Fort Collins-Loveland receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Boulder
Fort Collins-Loveland
Opportunity
55 · Top 50%
vs66 · Top 29%
Growth
58 · Top 38%
vs67 · Top 24%
Climate
42 · Bottom 1%
vs45 · Bottom 1%
Physical resilience
53 · Bottom 47%
vs70 · Top 29%
Housing affordability
54 · Bottom 3%
vs62 · Bottom 7%
Access
94 · Top 18%
vs88 · Top 28%
Economic stability
85 · Top 8%
vs83 · Top 10%
Measured values
| Metric | Boulder | Fort Collins-Loveland | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 328,961 | 367,368 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $103,994 | $93,765 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $62,436 | $51,165 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 453/sq mi | 142/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $756,300 | $569,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,966 | $1,716 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 62.0% | 64.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 3.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.1% | -1.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 64.2% | 53.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.2% | 11.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 2,321 | 2,421 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 7.1 | 6.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 34.5% | 13.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 68°F | 74°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 12°F | 11°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 33.9" | 20.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 20 mi | 29 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.2 min | 25.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.7 | 36.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Boulder
Elevated or high exposure: hail, wildfire, tornado.
Fort Collins-Loveland
Elevated or high exposure: hail, wildfire, tornado.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Boulder
63
Your Score
56
Area Score
Fort Collins-Loveland
69
Your Score
65
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Boulder, CO Metro Area · Fort Collins-Loveland, CO Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology