City comparison
Boise City, ID 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 2.8% higher than in Boise City, ID. Someone earning $100,000 in Boise City, ID would need about $102,800 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 $1,381 in Boise City, ID. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Fort Collins, CO and 22% in Boise City, ID.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $500 a year higher in Boise City, ID than in Fort Collins, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.5% moving from Boise City, ID to Fort Collins, CO ($106,437 → $118,675), while prices change by +2.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.5% in real buying power.
- Boise City, ID: price level 98.4 (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
| Boise City, ID | Fort Collins, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.4 | 101.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,782 in Fort Collins | $97,294 in Boise City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,381/mo | $1,537/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,988 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,192 (ID) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,100 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Denver-Aurora, CO |
Rent areas: Boise City, ID HUD Metro FMR Area and Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA. Metro areas: Boise City, ID and Fort Collins-Loveland, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boise City | Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.6 | 120.6 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 70.7 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 98.4 | 101.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boise City, ID → Fort Collins, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.7%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$500/yr.
60 Fair offer
Fort Collins, CO → Boise City, ID
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.8%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$500/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boise City, ID 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 Boise City, ID to Fort Collins, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boise City, ID | Fort Collins, CO | Real change, Boise City → Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,819 | +8.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $83,265 | +8.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $99,800 | +8.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $118,675 | +8.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $140,239 | +8.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boise City, ID | Fort Collins, CO | Fort Collins pay in Boise City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,230 | $62,930 | $61,227 (−0.0%) |
| Software Developers | $131,590 | $133,990 | $130,364 (−0.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,700 | $89,340 | $86,922 (+13.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,880 | $97,600 | $94,958 (−3.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.