Best Life Index › States › Colorado › Cities › Fort Collins

Colorado city profile

What Is It Like to Live in Fort Collins?

What it costs to live in Fort Collins, and how it compares with other Colorado cities, in plain numbers.

Value score

24

44th best value in Colorado

How much you get for what you pay, versus other Colorado cities.

Overall livability

36

39th overall in Colorado

Cost, safety, schools, jobs and quality of life combined.

Fort Collins is home to about 166,788 people. A typical home runs $431,300 and a household earns around $72,900, a price-to-income ratio of 5.9. Among Colorado's largest cities, it ranks 44th for value and 39th overall.

Fort Collins at a glance

Median home price

$431,300

43rd in CO of 48

Median rent

$1,443/mo

Median household income

$72,900

Home price to income

5.9x

Unemployment

5.4%

38th in CO of 48

School rating

6/10

30th in CO of 48

Air quality (AQI)

45

0th in CO of 48

Walk score

19/100

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‹ See all top Colorado cities ranked  ยท  Colorado state profile ›

Sources: Home prices and rent from Zillow; income, unemployment and commute from the U.S. Census; school ratings from state education data; crime from the FBI; air quality from the EPA. City rankings are within Colorado only. Updated 2026.