City comparison
Baton Rouge, LA vs Greeley, CO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Greeley, CO are 10.4% higher than in Baton Rouge, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Baton Rouge, LA would need about $110,400 in Greeley, CO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,238 a month in Greeley, CO versus $1,064 in Baton Rouge, LA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Greeley, CO and 17% in Baton Rouge, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,078 a year higher in Greeley, CO than in Baton Rouge, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.5% moving from Baton Rouge, LA to Greeley, CO ($106,437 → $118,675), while prices change by +10.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.0% in real buying power.
- Baton Rouge, LA: price level 90.8 (much cheaper)
- Greeley, CO: price level 100.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Baton Rouge, LA | Greeley, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.8 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,350 in Greeley | $90,621 in Baton Rouge |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,064/mo | $1,238/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,710 | $55,070 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Denver-Aurora, CO |
Rent areas: Baton Rouge, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Greeley, CO MSA. Metro areas: Baton Rouge, LA and Greeley, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baton Rouge | Greeley |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.2 | 112.6 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 82.0 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 90.8 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baton Rouge, LA → Greeley, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,078/yr.
39 Weak offer
Greeley, CO → Baton Rouge, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.4%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,078/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baton Rouge, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Greeley, CO is in Denver-Aurora, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Baton Rouge, LA to Greeley, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baton Rouge, LA | Greeley, CO | Real change, Baton Rouge → Greeley |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,819 | +1.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $83,265 | +1.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $99,800 | +1.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $118,675 | +1.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $140,239 | +1.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baton Rouge, LA | Greeley, CO | Greeley pay in Baton Rouge dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,310 | $60,160 | $54,517 (−8.1%) |
| Software Developers | $101,900 | $129,480 | $117,335 (+15.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,070 | $87,240 | $79,057 (+8.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,130 | $96,300 | $87,268 (+7.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.