City comparison
Fort Collins, CO vs New Orleans, LA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Fort Collins, CO are 9.2% higher than in New Orleans, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in New Orleans, LA would need about $109,200 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 $1,113 in New Orleans, LA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Fort Collins, CO and 17% in New Orleans, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,078 a year higher in Fort Collins, CO than in New Orleans, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.3% moving from Fort Collins, CO to New Orleans, LA ($118,675 → $106,437), while prices change by −8.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.0% in real buying power.
- Fort Collins, CO: price level 101.1 (about average)
- New Orleans, LA: price level 92.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fort Collins, CO | New Orleans, LA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.1 | 92.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,564 in New Orleans | $109,213 in Fort Collins |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,113/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $76,566 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $2,614 (LA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,310 | $47,290 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA and New Orleans-Metairie, LA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Fort Collins-Loveland, CO and New Orleans-Metairie, LA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fort Collins | New Orleans |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.6 | 86.0 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 71.2 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 95.7 |
| Overall | 101.1 | 92.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fort Collins, CO → New Orleans, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.2%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,078/yr.
98 Strong offer
New Orleans, LA → Fort Collins, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,078/yr.
42 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fort Collins, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; New Orleans, LA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Fort Collins, CO to New Orleans, LA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fort Collins, CO | New Orleans, LA | Real change, Fort Collins → New Orleans |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $61,722 | −2.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $74,678 | −2.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $89,508 | −2.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $106,437 | −2.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $125,776 | −2.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fort Collins, CO | New Orleans, LA | New Orleans pay in Fort Collins dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,930 | $60,350 | $65,910 (+4.7%) |
| Software Developers | $133,990 | $106,950 | $116,803 (−12.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $89,340 | $77,940 | $85,121 (−4.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,600 | $81,850 | $89,391 (−8.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.