Where to Live in
Fort Collins

2026 Fort Collins Neighborhood Shortlist

The 2026 Vibe Check

The town’s changing. The old north-south spine of College Ave is a canyon of cranes right now. Midtown, once a strip of 1970s motels and empty lots, is now the city’s densest corridor of new apartments and rooftop bars. That’s the new dividing line. West of College, the historic grid holds, but east of College and north of Mulberry, the infill is aggressive. You can trace the gentrification by the coffee shop crawl: The Human Bean is being replaced by Little Bird outposts. The real tension is Old Town vs. the new Foothills development. Old Town is losing its dive bars to high-end taprooms (RIP, The Mayor), while the Foothills area is a master-planned bet on the future, trying to become a city-within-a-city. The locals who remember when Larimer County was all farmland are getting priced out, moving towards Timnath and Wellington. This isn't a sleepy college town anymore; it's a Front Range powerhouse with a traffic problem to match.

The 2026 Shortlist

Old Town West

• The Vibe: Historic Grit-to-Glory
• Rent Check: Sits about 10% above the city average. You're paying a premium for walkability and 100-year-old character.
• The Good: This is the real Fort Collins. You can walk to New Belgium Brewing or cut through City Park to the Sunrise Optimist softball fields. The schools, like Putnam Elementary, are improving and diverse. The walkability is a 9/10; you can hit The Farmette for breakfast, grab a beer at Odell Brewing (the original location), and catch a show at The Armory without ever touching your car keys.
• The Bad: Parking is a nightmare on streets like Jefferson St and Lemay Ave. The old housing stock means drafty windows, settling foundations, and a constant list of repairs. Noise is real—you’ll hear the train and the bar crowds on a Friday night.
• Best For: The professional who values a genuine beer scene and walkable life over a two-car garage. You want to be in the heart of it, not a cul-de-sac.
• Insider Tip: Drive down Walnut St between Howes St and Sherwood St. The bungalows here are the target. Check out The Kitchen Pub for a low-key weeknight pint away from the College Ave madness.

Midtown

• The Vibe: Urbanist Sprawl
• Rent Check: Surprisingly competitive. New construction has flooded the market, keeping 1BR rents near the city average, but amenities are high.
• The Good: Everything is new and functional. The Foothills Trail runs right through it, giving you a paved path to Spring Canyon Park. The Max Bus Transit line is the most reliable in the city, running straight down College Ave. Grocery access is top-tier with a new Whole Foods and Sprouts anchoring the Midtown Arapahoe shopping center.
• The Bad: It has zero soul. It's a sea of identical apartment complexes, strip malls, and traffic lights. Crossing College Ave on foot is a calculated risk. This is a "drive-in, drive-out" neighborhood.
• Best For: The tech worker who needs a fast commute to the Intel campus in Longmont or the new office parks near I-25. You want a gym, a pool, and in-unit laundry, and you don't care about historic charm.
• Insider Tip: The sweet spot for slightly older, cheaper apartments is the triangle bounded by College Ave, Mulberry St, and Sherwood St. Look for the 1990s-era complexes tucked behind the big new ones.

Shepherd's Grove / Northside

• The Vibe: Blue-Collar Holdout
• Rent Check: The value king. Rents here can be 5-15% below the city average.
• The Good: This is where working families actually live. The yards are big, and the streets like Garfield Ave and Matthews St have mature trees. You're a 10-minute bike ride from Old Town but you don't pay the premium. Shepherd's Grove Park is a legit neighborhood hub with a great splash pad. The schools, like Lincoln Elementary, are well-regarded community anchors.
• The Bad: It's not "pretty." You'll see chain-link fences and older trucks. There are no trendy coffee shops; you'll drive 5 minutes to Mugs & Coffee on Lemay. Street parking can be tight on blocks with multi-generation families.
• Best For: The first-time homebuyer or renter who wants space and community over aesthetics. A family that wants a backyard and a 15-minute commute to the Anheuser-Busch brewery.
• Insider Tip: The area north of Mulberry St and east of College Ave is the target. Look for small bungalows on Edwards St. For a true local meal, head to the Rally King for a no-frills burger and a beer.

Foothills

• The Vibe: Master-Planned Modern
• Rent Check: The most expensive on this list. Expect a 20-40% premium over the city average for new construction.
• The Good: It's clean, safe, and efficient. The schools (Shepherd Valley K-8) are brand new and highly rated. You have the Foothills Mall redevelopment, which is actually decent with a Alamo Drafthouse and solid restaurants. The trail system is integrated into the design, and you can get to Horsetooth Reservoir in 15 minutes without hitting a single traffic light.
• The Bad: You are car-dependent. There is no "walking to the corner bar." It feels sterile and disconnected from the city's history. The HOA fees for the single-family homes can be brutal.
• Best For: The executive relocating from Boulder or Denver who wants a turnkey, modern home with mountain views and top-tier schools without the upkeep of an older property.
• Insider Tip: The rental market here is split. The high-rises on Harbor Point get all the press, but the slightly older (early 2000s) townhomes in the Rist Canyon area offer more square footage for your dollar.

Strategic Recommendations

• For Families: Shepherd's Grove is the winner. You get bigger lots, established trees, and a real community feel. The schools are solid, and you're not paying the Old Town premium for a yard the kids can actually use. The west side of town is too expensive and the Midtown apartments are too dense.
• For Wall St / Tech: Midtown. The commute is everything. Being able to hop on the Max or jump onto I-25 in 5 minutes to get to the tech hubs in Longmont or the new finance offices south of town is the primary value proposition. You sacrifice charm for efficiency.
• The Value Play: Buy in Shepherd's Grove or the north edge of Old Town West. The city's redevelopment authority has already published plans for the North College corridor. The small bungalows on Garfield and Edwards will be the next to be flipped or torn down for infill. Getting in now is the move.