City comparison
Beaumont, TX 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 12.3% higher than in Beaumont, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Beaumont, TX would need about $112,300 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 $898 in Beaumont, TX. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Fort Collins, CO and 14% in Beaumont, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,692 a year higher in Fort Collins, CO than in Beaumont, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.5% moving from Beaumont, TX to Fort Collins, CO ($106,437 → $118,675), while prices change by +12.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.7% in real buying power.
- Beaumont, TX: price level 90.0 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Beaumont, TX | Fort Collins, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.0 | 101.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,307 in Fort Collins | $89,042 in Beaumont |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $898/mo | $1,537/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 | 14% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,630 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Denver-Aurora, CO |
Rent areas: Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX MSA and Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA. Metro areas: Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX and Fort Collins-Loveland, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Beaumont | Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.9 | 120.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 83.1 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 90.0 | 101.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Beaumont, TX → Fort Collins, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,692/yr.
38 Weak offer
Fort Collins, CO → Beaumont, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.3%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$3,692/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Beaumont, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Fort Collins, CO is in Denver-Aurora, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Beaumont, TX to Fort Collins, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Beaumont, TX | Fort Collins, CO | Real change, Beaumont → Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,819 | −0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $83,265 | −0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $99,800 | −0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $118,675 | −0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $140,239 | −0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Beaumont, TX | Fort Collins, CO | Fort Collins pay in Beaumont dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,260 | $62,930 | $56,034 (−7.0%) |
| Software Developers | $124,470 | $133,990 | $119,307 (−4.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,680 | $89,340 | $79,550 (+3.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,180 | $97,600 | $86,905 (+7.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.