City comparison
Broomfield, CO is about 40 miles (70 km) from Fort Collins, CO in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 50 miles, or about 51 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Broomfield, CO to Fort Collins, CO takes about 5 min, covering roughly 40 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Fort Collins has a population of 168,758, vs 73,946 in Broomfield — about 2.3× larger by population. By land area, Fort Collins covers about 57 sq mi vs 33 sq mi for Broomfield.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Broomfield | Fort Collins | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,923/mo | $1,576/mo | 22.0% higher in Broomfield |
| Median home value | $581,600 | $497,400 | 16.9% higher in Broomfield |
| Median household income | $117,541 | $78,977 | 48.8% higher in Broomfield |
| Groceries index | 100.2 | 96.8 | 3.6% higher in Broomfield |
| Utilities index | 90.1 | 86.0 | 4.8% higher in Broomfield |
| Transportation index | 100.0 | 100.3 | ≈ equal (Fort Collins slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 100.0 | 100.2 | ≈ equal (Fort Collins slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Broomfield, you'd need $89,223 in Fort Collins to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Fort Collins, CO is about 10.8% cheaper overall than Broomfield, CO, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 24% higher in Broomfield than in Fort Collins. If you earn $80,000 in Broomfield, you'd need about $71,378 in Fort Collins to keep the same standard of living.