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 113, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Fort Collins is 1.1x higher than the national average.
Fort Collins ranks as the #60 cheapest in Colorado out of 111.
Fort Collins ranks as the #4,363 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Fort Collins is $431,300.
The median income in Fort Collins is $72,932.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Fort Collins has an overall cost of living index of 113, which is 1.1x 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 104.
The standard of living in Fort Collins ranks as #60 most affordable out of the 111 places we measured in Colorado. By definition, that implies Fort Collins ranks as the #51 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 105.
The Groceries index in Fort Collins is 90.
The Health index in Fort Collins is 97.
The Housing index in Fort Collins is 142.
The Transportation index in Fort Collins is 108.
The Utilities index in Fort Collins is 81.
Living Expense | Fort Collins | Colorado | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 113 | 104 | 100 | |
Services | 105 | 102 | 100 | |
Groceries | 90 | 99 | 100 | |
Health | 97 | 100 | 100 | |
Housing | 142 | 116 | 100 | |
Transportation | 108 | 104 | 100 | |
Utilities | 81 | 90 | 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 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Fort Collins is $431,300.
The Median Rent in Fort Collins is $1,443.
The Median Income in Fort Collins is $72,932.
The Home Value To Income in Fort Collins is 5.9x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Fort Collins is 0.24x.
Statistic | Fort Collins | Colorado | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $431,300 | $397,500 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $1,443 | $1,437 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $72,932 | $80,184 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 5.9x | 5.0x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.24x | 0.22x | 0.2x |
Item | Fort Collins | Colorado |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $0.88 | $1.06 |
Movie | $13.19 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $20.67 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $24.05 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $35.0 | $39.05 |
Item | Fort Collins | Colorado |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $4.62 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.15 | $1.39 |
Milk | $1.78 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $3.04 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $11.32 | $10.62 |
Beer | $8.96 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $2.11 | $2.34 |
Item | Fort Collins | Colorado |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $99.83 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $117.67 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $92.83 | $99.13 |
Item | Fort Collins | Colorado |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.24 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $59.83 | $50.07 |
Item | Fort Collins | Colorado |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $103.99 | $167.67 |
Phone | $187.21 | $175.64 |
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 98, 0.9x Fort Collins.
Loveland, CO has a cost of living index of 106, 0.9x Fort Collins.
Windsor, CO has a cost of living index of 115, 1.0x Fort Collins.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Fort Collins |
---|---|---|---|
Greeley, CO | 107,014 | 98 | 0.9x |
Loveland, CO | 75,938 | 106 | 0.9x |
Windsor, CO | 31,972 | 115 | 1.0x |
Wellington, CO | 10,769 | 104 | 0.9x |
Berthoud, CO | 10,188 | 106 | 0.9x |
Johnstown, NY | 8,247 | 95 | 0.8x |
Milliken, CO | 8,122 | 102 | 0.9x |
Severance, CO | 7,691 | 110 | 1.0x |