City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Fort Collins, CO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Fort Collins, CO are 1.1% higher than in Atlanta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlanta, GA would need about $101,100 in Fort Collins, CO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA versus $1,537 in Fort Collins, CO. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 24% in Fort Collins, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $876 a year higher in Atlanta, GA than in Fort Collins, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.4% moving from Atlanta, GA to Fort Collins, CO ($112,556 → $118,675), while prices change by +1.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.3% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Fort Collins, CO: price level 101.1 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | Fort Collins, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 101.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,069 in Fort Collins | $98,942 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,537/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Denver-Aurora, CO |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Fort Collins-Loveland, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 120.6 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 101.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Fort Collins, CO
Roughly even
Buying power −1.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$876/yr.
65 Fair offer
Fort Collins, CO → Atlanta, GA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.1%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$876/yr.
70 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Fort Collins, CO is in Denver-Aurora, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Fort Collins, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Fort Collins, CO | Real change, Atlanta → Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $68,819 | +4.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $83,265 | +4.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $99,800 | +4.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $118,675 | +4.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $140,239 | +4.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Fort Collins, CO | Fort Collins pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $62,930 | $62,264 (−18.7%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $133,990 | $132,572 (−0.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $89,340 | $88,395 (+3.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $97,600 | $96,567 (−3.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.