City comparison
Fort Collins, CO vs Port St. Lucie, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Fort Collins, CO (101.1) and Port St. Lucie, FL (100.2, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Fort Collins, CO goes as far as $99,100 in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,537 a month in Fort Collins, CO and $1,467 in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,692 a year higher in Fort Collins, CO than in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.5% moving from Fort Collins, CO to Port St. Lucie, FL ($118,675 → $113,356), while prices change by −0.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.6% in real buying power.
- Fort Collins, CO: price level 101.1 (about average)
- Port St. Lucie, FL: price level 100.2 (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 | Port St. Lucie, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.1 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,110 in Port St. Lucie | $100,898 in Fort Collins |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,467/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 | $46,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA and Port St. Lucie, FL MSA. Metro areas: Fort Collins-Loveland, CO and Port St. Lucie, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fort Collins | Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.6 | 113.6 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 87.0 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 101.1 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fort Collins, CO → Port St. Lucie, FL
Roughly even
Buying power +0.9%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,692/yr.
72 Strong offer
Port St. Lucie, FL → Fort Collins, CO
Roughly even
Buying power −0.9%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,692/yr.
66 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fort Collins, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; Port St. Lucie, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Fort Collins, CO to Port St. Lucie, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fort Collins, CO | Port St. Lucie, FL | Real change, Fort Collins → Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $65,735 | −3.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $79,533 | −3.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $95,326 | −3.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $113,356 | −3.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $133,953 | −3.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fort Collins, CO | Port St. Lucie, FL | Port St. Lucie pay in Fort Collins dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,930 | $53,610 | $54,091 (−14.0%) |
| Software Developers | $133,990 | $128,510 | $129,664 (−3.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $89,340 | $79,430 | $80,143 (−10.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,600 | $82,090 | $82,827 (−15.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.