City comparison
Fort Collins, CO vs New York, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 11.3% higher than in Fort Collins, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Fort Collins, CO would need about $111,300 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,655 a month in New York, NY versus $1,537 in Fort Collins, CO. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 24% in Fort Collins, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,168 a year higher in New York, NY than in Fort Collins, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.7% moving from Fort Collins, CO to New York, NY ($118,675 → $125,431), while prices change by +11.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.0% in real buying power.
- Fort Collins, CO: price level 101.1 (about average)
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fort Collins, CO | New York, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.1 | 112.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,307 in New York | $89,841 in Fort Collins |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $2,655/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 43% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,310 | $61,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA and New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Fort Collins-Loveland, CO and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fort Collins | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.6 | 148.6 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 127.0 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 105.8 |
| Overall | 101.1 | 112.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fort Collins, CO → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.2%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax +$1,168/yr.
11 Weak offer
New York, NY → Fort Collins, CO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,168/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fort Collins, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; New York, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Fort Collins, CO to New York, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fort Collins, CO | New York, NY | Real change, Fort Collins → New York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $72,737 | −5.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $88,005 | −5.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $105,481 | −5.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $125,431 | −5.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $148,222 | −5.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fort Collins, CO | New York, NY | New York pay in Fort Collins dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,930 | $96,900 | $87,056 (+38.3%) |
| Software Developers | $133,990 | $166,830 | $149,882 (+11.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $89,340 | $105,650 | $94,917 (+6.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,600 | $119,720 | $107,558 (+10.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.