City comparison
Fort Collins, CO vs Greenville, SC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Fort Collins, CO are 8.4% higher than in Greenville, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Greenville, SC would need about $108,400 in Fort Collins, CO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,537 a month in Fort Collins, CO versus $1,221 in Greenville, SC. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Fort Collins, CO and 20% in Greenville, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,151 a year higher in Greenville, SC than in Fort Collins, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.3% moving from Fort Collins, CO to Greenville, SC ($118,675 → $106,437), while prices change by −7.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.7% in real buying power.
- Fort Collins, CO: price level 101.1 (about average)
- Greenville, SC: price level 93.3 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fort Collins, CO | Greenville, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.1 | 93.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,220 in Greenville | $108,437 in Fort Collins |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,221/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,310 | $46,580 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA and Greenville-Mauldin-Easley, SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Fort Collins-Loveland, CO and Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fort Collins | Greenville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.6 | 76.8 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 88.8 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 101.1 | 93.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fort Collins, CO → Greenville, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,151/yr.
95 Strong offer
Greenville, SC → Fort Collins, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,151/yr.
44 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fort Collins, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; Greenville, SC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Fort Collins, CO to Greenville, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fort Collins, CO | Greenville, SC | Real change, Fort Collins → Greenville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $61,722 | −2.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $74,678 | −2.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $89,508 | −2.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $106,437 | −2.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $125,776 | −2.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fort Collins, CO | Greenville, SC | Greenville pay in Fort Collins dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,930 | $60,680 | $65,799 (+4.6%) |
| Software Developers | $133,990 | $121,790 | $132,065 (−1.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $89,340 | $76,870 | $83,355 (−6.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,600 | $81,400 | $88,267 (−9.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.