Should I Move To
Fort Collins, Colorado is home to about 168,758 people. On cost of living, it lands in the moderate band — 7% above the national average. The median renter pays around $1,576 a month against a typical household income of $78,977. Our composite UrbRank Score lands at 47 out of 100 (grade D), putting it at #602 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Inverse of violent + property crime rate per 100,000 residents.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Fort Collins's composite cost-of-living index lands at 107 (100 = US average), which puts it in the moderate band. At $1,576/mo against $78,977 in median household income, the typical renter spends about 24% of income on housing — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Median home value sits around $497,400.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Climate is varied — summer averages around 87°F, winter averages around 19°F. Precipitation totals about 14 inches a year. Walkability varies a lot by neighborhood — denser pockets work fine on foot, the rest leans on driving. On safety, this is a middle-of-the-pack city — neither standout nor concerning. AQI runs about 37 — a "good" reading.
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Fort Collins doesn't obviously fit families. The profile-weighted score is 50/100 — a C-. Its standout dimension is education (88/100); the soft spot is climate (11/100).
Fort Collins doesn't obviously fit retirees. The profile-weighted score is 41/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is education (88/100); the soft spot is climate (11/100).
Fort Collins doesn't obviously fit remote workers. The profile-weighted score is 43/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is education (88/100); the soft spot is climate (11/100).
Fort Collins doesn't obviously fit young professionals. The profile-weighted score is 44/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is education (88/100); the soft spot is climate (11/100).
Our overall score for Fort Collins is 47/100 — a D, sitting at #602 in the national ranking. It's a weighted average across the seven UrbRank dimensions.
By the composite index, Fort Collins sits at 107 — moderate, 7% above the national average. Median renter pays around $1,576 a month.
Fort Collins runs varied on the weather. Summer's near 87°F, winter's near 19°F; 14 inches of precipitation annually.
Walk Score: 53/100. Walkability varies a lot by neighborhood — denser pockets work fine on foot, the rest leans on driving.
Roughly 168,758 people live here, with 58% college-educated (bachelor's or higher) among adults 25+ with a median age of 30.
Drop Fort Collins into the comparison tool with any other US city and you'll get housing costs, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life data lined up side by side. Profile-specific leaderboards (families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals) are linked from the navigation.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Fort Collins with other Colorado cities scored on UrbRank.
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