Fort Collins is a city located in Larimer County Colorado. Fort Collins has a 2024 population of 170,507. It is also the county seat of Larimer County. Fort Collins is currently growing at a rate of 0.08% annually and its population has increased by 0.31% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 169,982 in 2020.
The average household income in Fort Collins is $105,035 with a poverty rate of 16.25%. The median age in Fort Collins is 30.1 years: 29.8 years for males, and 30.5 years for females.
Fort Collins is located on the Cache La Poudre River about 65 miles outside of Denver.
The Fort Collins-Loveland Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) has a population estimated at 310,500. The Front Range Urban Corridor -- an area stretching from Pueblo, Colorado, and north to Cheyenne, Wyoming -- includes the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood MSA, the Colorado Springs MSA, the Fort Collins MSA, the Pueblo MSA, the Greeley MSA, the Canon City CSA, and the Cheyenne MSA. This corridor has a population of 4.49 million.
Fort Collins is the 4th largest city in Colorado behind Denver, Colorado Springs, and Aurora. This college city has been named as one of the top 10 places to live several times. In 2006, the city was ranked as the best place to live by Money magazine for its excellent school districts, high-tech job market, low crime rates, and outdoor life. It was also called "America's Safest Driving City" by Allstate Insurance as Fort Collins drivers go 14 years between collisions on average. It's also known as one of the cities that inspired the design of Disney's Main Street, USA entrances to its theme parks.
The city also has an extensive beer culture with many microbreweries like Funkwerks, the Odell Brewing Company, the New Belgium Brewing Company, and the Fort Collins Brewery.
Fort Collins is growing rapidly at 2% per year and its growth rate is currently outpacing the state and county rate. According to the census bureau, Fort Collins and Greeley, CO were some of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States in 2014. The Fort Collins-Loveland metro area was the 12th fastest-growing metropolitan region in the country between 2013 and 2014. In one year, over 14,000 people moved to Northern Colorado due to the universities, a strong economy, and gas and oil jobs.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Fort Collins was:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
|---|---|---|
| White | 139,687 | 82.77% |
| Two or more races | 15,686 | 9.29% |
| Asian | 5,724 | 3.39% |
| Other race | 3,700 | 2.19% |
| Black or African American | 2,308 | 1.37% |
| Native American | 1,386 | 0.82% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 267 | 0.16% |
White
Two or more races
Asian
Other race
Black or African American
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 69,953 | 2.29 | 51.7 | 48.3 |
| Non Family | 34,083 | 1.61 | 30.7 | 69.3 |
| Married | 28,733 | 2.95 | 78.2 | 21.8 |
| Female | 4,592 | 2.98 | 49.3 | 50.7 |
| Male | 2,545 | 2.8 | 37.1 | 62.9 |
2.85
Average Family Size
2.29
Average Household Size
51.7%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 9th to 12th Grade | 2,006 | 1.96% |
| Associates Degree | 8,685 | 8.48% |
| Bachelors Degree | 34,423 | 33.61% |
| Graduate Degree | 25,311 | 24.72% |
| High School Graduate | 13,737 | 13.41% |
| Less Than 9th Grade | 1,004 | 0.98% |
| Some College | 17,242 | 16.84% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 83,650 | 82,359 | 51,002 |
| Hispanic | 10,310 | 9,044 | 3,713 |
| 2+ Races | 7,474 | 7,132 | 3,333 |
| Asian | 3,209 | 2,951 | 2,370 |
| Other Race | 2,214 | 1,866 | 855 |
| Black | 1,206 | 1,077 | 404 |
| Native American | 716 | 616 | 225 |
| Islander | 159 | 159 | 21 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among islander people with a rate of 100%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 73.85%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelors Degree | $58,010 | $75,380 | $46,278 |
| Graduate Degree | $78,137 | $100,756 | $64,095 |
| High School Graduate | $42,151 | $44,877 | $34,401 |
| Less Than 9th Grade | $36,920 | $43,648 | $23,550 |
| Overall | $54,123 | $64,402 | $44,681 |
| Some College | $39,544 | $44,780 | $33,853 |
$54,123
Average Earnings
$64,402
Average Male
$44,681
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
89.55% of Fort Collins residents speak only English, while 10.45% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 5.41% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 125,797 | 19,818 | 15.75% |
| Hispanic | 19,337 | 3,230 | 16.7% |
| Multiple | 14,944 | 2,486 | 16.64% |
| Asian | 5,271 | 997 | 18.91% |
| Other | 3,624 | 775 | 21.39% |
| Black | 1,901 | 407 | 21.41% |
| Native | 1,300 | 184 | 14.15% |
| Islander | 258 | 84 | 32.56% |
16.25%
Overall Poverty Rate
14.72%
Male Poverty Rate
17.78%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Fort Collins is Islander, with 32.56% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Fort Collins is Native, with 14.15% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 3.48%. Among those working part-time, it was 31.57%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 23.89%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Less Than 9th Grade | 20.27% |
| High School | 12.38% |
| Some College | 11.48% |
| Bachelors or Greater | 5.61% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Male Unemployed | 39.6% |
| Female Unemployed | 36.48% |
| Female Employed | 16.3% |
| Male Employed | 9.8% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| Families | $114,740 | $137,621 |
| Households | $78,977 | $105,035 |
| Married Families | $130,533 | $153,241 |
| Non Families | $49,693 | $68,401 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
41.0%
Overall Marriage Rate
41.2%
Male Marriage Rate
40.8%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is 55-64, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
7,241
Number of Veterans
6,346
Male Veterans
895
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
|---|---|
| Second Gulf War | 2,651 |
| Vietnam | 2,042 |
| First Gulf War | 1,288 |
| Korea | 316 |
| World War II | 118 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
|---|---|
| 18 to 34 | 1,558 |
| 35 to 54 | 1,548 |
| 75+ | 1,437 |
| 65 to 74 | 1,405 |
| 55 to 64 | 1,293 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| White | 6,657 | 5.64% |
| Hispanic | 528 | 3.47% |
| 2+ Races | 228 | 2.13% |
| Other Race | 121 | 4.18% |
| Asian | 98 | 2.05% |
| Black | 89 | 4.58% |
| Native American | 31 | 2.88% |
| Islander | 17 | 7.05% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
7.38%
Veteran Poverty Rate
23.9%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
70.8%
Labor Force Participation
66.6%
Employment Rate
5.3%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
37.41%
Born in Fort Collins
92.85%
Native Born
7.15%
Foreign Born
4.04%
Non Citizen
3.11%
Naturalized
92.85% of Fort Collins residents were born in the United States, with 37.41% having been born in Colorado. 4.04% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2029 | 171,164 | 132 | 0.08% |
| 2028 | 171,032 | 131 | 0.08% |
| 2027 | 170,901 | 131 | 0.08% |
| 2026 | 170,770 | 132 | 0.08% |
| 2025 | 170,638 | 131 | 0.08% |
| 2024 | 170,507 | 131 | 0.08% |
| 2023 | 170,376 | 262 | 0.15% |
| 2022 | 170,114 | 835 | 0.49% |
| 2021 | 169,279 | -703 | -0.41% |
| 2020 | 169,982 | 1,925 | 1.15% |
| 2019 | 168,057 | 1,656 | 1% |
| 2018 | 166,401 | 1,821 | 1.11% |
| 2017 | 164,580 | 1,851 | 1.14% |
| 2016 | 162,729 | 1,769 | 1.1% |
| 2015 | 160,960 | 4,945 | 3.17% |
| 2014 | 156,015 | 4,246 | 2.8% |
| 2013 | 151,769 | 2,195 | 1.47% |
| 2012 | 149,574 | 2,223 | 1.51% |
| 2011 | 147,351 | 2,228 | 1.54% |
| 2010 | 145,123 | 0 | 0% |
| 2000 | 118,652 | 30,894 | 35.2% |
| 1990 | 87,758 | 22,666 | 34.82% |
| 1980 | 65,092 | 21,755 | 50.2% |
| 1970 | 43,337 | 18,310 | 73.16% |
| 1960 | 25,027 | 10,090 | 67.55% |
| 1950 | 14,937 | 2,686 | 21.92% |
| 1940 | 12,251 | 762 | 6.63% |
| 1930 | 11,489 | 2,734 | 31.23% |
| 1920 | 8,755 | 545 | 6.64% |
| 1910 | 8,210 | 5,157 | 168.92% |
| 1900 | 3,053 | -168,111 | -98.22% |