City comparison
Fort Collins, CO vs Lancaster, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Fort Collins, CO are 2.9% higher than in Lancaster, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lancaster, PA would need about $102,900 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 $1,220 in Lancaster, PA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Fort Collins, CO and 19% in Lancaster, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $622 a year higher in Fort Collins, CO than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.5% moving from Fort Collins, CO to Lancaster, PA ($118,675 → $108,592), while prices change by −2.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.8% in real buying power.
- Fort Collins, CO: price level 101.1 (about average)
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fort Collins, CO | Lancaster, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.1 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,161 in Lancaster | $102,922 in Fort Collins |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,220/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,310 | $48,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA and Lancaster, PA MSA. Metro areas: Fort Collins-Loveland, CO and Lancaster, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fort Collins | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.6 | 93.8 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 107.3 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 101.1 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fort Collins, CO → Lancaster, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.9%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$622/yr.
78 Strong offer
Lancaster, PA → Fort Collins, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$622/yr.
60 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fort Collins, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; Lancaster, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Fort Collins, CO to Lancaster, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fort Collins, CO | Lancaster, PA | Real change, Fort Collins → Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $62,972 | −5.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $76,190 | −5.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $91,320 | −5.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $108,592 | −5.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $128,323 | −5.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fort Collins, CO | Lancaster, PA | Lancaster pay in Fort Collins dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,930 | $78,360 | $80,650 (+28.2%) |
| Software Developers | $133,990 | $104,740 | $107,800 (−19.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $89,340 | $76,110 | $78,334 (−12.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,600 | $89,620 | $92,239 (−5.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.