City comparison
Fort Collins, CO vs Fresno, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Fresno, CA are 1.0% higher than in Fort Collins, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Fort Collins, CO would need about $101,000 in Fresno, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,537 a month in Fort Collins, CO versus $1,355 in Fresno, CA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Fort Collins, CO and 22% in Fresno, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,379 a year higher in Fresno, CA than in Fort Collins, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.9% moving from Fort Collins, CO to Fresno, CA ($118,675 → $106,973), while prices change by +1.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.8% in real buying power.
- Fort Collins, CO: price level 101.1 (about average)
- Fresno, CA: price level 102.2 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fort Collins, CO | Fresno, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.1 | 102.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,019 in Fresno | $98,992 in Fort Collins |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,355/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,310 | $46,910 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA and Fresno, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Fort Collins-Loveland, CO and Fresno, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fort Collins | Fresno |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.6 | 95.7 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 161.0 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 101.1 | 102.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fort Collins, CO → Fresno, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.0%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$1,379/yr.
66 Fair offer
Fresno, CA → Fort Collins, CO
Roughly even
Buying power +1.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,379/yr.
72 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fort Collins, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; Fresno, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Fort Collins, CO to Fresno, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fort Collins, CO | Fresno, CA | Real change, Fort Collins → Fresno |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $62,033 | −10.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $75,055 | −10.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $89,959 | −10.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $106,973 | −10.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $126,410 | −10.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fort Collins, CO | Fresno, CA | Fresno pay in Fort Collins dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,930 | $78,800 | $78,006 (+24.0%) |
| Software Developers | $133,990 | $129,060 | $127,759 (−4.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $89,340 | $78,690 | $77,897 (−12.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,600 | $125,420 | $124,155 (+27.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.