Fort Collins vs Sparks
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $483,800 in Sparks and $577,900 in Fort Collins.
- Fort Collins gets far more snow: 51 inches a year vs 21.
- Sparks has more scorching days: 65 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 29.
- Sparks is growing faster: +3.2% since 2020 vs +1%.
- Commutes are shorter in Fort Collins (20 vs 24 minutes each way).
- Nevada has no state income tax on wages; Colorado's top rate is 4.4%.
Side by side
| Fort Collins, CO | Sparks, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 171,500 | 111,902 |
| Growth since 2020 | +1% | +3.2% |
| People per square mile | 2,996 | 3,066 |
| Median age | 30.9 | 37.2 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 61% | 28% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $85,070 | $89,056 |
| Median home value | $577,900 | $483,800 |
| Home value to income | 6.8× | 5.4× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,690 | $1,716 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 101.1 | 101.0 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 120.6 | 123.5 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $75,800 | $75,800 |
| Homeowners | 52% | 60% |
| Top state income tax | 4.4% | None |
| Combined sales tax | 7.89% | 8.24% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 19.5 | 24.0 |
| Work from home | 22% | 11% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.4% | 5.2% |
| Poverty rate | 15.8% | 8.5% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 45° / 18° | 48° / 26° |
| July high / low | 87° / 59° | 94° / 60° |
| Precipitation per year | 16 in | 7 in |
| Snowfall per year | 51 in | 21 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 29 | 65 |
| Nights below freezing | 150 | 122 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 90.1 | 96.7 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 51% | 50% |
| Home prices, past year | +0.2% | +3.8% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +29.3% | +30.3% |
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. Sparks: May to June and September.
Full monthly tables: Fort Collins weather by month and Sparks 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 $75,800 in Sparks. Moving from Fort Collins to Sparks, you would need about $74,900 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Fort Collins and Sparks
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 Sparks.
Which would you pick?
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