Cost of living in Fort Collins research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Fort Collins is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Colorado, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Fort Collins is 126, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Fort Collins is 1.3x higher than the national average.
Fort Collins ranks as the #54 cheapest in Colorado out of 113.
Fort Collins ranks as the #4,776 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Fort Collins is $554,176.
The median income in Fort Collins is $83,598.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Fort Collins has an overall cost of living index of 126, which is 1.3x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Colorado, Fort Collins has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Colorado's index of 111.
The standard of living in Fort Collins ranks as #54 most affordable out of the 113 places we measured in Colorado. By definition, that implies Fort Collins ranks as the #59 most expensive place in the Centennial State.
For more reading on life in Fort Collins, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Fort Collins. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Fort Collins is 101.
The Groceries index in Fort Collins is 104.
The Health index in Fort Collins is 102.
The Housing index in Fort Collins is 195.
The Transportation index in Fort Collins is 98.
The Utilities index in Fort Collins is 88.
| Living Expense | Fort Collins | Colorado | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 126 | 111 | 100 | |
| Services | 101 | 102 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 104 | 103 | 100 | |
| Health | 102 | 101 | 100 | |
| Housing | 195 | 134 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 98 | 107 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 88 | 89 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Colorado, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Fort Collins is $554,176.
The Median Rent in Fort Collins is $1,661.
The Median Income in Fort Collins is $83,598.
The Home Value To Income in Fort Collins is 6.6x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Fort Collins is 0.24x.
| Statistic | Fort Collins | Colorado | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $554,176 | $540,183 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,661 | $1,693 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $83,598 | $92,470 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 6.6x | 5.8x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.24x | 0.22x | 0.21x |
| Item | Fort Collins | Colorado |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.23 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $10.98 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $15.17 | $18 |
| Haircut | $28.69 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $33.98 | $45.56 |
| Item | Fort Collins | Colorado |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.98 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.41 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.67 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.44 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $12.23 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.49 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.63 | $3.7 |
| Item | Fort Collins | Colorado |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $191.47 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $140.63 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $107.16 | $113.29 |
| Item | Fort Collins | Colorado |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.32 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $59.3 | $59.92 |
| Item | Fort Collins | Colorado |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $154.32 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $187.74 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Fort Collins. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Greeley, CO has a cost of living index of 110, 0.9x Fort Collins.
Loveland, CO has a cost of living index of 119, 0.9x Fort Collins.
Windsor, CO has a cost of living index of 133, 1.1x Fort Collins.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greeley, CO | 109,421 | 110 | 0.9x |
| Loveland, CO | 77,350 | 119 | 0.9x |
| Windsor, CO | 35,918 | 133 | 1.1x |
| Berthoud, CO | 11,684 | 125 | 1.0x |
| Wellington, CO | 11,538 | 128 | 1.0x |
| Severance, CO | 9,302 | 122 | 1.0x |
| Milliken, CO | 8,695 | 116 | 0.9x |
| Johnstown, NY | 8,153 | 92 | 0.7x |
| Timnath, CO | 8,007 | 152 | 1.2x |