City comparison
Fort Collins, CO vs Portland, ME
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 Portland, ME (101.9, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Fort Collins, CO goes as far as $100,700 in Portland, ME.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,658 a month in Portland, ME versus $1,537 in Fort Collins, CO. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Portland, ME and 24% in Fort Collins, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,963 a year higher in Portland, ME than in Fort Collins, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.6% moving from Fort Collins, CO to Portland, ME ($118,675 → $120,548), while prices change by +0.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.9% in real buying power.
- Fort Collins, CO: price level 101.1 (about average)
- Portland, ME: price level 101.9 (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 | Portland, ME | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.1 | 101.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,722 in Portland | $99,283 in Fort Collins |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,658/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $73,526 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $5,654 (ME) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 27% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,310 | $56,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA and Portland, ME HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Fort Collins-Loveland, CO and Portland-South Portland, ME.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fort Collins | Portland |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.6 | 105.2 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 97.2 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 134.6 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 103.2 |
| Overall | 101.1 | 101.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fort Collins, CO → Portland, ME
Roughly even
Buying power −0.7%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$1,963/yr.
63 Fair offer
Portland, ME → Fort Collins, CO
Roughly even
Buying power +0.7%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,963/yr.
71 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fort Collins, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; Portland, ME is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Fort Collins, CO to Portland, ME at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fort Collins, CO | Portland, ME | Real change, Fort Collins → Portland |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $69,905 | +0.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $84,579 | +0.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $101,375 | +0.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $120,548 | +0.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $142,452 | +0.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fort Collins, CO | Portland, ME | Portland pay in Fort Collins dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,930 | $76,770 | $76,220 (+21.1%) |
| Software Developers | $133,990 | $128,710 | $127,788 (−4.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $89,340 | $79,790 | $79,218 (−11.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,600 | $88,470 | $87,836 (−10.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.