Residential comparison · 13 facts
Denver, CO vs Fort Collins, CO
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Denver needs about $81,500 in Fort Collins to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Fort Collins, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $88,500 in Denver.
A few differences
- Fort Collins is lower on sales tax (7.8% vs 8.8%).
- Fort Collins is lower on groceries index (100 vs 102).
- Fort Collins is higher on median household income ($85,070 vs $85,000).
Denver vs Fort Collins · facet by facet
| Facet | Denver, CO | Fort Collins, CO |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $560,000 | $577,900 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $2,150/mo | $1,672/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| State & local income tax | 2.89% | 2.89% |
| Sales tax | 8.8% | 7.8% |
| Cost of living index | 112 | 117 |
| Groceries index | 102 | 100 |
| Utilities | $160/mo | $160/mo |
| Median household income | $85,000 | $85,070 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 3.7% |
| Crime index | 50/100 | 52/100 |
| School rating | 6.5/10 | 6.5/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 245 days | 245 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Denver, CO · Fort Collins, CO
Questions & answers
- Is Denver cheaper than Fort Collins?
- Denver has the lower day-to-day cost index (112 vs 117 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Fort Collins equals $85,000 in Denver?
- A household earning $85,000 in Denver needs about $81,500 in Fort Collins to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Fort Collins lifestyle costs about $88,500 in Denver.