City comparison
Allentown, PA vs Fort Collins, CO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Fort Collins, CO are 1.2% higher than in Allentown, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Allentown, PA would need about $101,200 in Fort Collins, CO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,537 a month in Fort Collins, CO versus $1,341 in Allentown, PA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Fort Collins, CO and 21% in Allentown, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $622 a year higher in Fort Collins, CO than in Allentown, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.4% moving from Allentown, PA to Fort Collins, CO ($125,431 → $118,675), while prices change by +1.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.5% in real buying power.
- Allentown, PA: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Fort Collins, CO: price level 101.1 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Allentown, PA | Fort Collins, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 101.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,160 in Fort Collins | $98,853 in Allentown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,341/mo | $1,537/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 21% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,990 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Denver-Aurora, CO |
Rent areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA. Metro areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ and Fort Collins-Loveland, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Allentown | Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.5 | 120.6 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 107.6 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 101.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Allentown, PA → Fort Collins, CO
Roughly even
Buying power −1.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$622/yr.
65 Fair offer
Fort Collins, CO → Allentown, PA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.2%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax −$622/yr.
72 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Allentown, PA is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Fort Collins, CO is in Denver-Aurora, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Allentown, PA to Fort Collins, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Allentown, PA | Fort Collins, CO | Real change, Allentown → Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $68,819 | −6.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $83,265 | −6.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $99,800 | −6.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $118,675 | −6.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $140,239 | −6.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Allentown, PA | Fort Collins, CO | Fort Collins pay in Allentown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,040 | $62,930 | $62,208 (−21.3%) |
| Software Developers | $122,930 | $133,990 | $132,453 (+7.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,430 | $89,340 | $88,315 (+12.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,440 | $97,600 | $96,480 (−4.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.