What it's like to live in Fountain
Fountain is a small city in Colorado with 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. Fountain deals with rent well above the national average, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, cold winters, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High rent burden for renters
- Cold winters
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Fountain compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Fountain
Based on Fountain's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,490
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $69,800 a year
- 68% of Fountain renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$79,600
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $39,800
- Homes cost 4.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 23% above US
$1,745/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,745 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices run above average, with a median around $398,000. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $398,000 · 68% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.2% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.2%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 12% above US
368 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 1693/100k · Fountain Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
27 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 27.2 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 11% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 84°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
Education & workforceNear US average
35% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 35% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
10 public schools inside the boundary
There are 10 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument (36 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Nothing in Fountain's numbers stands out as a clear strength, and the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin. A year of median rent ($1,745/mo) equals 24% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Fountain
All Colorado guides →Moving to Security-Widefield →
5 mi away · pop. 37,345
Rent $1,793/mo · Income $91,142
Compare with Fountain →Moving to Fort Carson →
6 mi away · pop. 18,019
Rent $2,180/mo · Income $66,237
Compare with Fountain →Moving to Cimarron Hills →
12 mi away · pop. 19,817
Rent $1,664/mo · Income $80,808
Compare with Fountain →Not sure Fountain is the one?
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