City comparison
Fort Collins, CO vs Providence, RI
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 Providence, RI (101.8, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Fort Collins, CO goes as far as $100,600 in Providence, RI.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,537 a month in Fort Collins, CO versus $1,402 in Providence, RI. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Fort Collins, CO and 22% in Providence, RI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $543 a year higher in Fort Collins, CO than in Providence, RI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.6% moving from Fort Collins, CO to Providence, RI ($118,675 → $120,548), while prices change by +0.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.9% in real buying power.
- Fort Collins, CO: price level 101.1 (about average)
- Providence, RI: price level 101.8 (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 | Providence, RI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.1 | 101.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,638 in Providence | $99,366 in Fort Collins |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,402/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $76,032 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $3,148 (RI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,310 | $53,680 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA and Providence-Fall River, RI-MA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Fort Collins-Loveland, CO and Providence-Warwick, RI-MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fort Collins | Providence |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.6 | 103.9 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 97.1 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 148.8 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 102.3 |
| Overall | 101.1 | 101.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fort Collins, CO → Providence, RI
Roughly even
Buying power −0.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$543/yr.
67 Fair offer
Providence, RI → Fort Collins, CO
Roughly even
Buying power +0.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$543/yr.
71 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fort Collins, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; Providence, RI is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Fort Collins, CO to Providence, RI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fort Collins, CO | Providence, RI | Real change, Fort Collins → Providence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Providence, RI | Providence pay in Fort Collins dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,930 | $86,720 | $86,170 (+36.9%) |
| Software Developers | $133,990 | $130,690 | $129,862 (−3.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $89,340 | $95,020 | $94,418 (+5.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,600 | $99,880 | $99,247 (+1.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.