Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 12,169, settled in 1902.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Wellington grades B overall, ranked 75th of 158 in Colorado. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 89% of the country. Its schools outperform 89% of the state's. The trade-off is money: the typical home is worth about $465K, 5 years of the Fort Collins metro’s $94K median household income. Wellington’s median rent is $2,473 a month, above both Colorado’s towns ($1,807 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). Wellington has 4 places on the National Register. Only 9 of the 159 Colorado towns we compare have a higher share of children under 18 than Wellington.
Where Wellington beats most towns.
6,289 counted in 2010 and 11,047 in 2020; an estimated 12,169 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 9.9% since 2020, after 75.7% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Colorado), ordered by how far Wellington is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 459 in 1910, 11,047 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1937 and 2 maps from 1960 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Wellington, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Wellington.
Wellington sends most of its workers to Fort Collins and beyond, pairs an A for schools with high home prices and is healthy by national standards but mid-pack in Colorado.
Within Colorado it is healthier than 51% of the 159 graded towns: Colorado sets a high bar.
67% of adults had a checkup this year in Wellington. Wellington beats the Colorado average on 10 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 22% of adults binge drink in Wellington.
| Wellington | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 67% | 71% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 18% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 27% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 6% | 8.5% | 12% |
| What stands out | Wellington | CO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 6% | 8.6% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 3.7% | 5.1% |
| More adults with depression | 26.1% | 22.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its A for schools comes with a C− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $465K.
Its public schools are run by the Poudre School District R-1. Its three schools are below. The largest public high school is Wellington Middle-High School, with 1,173 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eyestone Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 619 | B |
| Wellington Middle-High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 1,173 | C+ |
| Rice Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 401 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CO on state tests and graduation
Wellington has 1,312 jobs for its 5,301 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. Jobs based here grew from 679 in 2013 to 1,312.
Most working residents leave Wellington for work: only 6% work in town. Wellington’s average trip to work is 31 minutes. Jobs based in Wellington grew to 1,312 in 2023, 633 more than in 2013.
| Wellington | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $107,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 19% | 18% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 6.2% | 7.8% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Children under 18 are 30% of residents (21% statewide); people 65 and older are 8% of residents (16% statewide). Wellington has grown 9.9% since 2020, to 12,169 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 46% of Wellington adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more.
| Wellington | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 8.2% | 15% | 18% |
| Median age | 35 years | 38.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 46% | 44% | 29% |
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.5 points. Across Colorado, 49.3% of residents are women.
| Wellington | CO | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 18.9% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.2% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.3% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.5% | 15.7% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 22% | 14.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.4% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 7.6% | 11.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 6.7% | 9.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 1.4% | 5.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.3% | 7.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 19.5% | 19.7% | 26% |
| Some college | 19% | 19.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12.9% | 8.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 35.6% | 28.1% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.7% | 17.6% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Wellington has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 88°, January nights drop to 16° and about 34 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical Wellington home is worth about $465,000, about the same as a year ago, 12% below the Colorado typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 60% of U.S. communities. Since 1982, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Wellington.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
2.2 miles of trail in 9 parks and preserves. The trail density in Wellington is 0.5 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is Wellington Community Park, at 38 acres.
| Wellington | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 1.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.4% | 7% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. West Side 9 Hole Disc Golf | 0.3 mi | 22 |
| 2. East Side 9 Hole Disc Golf | 0.3 mi | 12 |
| 3. Wellington Community Park | — | 38 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Wellington
About 5 of every 100 Wellington residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Colorado.
Where Wellington’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Town in Colorado, United States
Wellington is a statutory town in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. The population was 11,047 at the 2020 census. Wellington is situated in the northern part of Colorado, and it is part of the Fort Collins-Loveland Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Wellington grades B overall, better than 61% of U.S. towns and #75 of 158 in Colorado. It grades A for health and A for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.