City comparison
Chicago, IL vs Fort Collins, CO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Chicago, IL are 2.4% higher than in Fort Collins, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Fort Collins, CO would need about $102,400 in Chicago, IL to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,581 a month in Chicago, IL and $1,537 in Fort Collins, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,114 a year higher in Chicago, IL than in Fort Collins, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.3% moving from Chicago, IL to Fort Collins, CO ($118,984 → $118,675), while prices change by −2.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.2% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (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
| Chicago, IL | Fort Collins, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 101.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,619 in Fort Collins | $102,439 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,537/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Denver-Aurora, CO |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Fort Collins-Loveland, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 120.6 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 101.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Fort Collins, CO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,114/yr.
76 Strong offer
Fort Collins, CO → Chicago, IL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.4%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$1,114/yr.
61 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Fort Collins, CO is in Denver-Aurora, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Fort Collins, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Fort Collins, CO | Real change, Chicago → Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $68,819 | +2.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $83,265 | +2.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $99,800 | +2.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $118,675 | +2.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $140,239 | +2.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Fort Collins, CO | Fort Collins pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $62,930 | $64,465 (−17.8%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $133,990 | $137,259 (+2.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $89,340 | $91,519 (+11.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $97,600 | $99,981 (−0.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.