City comparison
Buffalo, NY 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 5.5% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $105,500 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 $1,139 in Buffalo, NY. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Fort Collins, CO and 18% in Buffalo, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,168 a year higher in Buffalo, NY than in Fort Collins, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.6% moving from Buffalo, NY to Fort Collins, CO ($111,301 → $118,675), while prices change by +5.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.1% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
- 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
| Buffalo, NY | Fort Collins, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 101.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,513 in Fort Collins | $94,775 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $1,537/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Denver-Aurora, CO |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Fort Collins-Loveland, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 120.6 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 101.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Fort Collins, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.2%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,168/yr.
52 Fair offer
Fort Collins, CO → Buffalo, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,168/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Fort Collins, CO is in Denver-Aurora, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Fort Collins, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Fort Collins, CO | Real change, Buffalo → Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $68,819 | +1.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $83,265 | +1.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $99,800 | +1.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $118,675 | +1.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $140,239 | +1.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Fort Collins, CO | Fort Collins pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $62,930 | $59,642 (−22.0%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $133,990 | $126,989 (−0.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $89,340 | $84,672 (+3.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $97,600 | $92,500 (−6.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.