Wellington receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Wellington
Fort Collins
Opportunity
64 · Top 34%
vs62 · Top 38%
Growth
59 · Top 34%
vs61 · Top 31%
Climate
55 · Bottom 6%
vs55 · Bottom 6%
Physical resilience
69 · Top 38%
vs69 · Top 36%
Housing affordability
63 · Bottom 24%
vs54 · Bottom 14%
Access
95 · Top 35%
vs100 · Top 1%
Economic stability
78 · Top 11%
vs62 · Top 47%
Measured values
| Metric | Wellington | Fort Collins | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,798 | 170,229 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $107,017 | $85,070 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,408 | $47,458 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,074/sq mi | 2,974/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $464,200 | $577,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,473 | $1,690 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 80.8% | 51.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 3.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.3% | -1.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 46.3% | 60.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.8% | 15.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 48 | 1,614 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.1 | 9.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 26.3% | 66.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 14°F | 14°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 13.4" | 13.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 17 mi | 7 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 32.3 min | 21.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.0 | 30.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 3 | 48 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.66 | 16.34 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 37.2% | 37.0% | 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
Wellington
Elevated or high exposure: hail, wildfire, tornado.
Fort Collins
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.
Wellington
69
Your Score
65
Area Score
Fort Collins
66
Your Score
63
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Wellington, CO · Fort Collins, CO · How this is calculated: methodology