Fort Collins Cost of Living: Monthly Home Costs

What a Fort Collins monthly payment includes

A mortgage payment on a Fort Collins house has four parts. Principal and interest pay the loan. Property tax and homeowners insurance are collected with the payment and held in escrow, then paid once a year. HOA dues are separate and go to the association.

The affordability figures on this site cover the first three, because those come from the loan and the county record. HOA dues are not included because they change by subdivision.

• Principal and interest: the loan payment on the amount you borrow, at your rate and term.
• Property tax: the annual Larimer County bill split into 12 escrow payments.
• Homeowners insurance: the annual premium split into 12 escrow payments.
• HOA dues: paid to the association, outside the mortgage.

The monthly number at the Fort Collins median price

Fort Collins closed 181 residential sales in September 2026 at a citywide median of $535,000, according to the IRES MLS data in our October 2026 market update. Here is that price with 20 percent down and this week's rate.

Principal and interest is the largest line at 82 percent of the payment. Property tax is 7 percent and insurance is 11 percent. The median mixes detached houses and attached homes, so use the exact price when you run your own budget.

• Sale price: $535,000
• Down payment at 20 percent: $107,000
• Loan amount: $428,000 at 7.40 percent for 30 years
• Principal and interest: $2,963 a month
• Property tax: $269 a month, or $3,232 a year
• Homeowners insurance: $384 a month, or $4,605 a year
• Total before HOA: $3,616 a month

How much the mortgage rate changes the payment

The 30-year fixed rate averaged 7.40 percent in the week of October 15, 2026, according to Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey. A year earlier it averaged 6.27 percent. On the same $428,000 loan, this year's rate adds about $323 a month.

The rate you get depends on the lender, your credit, the down payment and the loan type. A quote on the same day from two lenders can differ, so compare the loan estimate rather than the headline rate.

• Mortgage rates statistics — Every weekly Freddie Mac average in 2026
• Mortgage calculator — Test your own price, down payment and rate

Property tax on a Fort Collins home

Larimer County assesses the property, the state sets the residential assessment rate, and the mill levy comes from the county, the city, Poudre School District and any special districts. The annual bill is the assessed value multiplied by the total mill levy.

Our affordability engine reads the effective rate from the tax amounts on 645 active Fort Collins listings. As of October 20, 2026 that rate is 0.604 percent of price a year. On a $535,000 home it comes to $3,232 a year, or $269 a month.

The rate follows the address. A home inside a metropolitan district can carry a much higher mill levy than one outside it, and Weld County towns on the east side of the metro area generally levy less than Larimer County. Ask for the current mill levy on the exact property before you compare two homes.

This is the most common place a buyer's estimate goes wrong. A tax figure copied from the seller's last bill is usually the safest number, because the county assessed that property, not the neighborhood average.

• Weld County vs Larimer County buyer guide — Taxes, prices and lifestyle across the county line

Homeowners insurance in Fort Collins

NerdWallet puts Colorado homeowners insurance at $4,605 a year for a policy with $500,000 dwelling coverage, $300,000 liability and a $1,000 deductible, retrieved October 20, 2026. Insurify lists $4,704 for a comparable Colorado profile. That is the $384 a month in the example above.

Your quote will differ. Roof age, claims history, wildfire score and the replacement cost of the house all move it. Get a quote on the specific address before you write an offer, because a $1,000 difference in the annual premium is about $83 a month.

HOA dues in Fort Collins

Our Fort Collins neighborhood guides show the range. Much of Old Town and many older single-family areas have no HOA. Newer subdivisions commonly run $100 to $300 a month, and condominiums and townhomes usually run higher because the dues cover the building exterior and shared systems.

HOA dues are not part of the mortgage payment and not part of the affordability figures above. Add them before you set a budget ceiling. A metropolitan district levy is a separate line on the property tax bill, so one home can carry both an HOA and a district tax.

• Best neighborhoods in Fort Collins — Price ranges and HOA context by area

What the monthly number leaves out

Mortgage insurance: with less than 20 percent down, a conventional loan usually carries private mortgage insurance until you reach 20 percent equity. An FHA loan carries a mortgage insurance premium for the life of most loans. Ask a lender for the exact amount at your down payment.

Utilities and maintenance: heat, electric, water, sewer, trash and repairs sit outside the payment. Older housing stock and Colorado temperature swings make a maintenance reserve worth planning for.

Closing costs: separate from the down payment and usually paid at closing.

The down payment is the big cash item. Twenty percent of $535,000 is $107,000. CHFA programs can lower the cash needed for income-qualified buyers, and our CHFA guide covers the current programs and county limits.

• CHFA down payment assistance — Current programs, limits and how to qualify
• First-time home buyer guide for Colorado — The full cash-to-closing walkthrough

Check the number on the house you are considering

The median is a starting point. A $450,000 townhome and a $700,000 detached house carry very different payments, and the tax rate and insurance quote belong to the address, not the city.

Our income-needed page runs the same monthly math for 27 Northern Colorado towns, updated daily from IRES MLS prices and the Freddie Mac rate. Our mortgage calculator lets you test your own price, down payment and rate.

If you want the number for a specific house, call (970) 999-1407 or send the form. Adam and Mandi Schwartz will price the payment, the tax and an insurance quote before you write an offer.

• Income needed to buy in Northern Colorado — Monthly payment by town, updated daily
• Fort Collins homes for sale — Current listings and neighborhood guides