Fort Collins-Loveland cost of living
Prices in the Fort Collins-Loveland, CO metro area run at 101.1 against a national average of 100, ranking it #65 of 387 metros. Rents there sit at 120.6.
What drives the number
Fort Collins-Loveland sits at 101.1, which is as close to the national average as this series gets. Places at the average are rarer than people assume, and it means a dollar here goes about as far as a dollar anywhere. Against Colorado as a whole it is 2 points less expensive, which is the unusual direction, and it means the expensive part of the state is somewhere else.
Housing is doing nearly all of the work. Rents sit at 120.6 while goods sit at 96.1, a gap of 19.5 points between what it costs to live somewhere and what it costs to buy things. Goods barely vary across the country because most are shipped and priced nationally, so a place is expensive almost entirely to the extent its housing is.
A salary offer here is worth less than the same offer somewhere at 100, and the parity is the arithmetic that says by how much. Divide the offer by 101.1 and multiply by 100 to get the nationally comparable figure.
The vertical line is the national average of 100. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, SARPP, 2024.
What the biggest local jobs are really worth
The same pay buys different amounts in different places, so a salary quoted in Fort Collins-Loveland is not comparable to one quoted elsewhere until it is divided by the local parity. These are the occupations that employ the most people here, with the quoted median alongside what that median is worth at national prices.
| Occupation | Employed | Median pay | Worth nationally | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | 5,400 | $35,530 | $35,143 | $34,580 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 5,210 | $34,380 | $34,006 | $30,480 |
| Registered Nurses | 4,470 | $96,600 | $95,549 | $93,600 |
| Cashiers | 3,740 | $34,750 | $34,372 | $31,190 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 3,070 | $40,830 | $40,386 | $37,090 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 2,570 | $34,580 | $34,204 | $33,760 |
| General and Operations Managers | 2,470 | $113,950 | $112,710 | $102,950 |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 2,460 | $79,630 | $78,764 | $81,270 |
Pay from the BLS metro survey, adjusted by dividing by the metro parity of 101.1.
Nearby metro areas
| Metro area | All items | Rents | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | 105.8 | 146.9 | #24 |
| Boulder | 105.2 | 157.0 | #29 |
| Colorado Springs | 100.7 | 116.2 | #75 |
| Greeley | 100.2 | 112.6 | #85 |
| Grand Junction | 95.5 | 86.4 | #157 |
| Pueblo | 91.8 | 71.3 | #251 |
Fort Collins-Loveland: common questions
Is Fort Collins-Loveland expensive?
Prices are 1.1% above the national average, a parity of 101.1 where the country is 100. It ranks #65 of the 387 metro areas BEA measures. Against Colorado as a whole it is 2 points less expensive.
What salary do you need in Fort Collins-Loveland?
The median worker there earns $53,620, which buys what $53,037 buys nationally once local prices are taken into account. Comparing a salary offer between cities without this adjustment is comparing nothing useful.
Is housing the reason?
Usually. Rents here are at 120.6 against goods at 96.1. Goods barely vary between American cities because most are shipped and priced nationally; housing varies enormously, and it dominates any cost of living comparison.