Fort Collins vs Salt Lake City
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $539,500 in Salt Lake City and $577,900 in Fort Collins.
- Households earn more in Fort Collins ($85,070 vs $75,090 median).
- Fort Collins has the warmer winter: January highs of 45°F vs 39°F.
- Salt Lake City has more scorching days: 62 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 29.
- Salt Lake City is growing faster: +9.4% since 2020 vs +1%.
Side by side
| Fort Collins, CO | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 171,500 | 218,428 |
| Growth since 2020 | +1% | +9.4% |
| People per square mile | 2,996 | 1,970 |
| Median age | 30.9 | 32.9 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 61% | 52% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $85,070 | $75,090 |
| Median home value | $577,900 | $539,500 |
| Home value to income | 6.8× | 7.2× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,690 | $1,414 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 101.1 | 100.9 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 120.6 | 123.3 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $75,800 | $75,700 |
| Homeowners | 52% | 46% |
| Top state income tax | 4.4% | 4.5% |
| Combined sales tax | 7.89% | 7.42% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 19.5 | 19.5 |
| Work from home | 22% | 21% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 5% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.4% | 4.2% |
| Poverty rate | 15.8% | 13.6% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 45° / 18° | 39° / 24° |
| July high / low | 87° / 59° | 94° / 68° |
| Precipitation per year | 16 in | 16 in |
| Snowfall per year | 51 in | 52 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 29 | 62 |
| Nights below freezing | 150 | 112 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 4 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 90.1 | 98.6 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 51% | 33% |
| Home prices, past year | +0.2% | +2.4% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +29.3% | +33.4% |
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. Salt Lake City: May to June and September to October.
Full monthly tables: Fort Collins weather by month and Salt Lake City 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 $75,700 in Salt Lake City. Moving from Fort Collins to Salt Lake City, you would need about $74,800 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Fort Collins and Salt Lake City
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 Salt Lake City.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.