Fort Collins vs Meridian
The short version
- Meridian is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 3% lower than in the Fort Collins area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $531,600 in Meridian and $577,900 in Fort Collins.
- Households earn more in Meridian ($100,795 vs $85,070 median).
- Fort Collins has the warmer winter: January highs of 45°F vs 39°F.
- Fort Collins gets far more snow: 51 inches a year vs 18.
- Meridian has more scorching days: 55 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 29.
- Meridian is growing faster: +21.4% since 2020 vs +1%.
Side by side
| Fort Collins, CO | Meridian, ID | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 171,500 | 142,988 |
| Growth since 2020 | +1% | +21.4% |
| People per square mile | 2,996 | 3,851 |
| Median age | 30.9 | 37.5 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 61% | 44% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $85,070 | $100,795 |
| Median home value | $577,900 | $531,600 |
| Home value to income | 6.8× | 5.3× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,690 | $1,805 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 101.1 | 98.4 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 120.6 | 105.6 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $75,800 | $73,800 |
| Homeowners | 52% | 75% |
| Top state income tax | 4.4% | 5.3% |
| Combined sales tax | 7.89% | 6.03% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 19.5 | 22.4 |
| Work from home | 22% | 19% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 0% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.4% | 2.7% |
| Poverty rate | 15.8% | 6% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 45° / 18° | 39° / 26° |
| July high / low | 87° / 59° | 93° / 62° |
| Precipitation per year | 16 in | 12 in |
| Snowfall per year | 51 in | 18 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 29 | 55 |
| Nights below freezing | 150 | 108 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 90.1 | 87.8 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 51% | 50% |
| Home prices, past year | +0.2% | +3.7% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +29.3% | +25.7% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Fort Collins: May to June and August to September. Meridian: May to June and September.
Full monthly tables: Fort Collins weather by month and Meridian weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $75,800 in Fort Collins and $73,800 in Meridian. Moving from Fort Collins to Meridian, you would need about $73,000 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Fort Collins and Meridian
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Fort Collins and Meridian.
Which would you pick?
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