Fort Collins-Loveland → Bellingham
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Fort Collins-Loveland to Bellingham is neutral, depends on priorities: BEA regional price parity goes from 101.1 to 103.3 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $62/mo.
- +$1,431
- BLS median salary higher in Bellingham
- 481 to 329
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 16.6:1 to 17.6:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $3,166
- DOL infant care higher / yr in Bellingham
BEA Regional Price Parity, HUD Fair Market Rent, BLS OEWS, FBI UCR, NCES, and DOL. The table below lets you override the composite with your own priorities.
Pros of Moving
- + Lower violent crime rate
- + Fewer environmental violations
Cons of Moving
- - $62/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
- - More expensive childcare
Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 101.1 to 103.3 (ratio 1.02), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $62/mo ($744/yr) from $1,732 in Fort Collins-Loveland to $1,794 in Bellingham.
The seven-dimension ledger splits (3 destination wins · 4 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Bellingham sits #235 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Fort Collins-Loveland is #371/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Neutral, depends on priorities. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $1,431 higher ($73,292 → $74,723). Labor-market size: 149,520 tracked jobs at origin vs 82,720 at destination.
State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Colorado scores 46 (F, #44/51) vs Washington at 38 (F, #51/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.
State retirement friendliness
Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.
- Income tax
- 80
- Property tax
- 90
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 26
- Income tax
- 63
- Property tax
- 63
- Estate tax
- 50
- Healthcare
- 18
Full retirement ranking · Source composite documented on methodology (Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides + federal healthcare/climate inputs).
Salary Adjustment Calculator
Enter your current salary in Fort Collins-Loveland to see what you'd need to earn in Bellingham to maintain the same purchasing power.
Bellingham metro profile · Livability rankings · Methodology
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA; retirement desk: Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides June 2026