Fort Collins, Colorado Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Fort Collins, CO Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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A
Health Above average
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C
Income Below average
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A+
Education Top grade
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Fort Collins | Colorado Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 155,858 | 5,842,429 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2664.2 | 56.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.75% | 1.09% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 31.5 | 35.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 66,528 | 2,364,171 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Fort Collins grew by 25.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 155,858 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Fort Collins is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 37.0% of residents. That is 14.4 points above Colorado as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 57,636 37.0% +14.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 33,799 21.7% -2.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 23,671 15.2% -4.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 18,203 11.7% -3.6 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Colorado, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.1% of the people living in Fort Collins and men 49.9%.
- Women 50.1% Colorado 49.4%
- Men 49.9% Colorado 50.6%
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Economy
Fort Collins has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Fort Collins | Colorado Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $82,571 | $95,803 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.16% | 5.41% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Fort Collins is about 14% lower than in Colorado.
Housing
| Metric | Fort Collins | Colorado Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $422,093 | $484,034 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,679 | $1,761 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 50.2% | 66.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Fort Collins is about 20.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,679 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Fort Collins spend about 34 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 140 hours, about 5.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Fort Collins | Colorado Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.9 | 22.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 33.7 | 44.1 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 140 | 184 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,354 | $5,694 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 20.7% | 21.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 13,666 | 8,183 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,771 | 1,277 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Fort Collins is 17 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in Colorado.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Fort Collins has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Fort Collins | Colorado Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 46.2% | 40.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.21 | 2.42 | 2.53 |
Health
Fort Collins has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Fort Collins | Colorado Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.0 | 80.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 9.3% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 12.9% | 16.1% | 19.0% |
Fort Collins, CO Compared With Nearby Cities
How Fort Collins, CO compares with the 2 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Collins, CO | 155,858 | $82,571 #3/3 | $422,093 #3/3 | 16.9 min #1/3 |
| Loveland, CO | 66,361 | $83,475 | $476,755 | 22.6 min |
| Windsor, CO | 24,053 | $116,259 | $429,503 | 22.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Fort Collins, Colorado.
How many people live in Fort Collins, Colorado?
About 155,858 people live in Fort Collins, Colorado, in 66,528 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 31.5, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Fort Collins, Colorado urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Fort Collins, Colorado has 2,664 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 31 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Fort Collins, Colorado?
The median home costs 5.1 times the median household income ($422,093 against $82,571), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,679 a month takes about 24% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Fort Collins, Colorado?
46.2% of adults in Fort Collins, Colorado hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 2), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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