City comparison
Baltimore, MD vs Fort Collins, CO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Baltimore, MD are 3.3% higher than in Fort Collins, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Fort Collins, CO would need about $103,300 in Baltimore, MD to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,511 a month in Baltimore, MD and $1,537 in Fort Collins, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $695 a year higher in Baltimore, MD than in Fort Collins, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.6% moving from Baltimore, MD to Fort Collins, CO ($121,785 → $118,675), while prices change by −3.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.7% in real buying power.
- Baltimore, MD: price level 104.5 (pricier)
- 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
| Baltimore, MD | Fort Collins, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.5 | 101.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,785 in Fort Collins | $103,322 in Baltimore |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,511/mo | $1,537/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,070 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Denver-Aurora, CO |
Rent areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA and Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA. Metro areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD and Fort Collins-Loveland, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baltimore | Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 118.2 | 120.6 |
| Goods | 102.4 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 110.2 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 101.5 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 104.5 | 101.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baltimore, MD → Fort Collins, CO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$695/yr.
79 Strong offer
Fort Collins, CO → Baltimore, MD
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.2%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$695/yr.
59 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baltimore, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Fort Collins, CO is in Denver-Aurora, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Baltimore, MD to Fort Collins, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baltimore, MD | Fort Collins, CO | Real change, Baltimore → Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $68,819 | +0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $83,265 | +0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $99,800 | +0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $118,675 | +0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $140,239 | +0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baltimore, MD | Fort Collins, CO | Fort Collins pay in Baltimore dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,400 | $62,930 | $65,020 (−14.9%) |
| Software Developers | $138,900 | $133,990 | $138,441 (−0.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,160 | $89,340 | $92,307 (+8.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,550 | $97,600 | $100,842 (+1.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.