City comparison
Fort Collins, CO vs Urban Honolulu, HI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Urban Honolulu, HI are 9.7% higher than in Fort Collins, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Fort Collins, CO would need about $109,700 in Urban Honolulu, HI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,016 a month in Urban Honolulu, HI versus $1,537 in Fort Collins, CO. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 24% in Fort Collins, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,378 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Fort Collins, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −6.4% moving from Fort Collins, CO to Urban Honolulu, HI ($118,675 → $111,119), while prices change by +9.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −14.7% in real buying power.
- Fort Collins, CO: price level 101.1 (about average)
- Urban Honolulu, HI: price level 111.0 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fort Collins, CO | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.1 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,723 in Urban Honolulu | $91,138 in Fort Collins |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,310 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Fort Collins-Loveland, CO and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fort Collins | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.6 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 101.1 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fort Collins, CO → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.9%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$2,378/yr.
29 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Fort Collins, CO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.7%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$2,378/yr.
99 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fort Collins, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Fort Collins, CO to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fort Collins, CO | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Fort Collins → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $64,438 | −14.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $77,964 | −14.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $93,445 | −14.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $111,119 | −14.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $131,310 | −14.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fort Collins, CO | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Fort Collins dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,930 | $73,080 | $66,604 (+5.8%) |
| Software Developers | $133,990 | $120,230 | $109,576 (−18.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $89,340 | $74,990 | $68,345 (−23.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,600 | $139,260 | $126,919 (+30.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.