Home

This is a Free Newsletter! Click Here to Become a Subscriber!

Short Profiles of Reader Requested Towns

In their search for a great retirement spot, readers ask us to profile all kinds of towns, from the places they grew up or attended college to places they have visited in their travels or just heard about from other people.  This page is where we address these profile requests.

---

---

Fort Collins, Colorado

7/9/2010

Nestled on the plains at the base of the Rocky Mountains in north central Colorado, pretty Fort Collins is a place enthused with possibility, relaxed Colorado chic and educated residents.  The city has a population of 135,000 and often tops lists of the best places to live, thanks to its low crime rate, plentiful restaurants, excellent medical care, great senior services, solid economy, lovely setting, azure skies, relatively mild climate and strong appreciation for the environment.  It is a healthy place to live, full of parks (40), bicycle paths (along nearly any street) and close to all that the nearby Rockies have to offer (skiing, hiking, fishing, backpacking, rafting, bird watching, etc.).  Residents here, including retirees, tend to lead active lives. The cost of living is slightly above the national average, and the median home price is above the national average at $210,000 (Sunflower is a new 55+ manufactured home community with lower prices).  Prices have been dropping, but over the last year, the median home price has only dropped about 5%.  Of the population, 17% is age 45 to 64, and 8% is age 65 or better.

The lifeblood of Fort Collins is Colorado State University (population 25,000), Colorado's second largest public institution (after the University of Colorado in Boulder), and its presence cannot be overstated.  While most of northern Colorado is generally conservative, Fort Collins tilts left, and the city government is progressive.  There always seems to be something going on, from the annual Greek festival to a CSU football game to a performance by the Fort Collins Symphony.  Small art galleries, breweries, bookstores, pubs, coffee houses, restaurants and shops are nestled in Old Town (downtown), and malls and other shopping venues are sprinkled throughout the city.  Fort Collins also has a lively music scene.  The local climate brings summer temperatures in the 70s, 80s and 90s, with blue, dappled skies and very low humidity.  Winters see temperatures in the 20s, 30s and 40s with, on average, several inches of snow per month (but it melts quickly). The elevation is 5,000 feet, and the sun shines 300+ days a year.  Water quality beats the national average, and air quality is outstanding.

Transfort is the local bus system (people age 60+ ride for $.60), and there is a Dial-a-Ride option.  Internet service is provided by Qwest and Comcast, among others.   The Fort Collins library has three branches and is well stocked.   Poudre Valley Hospital is the local medical center and a recipient of the 2008 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award – "the highest Presidential honor given to United States businesses and organizations that demonstrate performance excellence."  It was also named a Top 100 Hospital from 2003-2007.  More medical care is located in Denver (population 2.7 million in metro-area), just an hour south via a major interstate.

The Fort Collins Senior Center is located in a lovely building and was named one of the top twelve senior centers in the country by the National Council on Aging and the National Institute of Senior Centers (2008-2009).  The Center offers an impressive selection of services and activities, from a theater troupe to life long learning through the Front Range Forum, and it has a pool, a spa, a gym, a library and more.  Membership ($25 per year) is required for many of the programs.

Fort Collins, originally a military outpost, is today a very livable city with a high quality of life, but it is not perfect.   College students hang out in most places, and the city has had problems in the past with noise complaints from weekend parties.  To combat this, a new program, the Pilot Party Noise Warning Program, recently went into effect, giving student party hosts a chance to receive a warning call from police before being cited for noise violations.  The program was instituted in a year ago and is continuing because it seems to be helping solve the noise issue.  Fort Collins is also not particularly diverse, and some complain that long-time residents are not welcoming of new residents, particularly those from California and Texas.   The city is growing (12% since 2000), many say too fast, causing serious traffic congestion and suburban sprawl on city outskirts.   Drought conditions have been a concern in recent years, but this is the West, and lack of water in the West will always be an issue.

Recommended as a Retirement Spot? X Yes X

Although it has some drawbacks, including a sometimes rowdy student population and a few residents who are not thrilled with out-of-staters discovering their city, Fort Collins is safe, clean, vibrant and progressive, offering a healthy lifestyle in a pretty, four season locale.