Fort Collins, Colorado: Lauren, I Think You'd Actually Like It Here 🏔️💛

 

Lauren, hear me out on Fort Collins.

I know I've thrown a LOT of cities at you at this point. 😂 But Fort Collins caught my attention because it checks quite a few of the boxes you've talked about—not just finding somewhere cheaper or somewhere with jobs, but finding somewhere that might actually feel good to live in.

🌲 First of All...It's Beautiful

Fort Collins sits in northern Colorado, about an hour north of Denver, right along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains.

So we're talking mountain views, trees, trails, lakes, changing leaves, snow in the winter and actual seasons.

And there's Horsetooth Reservoir practically in your backyard.

This is much closer to the kind of scenery I picture when I think about you getting out of Phoenix and saying:

“Oh my God. I can actually go OUTSIDE.” 😂

You'd still get sunny Colorado days, but you're not dealing with Phoenix's endless months of extreme desert heat.

🏡 But Lauren...It's Not Cheap-Cheap

Here's where I'm not going to sell you a fantasy.

Fort Collins is not one of Colorado's bargain cities.

Housing is probably the biggest strike against it, particularly because we'd be looking for enough space for the whole family. A nice 3- or 4-bedroom rental can get expensive.

So I wouldn't put Fort Collins in the “OMG look how cheap these houses are!” category.

I'd put it in:

“Could the quality of life justify paying a little more?”

That's a different question.

🏫 I REALLY Like the School Situation

This is one of the reasons Fort Collins stays on my list for you.

The area is served primarily by Poudre School District, and there are also charter and school-choice options.

For me, the question isn't simply whether a city has a good school.

I want you to have choices for the kids.

I want us to be able to look at individual schools and say:

Does this school's culture fit them?

Are the academics good?

Will they feel comfortable there?

Are there charter alternatives if the neighborhood school isn't right?

Fort Collins gives us enough options that I think it's worth doing that deeper dive.

🏳️‍🌈 And Yes, I'm Thinking About Your Family

This matters.

Fort Collins is a college town, home to Colorado State University, and it generally has the younger, more educated, socially progressive atmosphere you'd expect from a Colorado university city.

For a two-mom household, Fort Collins is considerably more interesting to me than simply finding the cheapest random small town we can find.

Cheap isn't enough.

I want somewhere you can actually live comfortably as yourselves.

🖤 Here's My Biggest Concern: Black Community

This is probably the biggest cultural compromise.

Fort Collins is not Atlanta.

Not remotely. 😂

You're not moving there for a huge Black population, endless Black-owned businesses, Black neighborhoods and the kind of established Black cultural presence you'd find throughout metro Atlanta.

There is a Black community, and being a university city brings more diversity than you'll find in some smaller Colorado communities.

But if having a substantial Black community around the kids is near the top of the list, Fort Collins loses points here.

I'd want you to understand that before getting hypnotized by pictures of mountains.

🏥 Healthcare Is Actually Pretty Good

This is another box I wanted checked.

Fort Collins isn't some beautiful mountain town where you have to drive an hour and a half every time somebody needs a specialist.

There are major healthcare employers and medical facilities in the region, including UCHealth.

That matters both for access to healthcare and healthcare employment.

And because we're also thinking about career options, I'd much rather see you somewhere with an actual regional economy than in a gorgeous little town where there are six employers. 😂

🛍️ You're Not Giving Up Civilization

This is another reason I prefer Fort Collins over some of the tiny Colorado towns.

You still have:

Target. Costco. Grocery stores. Restaurants. Shopping centers. Healthcare. Schools. Jobs.

Denver is also close enough for occasional big-city things without requiring you to live in Denver.

And Fort Collins itself has a real downtown.

Old Town Fort Collins has restaurants, shops, breweries, events and those walkable historic streets that give the city some personality.

It doesn't feel like one giant suburban shopping center.

🍂 AND YOU GET FOUR SEASONS

This is a big one.

🌷 Spring

Things actually turn green.

☀️ Summer

Warm—but you're not living on the surface of Mercury.

🍁 Fall

Actual fall.

Trees change colors. Temperatures drop. You can wear a sweater because it's October rather than because Fry's has the air conditioning set to 67 degrees. 😂

❄️ Winter

Yes, there is snow.

Colorado winter is real.

But Fort Collins isn't some isolated ski village buried under snow for six months either.

If you're asking for four distinct seasons, Fort Collins delivers.

🚗 What About Denver?

Fort Collins is roughly an hour-ish from the Denver metro under good conditions, although traffic can obviously make that longer.

And honestly?

I LIKE that distance.

You're close enough to Denver for the airport, major events, specialty healthcare, shopping and everything else a major metropolitan area offers.

But you're far enough away that your everyday life doesn't have to feel like Denver traffic and Denver sprawl.

💭 Lauren, Here's Where I Land

Fort Collins isn't perfect.

What I LOVE:

🏔️ Beautiful mountain setting

🌲 Outdoor recreation everywhere

🍁 Four real seasons

🏳️‍🌈 LGBTQ-friendly environment

🏫 Good educational options

🏥 Strong healthcare access

💼 Real employment base

🛍️ Plenty of everyday conveniences

🏙️ Actual downtown/community identity

🚗 Denver accessible without living there

What worries me:

💰 Housing isn't cheap

🖤 Much smaller Black community than Atlanta

❄️ You have to genuinely be okay with winter

And that's why I wouldn't automatically put Fort Collins above somewhere like Peachtree Corners, Duluth or Tucker.

Georgia wins easily on Black community and cultural diversity.

Fort Collins wins easily on climate, mountain scenery and outdoor lifestyle.

They're offering two completely different versions of a better life.

And Lauren, that's really what I'm trying to figure out with this whole blog.

I'm not trying to find you the “best city in America.”

That doesn't exist.

I'm trying to find somewhere where you can look around one random Tuesday afternoon and think:

“Yeah. I'm glad we moved here.”

And I think Fort Collins, Colorado deserves a spot on that list. 💛

— Mom