BOULDER - The Boulder Valley has one of the state's lowest vacancy rates when it comes to affordable housing, but the area also has the highest rental rates to live in those "affordable" homes.

A new survey by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs' Division of Housing reported a 2.5 percent vacancy rate for subsidized, deed-restricted housing in Boulder and Broomfield counties - the second-lowest rate in the state compared to 1 percent vacancy in Grand Junction.

Statewide, the average affordable housing vacancy rate rose to 6.7 percent during third quarter 2009. The areas with the highest vacancy rates were Colorado Springs and Jefferson County, which reported vacancy rates of 8.9 percent and 11 percent, respectively.

The statewide average affordable housing rental rate was $700.17 for third quarter 2009 compared to $653.14 in the third quarter of 2008. The lowest average rental rate was in Pueblo at $526.25 and the highest was in Boulder and Broomfield counties at $805.62.

The median statewide rent was $684.18, with the lowest in Greeley at $499.20 and highest in Boulder and Broomfield counties at $788.29.

For the third quarter of 2009, 11,425 affordable housing units were part of the survey.