City comparison
Boulder, CO vs Port St. Lucie, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boulder, CO are 5.0% higher than in Port St. Lucie, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Port St. Lucie, FL would need about $105,000 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 $1,467 in Port St. Lucie, FL. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Boulder, CO and 22% in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,692 a year higher in Boulder, CO than in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.5% moving from Boulder, CO to Port St. Lucie, FL ($118,675 → $113,356), while prices change by −4.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.3% in real buying power.
- Boulder, CO: price level 105.2 (pricier)
- Port St. Lucie, FL: 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
| Boulder, CO | Port St. Lucie, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.2 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,272 in Port St. Lucie | $104,963 in Boulder |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,795/mo | $1,467/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 29% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $69,580 | $46,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Boulder, CO MSA and Port St. Lucie, FL MSA. Metro areas: Boulder, CO and Port St. Lucie, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boulder | Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 157.0 | 113.6 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 82.7 | 87.0 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 105.2 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boulder, CO → Port St. Lucie, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.0%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,692/yr.
84 Strong offer
Port St. Lucie, FL → Boulder, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.7%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$3,692/yr.
49 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boulder, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; Port St. Lucie, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Boulder, CO to Port St. Lucie, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boulder, CO | Port St. Lucie, FL | Real change, Boulder → Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $65,735 | +0.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $79,533 | +0.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $95,326 | +0.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $113,356 | +0.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $133,953 | +0.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boulder, CO | Port St. Lucie, FL | Port St. Lucie pay in Boulder dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,640 | $53,610 | $56,270 (−30.2%) |
| Software Developers | $164,560 | $128,510 | $134,888 (−18.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $99,990 | $79,430 | $83,372 (−16.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,290 | $82,090 | $86,164 (−16.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.