Where Do I Move?

West · Colorado · pop 169.7K

Fort Collins, CO

Fit score

Fair match

at the reference profile: one person earning $6,700/mo gross, default weights.

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After estimated taxes in CO, your $6,700/mo income nets about $5,172 — covering estimated essentials here (about $1,647 rent plus everyday costs incl. local sales tax) with roughly $773 left over.

Reported crime rates sit below most similar-sized cities in this dataset.

Tradeoff: this is a quieter market with fewer restaurants and entertainment options per resident.

AFFORDABILITY77HOUSING33JOBS56SAFETY60CLIMATE42AMENITIES29

The Fort Collins fit print

Est. monthly cost

$4,399/mo

Typical rent

$1,938/mo

Home value ÷ income

6.6×

Score breakdown

Affordability
77
Housing
33
Jobs
56
Safety
60
Climate
42
Amenities
29

The data behind the score

Money (Census ACS · HUD)

Median gross rent
$1,938/mo
Median home value
$548,400
Median household income
$83,598
Population
169,705

Work (BLS)

Unemployment rate
0.0%
Job growth (1yr)
0.0%

Safety (FBI CDE, per 100k)

Violent crime rate
0
Property crime rate
0

Climate (NOAA normals)

Avg. summer high
87°F
Avg. winter low
18°F
Sunny days / year
0
Days ≥100°F by 2050 (air temp)
≈7/yr
Dangerous humid days by 2050 (feels-like)
≈0/yr
Unhealthy air days
≈10/yr
Annual rain
16"
Annual snow
56"

Community & access (approx.)

2024 county margin
D+18
Bachelor's degree or higher
≈60%
Major airport
≈15 mi
Time zone
MT
Walkability
40/100
Transit
30/100
Disaster risk
63/100
Top natural hazard
Hail
Local pay is tight here. A typical Fort Collins household earns about $84k, roughly 2% below the $85k it takes to cover local costs here. Local pay stretches, but it's tight.
A citywide number is an average. Rent, safety, and everything else vary block by block — treat these figures as a starting point and research specific neighborhoods before committing.

Data vintage: acs2023-5yr+zori-2026-06-30. Sources & methodology

Natural-hazard risk

Wildfire

high risk

Hurricanes

low risk

Tornadoes

moderate risk

Flooding

high risk

Earthquakes

low risk

Severe winter

high risk

Per-hazard risk-index scores from FEMA's National Risk Index for this city's county, with any hazard FEMA doesn't score filled in by our model. Screen by hazard from search.

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Go deeper

Buy vs. rent the median home

Owning the median Fort Collins home would run about $3,830/mo (mortgage, tax, insurance, upkeep) versus $1,938/mo to rent — about $1,892/mo more to buy at today's 6.60% rate.

To own$3,830/mo
Mortgage (P&I)
$2,802
Property tax
$206
Insurance (state avg)
$366
Maintenance
$457
To rent$1,938/mo

Buying costs about $1,892/mo more.

Median home $548,400 · $109,680 down

Estimate only: 30-year fixed, state-average property tax and homeowners insurance, ~1%/yr maintenance. Part of the mortgage payment builds equity, which a pure outlay comparison ignores; and the median home is typically larger than the median rental, which biases the gap toward renting. Ignores closing costs, HOA dues, PMI on low down payments, and the opportunity cost of the down payment. Not a lending quote.

What will the move cost?

Moving to Fort Collins

About 1,620 mi from New York, NY.

DIY — rental truck

$2,050$2,950

One-way truck, mileage, and fuel. Your labor.

Full-service movers

$5,750$8,300

Pros load, drive, and unload. Packing usually extra.

Rough estimates from distance and household size — real quotes vary with season, access, exact inventory, and fuel. Get a few binding quotes before you book.

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