Cost of Living in Fort Collins, Colorado
Rent, everyday costs and taxes in Fort Collins, what each job keeps after paying them, and how the city compares with the rest of the US.
- Population
- 171,500
- Median household income
- $81,199
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 101.1
- Unemployment rate
- 4.2%
Is Fort Collins a good place to live?
Fort Collins sits in the middle for take-home money: a typical worker keeps more here than in 103 of 178 other large cities, so whether it pays off depends on your job.
A typical worker in Fort Collins keeps $7,905 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs. Try your job
- Cost of living1% above the US average (BEA, 2024)
- Rent$1,648 a month for a 1-bedroom (HUD)
- Taxes$1,725 of state income tax on a typical wage
Cost of living in Fort Collins
Prices in the Fort Collins-Loveland, CO area run 1% above the US average. Housing is the biggest difference, at 21% above the US average.
- Housing21% above the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)4% below the US average
- Utilities18% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)About the same as the US average
- All items1% above the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,648 | $19,776 |
| Food | $474 | $5,688 |
| Transportation | $375 | $4,500 |
| Healthcare | $351 | $4,212 |
| Utilities | $214 | $2,568 |
| Total before taxes | $3,062 | $36,744 |
Rent by apartment size
| Monthly rent | Fort Collins | Whole metro area |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,609 | $1,551 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,648 | $1,589 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,825 | $1,759 |
| 3 bedrooms | $2,467 | $2,379 |
| 4 bedrooms | $2,672 | $2,576 |
Living in Fort Collins
How Fort Collins compares with the US on income, housing, work and commuting (Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year).
| Measure | Fort Collins | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $81,199 | $81,604 |
| Median home value | $612,600 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,720 | $1,487 |
| Households renting | 49% | 34.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 15% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 60.7% | 36.9% |
| Median age | 31.8 years | 39.2 years |
| Average commute, one way | 18.7 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 22% | 13.3% |
| Commuting by public transit | 1.3% | 3.7% |
The 1-year survey doesn’t publish commuting method for Fort Collins, so those figures come from the 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
Home internet
8 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Fort Collins, led by Xfinity, Rise Broadband, Fort Collins Connexion, CenturyLink. Fiber reaches 63% of homes and 92.2% can get gigabit speeds.
Pros and cons of living in Fort Collins
Pros
- Shorter commutes. The average one-way commute is 18.7 minutes, against 27.2 nationally.
- Highly educated workforce. 60.7% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 36.9% nationally.
- Remote-work friendly. 22% of workers work from home, against 13.3% nationally.
- Fast home internet. 92.2% of homes can get gigabit speeds (FCC).
Cons
- Expensive rent. Median rent is $1,720 a month, against $1,487 nationally.
- Pricey homes to buy. The median home is worth $612,600, against $360,600 nationally.
What your job keeps in Fort Collins
Pick a job, or enter your salary, to see what's left after federal, payroll, state and local taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Typical salary
- $55,310
- Federal income tax
- −$4,457
- Payroll taxes
- −$4,475
- State income tax
- −$1,725
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$19,776
- Everyday costs
- −$16,972
a year, or $659 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS Fort Collins-Loveland, CO. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules for a single filer.
What the most common jobs keep here
The 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the Fort Collins-Loveland, CO area.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Software engineer | $133,990 | $60,323 |
| Project manager | $101,310 | $39,159 |
| Accountant | $89,340 | $31,316 |
| Teacher | $69,813 | $18,525 |
| HVAC technician | $66,290 | $16,196 |
| Social worker | $62,722 | $13,502 |
| Auto mechanic | $61,610 | $12,663 |
| Electrician | $61,410 | $12,511 |
| Plumber | $60,610 | $11,908 |
| Truck driver | $60,380 | $11,733 |
Other jobs, A–Z
What each keeps in Fort Collins on its median pay. Pick one in the calculator above for the full breakdown.
- Carpenter $10,171
- Civil engineer $34,842
- Data scientist $45,710
- Dental assistant $2,445
- Dental hygienist $42,657
- Dentist $80,805
- Diesel mechanic $14,587
- Financial analyst $39,356
- Firefighter $38,254
- Lawyer $58,666
- Licensed practical nurse $21,189
- Lineman $48,009
- Mechanical engineer $40,148
- Medical assistant $2,687
- Nurse practitioner $57,999
- Nursing assistant $1,917
- Occupational therapist $42,703
- Paralegal $18,280
- Paramedic $14,399
- Pharmacist $74,321
- Pharmacy technician $3,873
- Physical therapist $39,630
- Physician assistant $60,673
- Police officer $36,165
- Radiologic technologist $30,282
- Registered nurse $38,471
- Respiratory therapist $29,274
- Speech-language pathologist $45,342
- Veterinarian $46,457
- Welder $11,190
Compare Fort Collins with other cities
Compare Fort Collins with another city: any city or state, any of our 40 jobs.
Moving to Fort Collins
6 licensed interstate movers are based in Fort Collins, and 9 more elsewhere in the Fort Collins-Loveland, CO area (FMCSA, household-goods authority).
Questions people ask
Is Fort Collins, CO a good place to live?
Fort Collins sits in the middle for take-home money: a typical worker keeps more here than in 103 of 178 other large cities, so whether it pays off depends on your job. The typical worker here earns $55,310 and keeps $7,905 a year after federal, payroll and state taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
What is the cost of living in Fort Collins?
Prices in the Fort Collins-Loveland, CO area are 1% above the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $1,648 a month (HUD fair market rent, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person, covering food, transportation, healthcare and utilities, come to about $1,414 a month.
How much do you need to earn to live in Fort Collins?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom alone needs about $44,900 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs, with nothing left over. The typical worker in the Fort Collins-Loveland, CO area earns $55,310.
What is the average rent in Fort Collins?
HUD's fair market rent for FY2027 is $1,609 for a studio, $1,648 for a 1-bedroom and $1,825 for a 2-bedroom. The Census Bureau puts the median rent paid in Fort Collins at $1,720 a month (2024).
Does Fort Collins have a state or city income tax?
Yes. On a typical wage of $55,310, Colorado state income tax comes to about $1,725 a year. Fort Collins has no local income tax on wages.
What internet providers serve Fort Collins?
8 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Fort Collins, led by Xfinity, Rise Broadband, Fort Collins Connexion, CenturyLink. 63% of homes can get fiber and 92.2% can get gigabit speeds (FCC National Broadband Map).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, metropolitan area estimates
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by MSA, 2024
- FCC National Broadband Map, fixed broadband availability (data as of December 31, 2025, released 2026-09-29)
- FMCSA Carrier - All With History (operating authority and insurance)
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate