9 out of 10 for its size. 12 yr resident. Comprehe
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7/6/2011
I'm going to try and cover everything I can think of... I have been a Fort Collins transplant since July of 1999.
Climate - Beautiful 4 seasons, a few winter snow storms not usually with much accumulation - occasionally a few ft. but then everyone gets a snow day! Temps anywhere from 30s to teens... with occasional negative temps. Spring/Summer occasional thundershowers. Summers anywhere from 80s to high 90s with rare 100s if any. We have breezy days that cool you off when its too hot.
Cost of Living - I would say its a little higher than average... Gas is generally about $.25-$.75 cents less than CA but about $.25-$.75 more than places like WY. Groceries are a little more expensive but taxpayers approved a 2.25% tax on groceries that contributes to that. (Speaking of taxpayers... they generally like to increase taxes for silly stuff like parks and recreation.) Rent has recently increased to a level that I consider too expensive for the area. A 2 bdrm apartment is about $900-$1200. (I can't tell you about home ownership other than to say the "rich" areas of town are around 300k and the lower end about 190k.) Utilities I consider to be cheap... coming from CA. Again 2 bdrm apt runs about $50 (frugal) to $100 (above average usage) a month.
Crime- Generally not so bad for the population. We've had a few bike/car stealing sprees in the last 12 yrs. A few (major in my eyes) violent crimes. A guy that was entering open windows and molesting women one summer. Then there was a guy that posed as a cop and killed a girl about 8-9 yrs ago. He turned himself in. I know that sounds pretty bad, but seriously in 12 years that is the worst I've seen for crime. There are CSU college parties that get shut down by police sometimes, but in recent years have gotten better. We have many very nice neighborhoods with little crime and a few bad neighborhoods with more crime. There is some gang activity. If Compton is a 10 for gang activity Ft. Collins is a 2. And this behavior is concentrated in those few bad neighborhoods.
Politics - I can never tell it varies with all the CSU students. But it may lean more towards democrats. Its close.
Religion is mostly Catholic and Protestant. There are a few mega churches in town. The Latter Day Saints are thinking or trying to build a temple here. (I don't know much about it). There is an Orthodox church just outside of town. I think there are a lot of churches in town. Just about all major religions have a meeting place here.
Transportation - One of my only Ft Collins pet peeves. No Sunday service and Mon-Sat is 6am-7pm. However, they do cater to the University... during the school year there are later buses but only to areas that have high student population. They've been trying to work on this in recent years but I'm still disappointed. They do have decent disabled services (although they may have made some cuts to it this year). Under 18 is free and Adults are 1.25 per ride or you can buy an annual pass for $154. We have a lot of bike trails and bikers in the community.
Social Services - This is a great community for helping those in need. We have 2 homeless shelters that are tucked away and not an "eye-sore" as some would say. There are many social service agencies that help with many needs.
Health - Excellent! We have a magnet hospital (not sure what that means LOL) but I have been there many times with kids and adults (I know a lot of accident prone people hehe) and they have always taken very good care of everyone in a timely manner. (even the ones who had trouble paying) There are many excellent Doctor's offices and even low income resources. Additionally, we have excellent disabled resources here.
Education - K-12 Average to Above Average with a few free charter schools. Higher Ed - Above Average to Excellent. Community College, University, Several specialty colleges. Costs are reviewed by this website.
Last bit...
Culture/Recreation/Quality of Life - Excellent!! Horsetooth Reservoir 15 mins away, the best damn DOG PARK in the state of Colorado, awesome parks, a water park for kids, so many biking trails its sick. Tree City! We are a bunch of outdoorsy folks. So many outdoor recreation opportunities within 30 mins I can't list. Culture... I'm not as versed on. We have a newly remodeled arts center for music/plays etc. We have a dinner theater. We have more restaurants per capita than most other cities this size. I can't think of everything but message if you have a specific question on what we have here.
Overall... I have lived in Santa Cruz/Felton, CA; Clovis/Fresno, CA; Auburn/Roseville/Sacramento, CA; Watsonville/Moss Landing, CA; Bremerton, WA; Reno, NV; Coos Bay, OR; and Millingon, TN. I've lived in crappy areas and nice areas... Fort Collins is the best place I've ever been. This community has grown so much in the last 12 years, but it has remained a great community. People are mostly very nice here(of course with all cities there are a few idiots) and its a slower paced city.
Let me know if you have questions!!
~Laura
Laura | Fort Collins, CO