City comparison
Austin, TX vs Boulder, CO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boulder, CO are 7.3% higher than in Austin, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Austin, TX would need about $107,300 in Boulder, CO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,795 a month in Boulder, CO versus $1,562 in Austin, TX. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Boulder, CO and 24% in Austin, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,692 a year higher in Boulder, CO than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.5% moving from Austin, TX to Boulder, CO ($109,428 → $118,675), while prices change by +7.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.1% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- Boulder, CO: price level 105.2 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Austin, TX | Boulder, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 105.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,277 in Boulder | $93,217 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $1,795/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $69,580 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Denver-Aurora, CO |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Boulder, CO MSA. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Boulder, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Boulder |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 157.0 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 82.7 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 105.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Boulder, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.8%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$3,692/yr.
42 Weak offer
Boulder, CO → Austin, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,692/yr.
91 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Boulder, CO is in Denver-Aurora, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Boulder, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Boulder, CO | Real change, Austin → Boulder |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $68,819 | +1.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $83,265 | +1.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $99,800 | +1.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $118,675 | +1.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $140,239 | +1.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Boulder, CO | Boulder pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $80,640 | $75,170 (+22.7%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $164,560 | $153,398 (+14.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $99,990 | $93,208 (+12.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $103,290 | $96,284 (−1.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.