Larimer County · Colorado · West · 170k residents
Fort Collins, CO: cost of living, taxes & quality of life
Residential facts for Fort Collins: housing, taxes, monthly costs, climate, schools, and household income, with the Colorado median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
The acs median home value in Fort Collins is $577,900, 1% above the Colorado median. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,672/mo. Day-to-day costs index at 117 against a national baseline of 100. The median household here earns $85,070 a year.
What the numbers show
Source-confirmed findings- Housing value: The ACS median home value in Fort Collins is $577,900, 1.3% above the median for ACS-covered places in Colorado.
- Household income: Median household income is $85,070, 12.1% below the median for ACS-covered places in Colorado.
- Adult education: 60.7% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, 34% above the median for ACS-covered places in Colorado.
- Home value to income: The ACS median home value is about 6.8 times median household income. This is a comparison measure, not a mortgage qualification or affordability promise.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates(2024 ACS 5-year; tables B01003, B15003, B19013, B25077). Geography: Census place where available. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
WhereToHQ calculates the comparisons. Figures are estimates for context, not a guarantee or personal financial advice. Read the methodology or send a correction.
What makes this place distinctive
A factual snapshot of the place, based on the profile data. It is not a tourism or cultural claim.
A Front Range college town where bikes, beer, music, and foothill trails are part of the daily routine.
Known for: Colorado State University, craft beer, cycling, Old Town, and outdoor access.
Calendar note: Tour de Fat and the Bohemian Nights music festival are signature traditions.
Story source: Visit Fort Collins
- Scale: A mid-sized city with a population between 50,000 and 250,000 in the profile data.
- Setting: The profile places Fort Collins about 36 miles from the nearest tracked mountain.
- Climate signal: The profile records 245 sunny days and 51 inches of annual snow.
- Daily pace: The profile records a walk score of 38 and an average commute of 26 minutes.
WhereToHQ derives these signals from the committed city dataset. Read the methodology for coverage and source limits.
Compare Fort Collins side by side
Cost of living index
117
ACS median home value
$577,900
2-bedroom rent
$1,672/mo
Median household income
$85,070
Housing momentum
How fast Fort Collins's housing market is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
28/100
Cooling
Ranks Fort Collins's home-price and rent growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. Not investment or relocation advice.
Adjusted by Fort Collins's cost-of-living index versus the US average.
| ACS median home value | $577,900 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $300 |
| Property tax rate | 0.5% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $1,473/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,672/mo |
| State & local income tax | 2.89% |
| Sales tax | 7.8% |
| Cost of living index | 117 |
| Groceries index | 100 |
| Utilities | $160/mo |
| Transit pass | $88/mo |
| Gas price | $3.20/gal |
| Healthcare index | 100 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,400/mo |
| Median household income | $85,070 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% |
| Population | 170k |
| Crime index | 52/100 |
| School rating | 6.5/10 |
| Walkability | 38/100 |
| Disaster risk | 90/100 |
| Avg. commute | 26 min |
| Sunny days / year | 245 days |
| July high | 87°F |
| January low | 18°F |
| Annual snowfall | 51 in |
| Home price YoY | -1.2% |
| Home price MoM | -0.3% |
| Rent YoY | +1.5% |
| Rent MoM | -0.5% |
| Ocean coast | 848 mi |
| Big lake | 183 mi |
| Mountains | 36 mi |
| Major airport | 55 mi |
| Ski resort | 51 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Windsor, CO · 38k
- Loveland, CO · 78k
- Johnstown, CO · 19k
- Greeley, CO · 111k
- Evans, CO · 22k
Similar size
- Lakewood, CO · 157k
- Thornton, CO · 144k
- Arvada, CO · 123k
- Westminster, CO · 115k
- Pueblo, CO · 112k
Real listings in Fort Collins
Homes on Zillow ↗Realtor.com ↗Rentals on Zillow ↗Apartments.com ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- What is the cost of living in Fort Collins, CO?
- Fort Collins indexes at 117 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,672/mo and a acs median home value of $577,900.
- How much does a house cost in Fort Collins?
- The acs median home value in Fort Collins is $577,900, 1% above the Colorado median (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Fort Collins?
- A two-bedroom in Fort Collins rents for about $1,672/mo.