City comparison
Fort Collins, CO vs Hagerstown, MD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Fort Collins, CO are 7.4% higher than in Hagerstown, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Hagerstown, MD would need about $107,400 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 $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Fort Collins, CO and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $695 a year higher in Hagerstown, MD than in Fort Collins, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.6% moving from Fort Collins, CO to Hagerstown, MD ($118,675 → $121,785), while prices change by −6.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.2% in real buying power.
- Fort Collins, CO: price level 101.1 (about average)
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fort Collins, CO | Hagerstown, MD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.1 | 94.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,121 in Hagerstown | $107,388 in Fort Collins |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $961/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $74,794 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $4,386 (MD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,310 | $47,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA and Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Fort Collins-Loveland, CO and Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fort Collins | Hagerstown |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.6 | 75.7 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 95.7 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 101.1 | 94.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fort Collins, CO → Hagerstown, MD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.4%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$695/yr.
92 Strong offer
Hagerstown, MD → Fort Collins, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.9%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$695/yr.
47 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fort Collins, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; Hagerstown, MD is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Fort Collins, CO to Hagerstown, MD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fort Collins, CO | Hagerstown, MD | Real change, Fort Collins → Hagerstown |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $70,623 | +10.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $85,447 | +10.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $102,415 | +10.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $121,785 | +10.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $143,913 | +10.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fort Collins, CO | Hagerstown, MD | Hagerstown pay in Fort Collins dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,930 | $63,190 | $67,858 (+7.8%) |
| Software Developers | $133,990 | $122,830 | $131,904 (−1.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $89,340 | $75,250 | $80,809 (−9.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,600 | $92,770 | $99,623 (+2.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.