01 · the cities
Washington
Washington DC is power dressed in seersucker. The monuments glow at night, the Smithsonian museums are all free (yes, all of them), and the cherry blossoms in April make even cynical lobbyists pause for a selfie. It's one of the most international cities in America (embassies from everywhere), with food scenes to match. The vibe shifts every four years and the architecture stays magnificent through all of it.
full dispatch→Fort Collins
Fort Collins is the home of New Belgium Brewing (Fat Tire's origin) and a thriving craft beer scene with more breweries than Boulder. Old Town's brick streets and historic storefronts are charming enough that they're said to have influenced Disney's Main Street USA designers. CSU keeps the energy young. The foothills rise right outside town, and Rocky Mountain National Park is an hour away. Quieter than Boulder, less expensive.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,352/mo
$1,971/mo
$381/mo less than Washington (19%)
Median home price
Median home price
$626k
$572k
$54k less than Washington
State income tax
State income tax
8.5%
4.4%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$5,273/mo
$5,996/mo
Fort Collins has $723/mo more gross after rent at $100k
Gross left after rent reflects state income tax but not federal, based on $100k salary. Enter your salary to find your ideal city.
03 · the weather
Pleasant days/yr
Pleasant days/yr
177 days
177 days
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
4 days
11 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
11 days
44 days
days below 20°F per year
Fort Collins has 7 more days above 95°F each year than Washington. Fort Collins drops below 20°F on 33 more days per year than Washington.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
87 / 100
69 / 100
18.0 pts behind Washington
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
160 routes
169 routes
9 more direct routes than Washington
Metro size
Metro size
6.3M metro
371k metro
Washington has 161.0x more events per month than Fort Collins.
the verdict
3
Washington
categories won
5
Fort Collins
categories won
Fort Collins wins on money. Washington has the edge on weather.
run your numbers
How far does your Washington salary go?
Enter your salary to see a full ranked list of cities where you would live better.
see your top citiesWe use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.
Walk Score® is a trademark of Walk Score, a Redfin company. How Walk Score works