Photo: Citycommunications at English Wikipedia · CC BY 3.0Within Colorado, Fort Collins is healthier than 45% of graded towns
Fort Collins differs from Colorado on 15 of 26 measures CDC estimates: 10 better, 5 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Fort Collins. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Fort Collins
Colorado sets a high bar
Fort Collins is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns, but only 45% of the 159 Colorado towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
Mental distress runs high in Fort Collins
1 in 5 adults are in frequent mental distress (18.7%), vs 16% across Colorado. Depression is above the state too: 26.5%, vs 22.7% across Colorado. Mind & connection ↓
Fort Collins has a five-star hospital
Poudre Valley Hospital is rated 5 of 5 stars by Medicare and has an emergency room. Getting care ↓
Diabetes and heart disease are less common in Fort Collins
Fort Collins runs below Colorado on five chronic conditions, most of all diabetes (6.2% vs 8.6%), heart disease (4.1% vs 5.1%) and stroke (2.2% vs 2.7%). Conditions ↓
Fort Collins is an active town
Only 14.1% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 17.7% across Colorado. The town has 117 miles of trails across 89 parks and preserves. Habits ↓
Written from the CDC, Medicare and HRSA data on this page. CDC PLACES 2025 release: modeled estimates for adults, not counts; “higher” and “lower” mean the Colorado figure falls outside Fort Collins’ likely range.
What’s behind Fort Collins’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Fort Collins is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns, #88 of 159 in Colorado. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than almost every U.S. town); mental distress pulls it down (better than 22%).
Health estimates follow income closely across the country: towns with higher household incomes usually score higher (a correlation of 0.77 across 21,157 graded towns). Fort Collins’ median household income is $85,070; among the 10,400 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($64K–$106K), it’s healthier than 95%, about where its income would put it.
At 171,500 residents, Fort Collins is graded like any town, from one citywide estimate; its rank among the 395 U.S. cities over 100,000 is the fairer comparison.
How Fort Collins adults are doing
On 2 of 2 measures, Fort Collins runs above Colorado.
A hello is a start.
Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.
Care in and near Fort Collins
1 hospital and 1 community health center in Fort Collins, plus the nearest just outside it.
Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income. Distances are straight-line from the center of Fort Collins; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
Out of every 100 Fort Collins adults…
Fort Collins runs below CO on 8 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 13% of Fort Collins residents are 65 or older, vs 16% across Colorado. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis run low partly because the town is young.
Everyday habits, side by side with Colorado
Share of adults, with the Colorado figure marked.
117 miles of trails across 89 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Fort Collins adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Colorado.
Fort Collins and the towns around it
Fort Collins’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 3 graded towns around it.
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Collins | A | 23.8% | 6.2% | 9.9% | CDC place |
| Windsor | A | 29.2% | 8% | 9.9% | CDC place |
| Timnath | A+ | 22.3% | 5.7% | 8% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Fort Collins adults live with a disability (Colorado 27.1%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Fort Collins
Share of adults, 33 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 26 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Fort Collins is better than Colorado on 10 and worse on 5; on the rest, the Colorado figure falls inside Fort Collins’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Fort Collins | CO | U.S. | vs CO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 14%12.4–15.7 | 15.5% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.2%10.1–12.5 | 11.9% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.7%16.9–20.6 | 16% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 23.8%20.1–27.7 | 26.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 6.2%5.5–7.1 | 8.6% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 22.6%20.2–25 | 27% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 27.4%24.7–30.2 | 31.5% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 19.3%17.4–21.3 | 22.9% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 11.6%10.4–12.9 | 10.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 6.9%6.3–7.5 | 7.8% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 4.1%3.7–4.6 | 5.1% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 4.7%4.2–5.2 | 5.3% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.2%2–2.4 | 2.7% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 8.9%7.1–10.9 | 9.2% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 9.9%8.6–11.3 | 10.9% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 14.1%12–16.5 | 17.7% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 20.3%17.6–23.2 | 19% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 28.8%25–32.9 | 30.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 9.4%8.3–10.7 | 11.1% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 67.5%64–70.9 | 71.4% | 77.4% | Worse |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 63.2%60.1–66.4 | 64.6% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 80%78–82 | 85.2% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 65.3%62.3–68.2 | 69.5% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 63%58.7–67.2 | 62.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 67%59.7–73.9 | 71.6% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 26.5%23.5–29.6 | 22.7% | 20.6% | Worse |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 27.4%24.6–30.4 | 27.1% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 8.3%7.4–9.4 | 10.4% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 16.1%14.6–17.8 | 13.9% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.5%4.9–6.1 | 6.4% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 4.1%3.8–4.5 | 4.2% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.6%6.8–8.4 | 6.7% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.6%2.4–2.8 | 2.9% | 3.8% | Lower |
Each figure is the share of adults 18+ unless the label says otherwise; small numbers after it are CDC’s likely range (95% interval). “About the same” means the Colorado figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Fort Collins
Is Fort Collins a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Fort Collins is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns: A for health, #88 of 159 in Colorado. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 95%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Fort Collins?
CDC estimates 23.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 20.1% and 27.7%, against 26.1% across Colorado and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Fort Collins?
Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, 1.7 miles in a straight line from Fort Collins’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.
How many people in Fort Collins have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 9.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 8.3–10.7%), against 11.1% across Colorado.
How accurate are these numbers?
They’re modeled estimates: CDC applies national survey answers to each area’s age, sex, race and education mix, so they describe who lives in Fort Collins more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from A− to A.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Fort Collins.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Colorado figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. The Health Grade is our own summary of CDC’s estimates, not an official rating. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.