage at the self-sufficiency level throughout the county. The self-sufficiency level is what a worker needs to earn to pay basic living expenses without assistance. The lowest paid workers in particular are struggling in the face of the rising cost of living.

Living Wage Now photo

Important points in the 2023–2030 projections by the County Commissioners

The “pause” in 2025 (that is, the 5.67% increase before yearly 8.58% increases) was intended to allow the municipalities to get aligned with the County. The Colorado minimum wage was $14.42 in 2024, and municipalities are limited to a 15% increase in any year. That limited the municipalities to $16.57 in 2025. None of the municipalities decided to align with the County. The City of Boulder considered it, but decided on 8% per year for 3 years.