City comparison
Boston, MA vs Fort Collins, CO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boston, MA are 7.1% higher than in Fort Collins, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Fort Collins, CO would need about $107,100 in Boston, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,476 a month in Boston, MA versus $1,537 in Fort Collins, CO. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in Boston, MA and 24% in Fort Collins, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,088 a year higher in Boston, MA than in Fort Collins, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.6% moving from Boston, MA to Fort Collins, CO ($120,548 → $118,675), while prices change by −6.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.4% in real buying power.
- Boston, MA: price level 108.3 (much pricier)
- 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
| Boston, MA | Fort Collins, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.3 | 101.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,407 in Fort Collins | $107,058 in Boston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,476/mo | $1,537/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,400 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,780 (MA) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 40% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $66,620 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Denver-Aurora, CO |
Rent areas: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA. Metro areas: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH and Fort Collins-Loveland, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boston | Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.4 | 120.6 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 103.6 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 108.3 | 101.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boston, MA → Fort Collins, CO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,088/yr.
91 Strong offer
Fort Collins, CO → Boston, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.6%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$1,088/yr.
26 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boston, MA is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Fort Collins, CO is in Denver-Aurora, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Boston, MA to Fort Collins, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boston, MA | Fort Collins, CO | Real change, Boston → Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $68,819 | +5.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $83,265 | +5.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $99,800 | +5.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $118,675 | +5.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $140,239 | +5.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boston, MA | Fort Collins, CO | Fort Collins pay in Boston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,060 | $62,930 | $67,372 (−31.3%) |
| Software Developers | $166,090 | $133,990 | $143,448 (−13.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,150 | $89,340 | $95,646 (−4.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,180 | $97,600 | $104,489 (−1.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.