Fort Collins, CO Relocation Guide (2026)
Cost of living, housing, and income data for Fort Collins, sourced from the US Census Bureau.
Salary needed to live in Fort Collins →
Source: US Census Bureau ACS 5-Year (2022). Last updated July 2026.
With a population near 168,758, Fort Collins, Colorado sits roughly in line with the multi-city income median: households earn a typical $78,977 per year (+10% vs. that benchmark).
Home values in Fort Collins run a median $497,400, above the benchmark across cities in our dataset (+52%). Renters see a median monthly cost of $1,576. Mortgage rates and property taxes are worth checking before you commit either way.
Home prices in Fort Collins run about 6.3× median household income — a stretched ratio that puts real pressure on affordability for local buyers. The market around Fort Collins shows little movement, with prices up a mere 0.27% compared with a year ago. Fort Collins carries a Relatively Moderate hazard rating from FEMA, on the lower end of what we track.
Personal Affordability Check
Renting at $1,576/mo in Fort Collins would take 23.9% of your income.
$398/mo under the 30% guideline.
Buying the median home ($497,400) would take 40.3% of your income toward principal & interest.
$813/mo over the 28% guideline.
Cost of housing in Fort Collins
Median home value is $497,400 and median gross rent is $1,576/month. For buyers, monthly costs depend heavily on current mortgage rates — worth checking before you commit.
FHFA's county-level home price index for Larimer rose 0.27% over the past year (as of 2025).
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom unit in the surrounding county is $1,732/month.
Climate & home insurance
FEMA rates Fort Collins's overall natural-hazard risk as Relatively Moderate. Risk level is a major driver of home insurance premiums.
Safety
Fort Collins reported a violent crime rate of 286.3 per 100,000 residents in 2025, per FBI data.
Moving to Fort Collins
Planning a move to Fort Collins? Compare licensed movers and get quotes based on your origin and move date.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the cost of living in Fort Collins, CO?
- In Fort Collins, the median home value is $497,400 and median rent is $1,576 per month, against a median household income of $78,977. These figures come from the US Census Bureau ACS 5-Year (2022).
- How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Fort Collins?
- Fort Collins's median rent of $1,576/month works out to roughly $63,040 in annual income needed, if you're budgeting the standard 30% of gross pay toward rent. See the full salary breakdown (renting and buying) for Fort Collins.
- Is it better to rent or buy in Fort Collins?
- Fort Collins's median rent of $1,576/month translates to about $63,040 a year needed to rent comfortably, versus roughly $113,803 a year for principal and interest on the $497,400 median home (20% down, 30-year fixed, today's rates). How long you'll stay is usually the deciding factor.
- Is Fort Collins safe?
- Fort Collins's violent crime rate, per FBI reporting for 2025, stands at 286.3 per 100,000 residents.
See the full salary breakdown for Fort Collins →
Cities with a similar cost of living
Matched on median rent and household income within 15% of Fort Collins's.