Fort Collins and Salem receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Fort Collins
Salem
Opportunity
62 · Top 38%
vs55 · Bottom 47%
Growth
61 · Top 31%
vs73 · Top 13%
Climate
55 · Bottom 6%
vs63 · Bottom 27%
Physical resilience
69 · Top 36%
vs78 · Top 27%
Housing affordability
54 · Bottom 14%
vs52 · Bottom 12%
Access
100 · Top 1%
vs98 · Top 15%
Economic stability
62 · Top 47%
vs64 · Top 42%
Measured values
| Metric | Fort Collins | Salem | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 170,229 | 44,795 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $85,070 | $85,153 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $47,458 | $50,339 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,974/sq mi | 5,401/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $577,900 | $542,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,690 | $1,836 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 51.6% | 49.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 4.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.3% | -1.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 60.7% | 47.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 15.8% | 12.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,614 | 177 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 9.5 | 4.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 66.9% | 378.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 14°F | 20°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 13.4" | 44.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 7 mi | 11 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.3 min | 31.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 30.9 | 39.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 48 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.34 | 11.78 | 2024-25 school 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
Fort Collins
Elevated or high exposure: hail, wildfire, tornado.
Salem
Elevated or high exposure: coastal flooding, earthquake, hurricane.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Fort Collins
66
Your Score
63
Area Score
Salem
65
Your Score
62
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Fort Collins, CO · Salem, MA · How this is calculated: methodology