City comparison
Fort Collins, CO vs Palm Bay, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Fort Collins, CO are 1.1% higher than in Palm Bay, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Palm Bay, FL would need about $101,100 in Fort Collins, CO to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,537 a month in Fort Collins, CO and $1,478 in Palm Bay, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,692 a year higher in Fort Collins, CO than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.6% moving from Fort Collins, CO to Palm Bay, FL ($118,675 → $107,228), while prices change by −1.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.6% in real buying power.
- Fort Collins, CO: price level 101.1 (about average)
- Palm Bay, FL: price level 100.0 (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 | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.1 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,890 in Palm Bay | $101,123 in Fort Collins |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,310 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Fort Collins-Loveland, CO and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fort Collins | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.6 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 101.1 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fort Collins, CO → Palm Bay, FL
Roughly even
Buying power +1.1%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,692/yr.
72 Strong offer
Palm Bay, FL → Fort Collins, CO
Roughly even
Buying power −1.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,692/yr.
65 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fort Collins, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; Palm Bay, FL is in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Fort Collins, CO to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fort Collins, CO | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Fort Collins → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $62,181 | −8.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $75,233 | −8.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $90,173 | −8.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $107,228 | −8.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $126,711 | −8.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fort Collins, CO | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Fort Collins dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,930 | $62,510 | $63,212 (+0.4%) |
| Software Developers | $133,990 | $131,760 | $133,240 (−0.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $89,340 | $75,860 | $76,712 (−14.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,600 | $80,900 | $81,808 (−16.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.