What it's like to live in Fort Collins
Fort Collins is a mid-size city in Colorado with commutes that run shorter than most cities, a highly educated workforce, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Fort Collins deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin.
The good
- Short commutes
- Highly educated workforce
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Air quality concerns
- High rent burden for renters
- Cold winters
- Snowy winters — 49" per year
How Fort Collins compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Fort Collins
Based on Fort Collins's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,380
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $67,600 a year
- 55% of Fort Collins renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$115,580
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $57,790
- Homes cost 6.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 20% above US
$1,690/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,690 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices are steep, with a median around $577,900. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $577,900 · 55% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 12% below US
3.8% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.8%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 12% below US
289 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 1773/100k · Fort Collins Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 25% below US
20 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 19.5 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 22% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 85°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 19°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
2 hospitals
There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 5.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 69% above US
61% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
47 public schools inside the boundary
There are 47 public schools inside the boundary and 8 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Rocky Mountain National Park (36 miles away).
Bottom line
Fort Collins's strongest points are commutes that run shorter than most cities and a highly educated workforce; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,690/mo) equals 24% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (22% of workers here already work from home), people who want short commutes, and college-educated professionals.
Other places near Fort Collins
All Colorado guides →Moving to Loveland →
9 mi away · pop. 78,410
Rent $1,730/mo · Income $84,604
Compare with Fort Collins →Moving to Windsor →
9 mi away · pop. 37,914
Rent $1,793/mo · Income $127,028
Compare with Fort Collins →Moving to Wellington →
11 mi away · pop. 11,798
Rent $2,473/mo · Income $107,017
Compare with Fort Collins →Moving to Johnstown →
15 mi away · pop. 18,883
Rent $1,835/mo · Income $128,995
Compare with Fort Collins →Not sure Fort Collins is the one?
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