Austin, TX vs Fort Collins, CO

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Austin

68.3

#1322 nationally

Fort Collins

69.4

#1216 nationally

Fort Collins leads in average commute (20.8 min vs 26.8 min). Austin leads in median household income ($91,461 vs $74,126). Fort Collins leads in cost of living index (114 vs 129).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Austin, TX	Fort Collins, CO
WhereAtHome Score	68.3 (#1322)	69.4 (#1216)
Population	967,862	174,851
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$504,148	$565,732
Median Household Income	$91,461	$74,126
Average Commute	26.8 min	20.8 min
Walk Score	42	42
Crime Level	Moderate	Moderate-Low
School Rating	7.2	7.6
Cost of Living Index	129	114
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+39.3	D+17.6