City comparison
Fort Collins, CO vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Fort Collins, CO are 15.3% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $115,300 in Fort Collins, CO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,537 a month in Fort Collins, CO versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Fort Collins, CO and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,043 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Fort Collins, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.4% moving from Fort Collins, CO to Tuscaloosa, AL ($118,675 → $107,510), while prices change by −13.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.4% in real buying power.
- Fort Collins, CO: price level 101.1 (about average)
- Tuscaloosa, AL: price level 87.7 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fort Collins, CO | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.1 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $86,744 in Tuscaloosa | $115,282 in Fort Collins |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,310 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Fort Collins-Loveland, CO and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fort Collins | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.6 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 101.1 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fort Collins, CO → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,043/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Fort Collins, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,043/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fort Collins, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Fort Collins, CO to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fort Collins, CO | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Fort Collins → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $62,344 | +4.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $75,431 | +4.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $90,410 | +4.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $107,510 | +4.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $127,044 | +4.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fort Collins, CO | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Fort Collins dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,930 | $60,220 | $69,423 (+10.3%) |
| Software Developers | $133,990 | $104,870 | $120,897 (−9.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $89,340 | $71,690 | $82,646 (−7.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,600 | $75,250 | $86,750 (−11.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.