City comparison
Denver, CO vs Port St. Lucie, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Denver, CO are 5.5% higher than in Port St. Lucie, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Port St. Lucie, FL would need about $105,500 in Denver, CO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,754 a month in Denver, CO versus $1,467 in Port St. Lucie, FL. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Denver, CO and 22% in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,692 a year higher in Denver, CO than in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.5% moving from Denver, CO to Port St. Lucie, FL ($118,675 → $113,356), while prices change by −5.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.8% in real buying power.
- Denver, CO: price level 105.8 (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
| Denver, CO | Port St. Lucie, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.8 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,750 in Port St. Lucie | $105,541 in Denver |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,754/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 | 28% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $62,320 | $46,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO MSA and Port St. Lucie, FL MSA. Metro areas: Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO and Port St. Lucie, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Denver | Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 146.9 | 113.6 |
| Goods | 101.0 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 87.9 | 87.0 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 105.8 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Denver, CO → Port St. Lucie, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,692/yr.
86 Strong offer
Port St. Lucie, FL → Denver, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.3%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$3,692/yr.
48 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Denver, 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 Denver, CO to Port St. Lucie, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Denver, CO | Port St. Lucie, FL | Real change, Denver → Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $65,735 | +0.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $79,533 | +0.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $95,326 | +0.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $113,356 | +0.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $133,953 | +0.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Denver, CO | Port St. Lucie, FL | Port St. Lucie pay in Denver dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,910 | $53,610 | $56,581 (−26.4%) |
| Software Developers | $137,610 | $128,510 | $135,631 (−1.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,020 | $79,430 | $83,832 (−16.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,130 | $82,090 | $86,639 (−14.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.