City comparison
Cleveland, OH 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 7.7% higher than in Cleveland, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cleveland, OH would need about $107,700 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 $1,058 in Cleveland, OH. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Fort Collins, CO and 16% in Cleveland, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,724 a year higher in Fort Collins, CO than in Cleveland, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.8% moving from Cleveland, OH to Fort Collins, CO ($111,138 → $118,675), while prices change by +7.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.8% in real buying power.
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (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
| Cleveland, OH | Fort Collins, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 101.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,671 in Fort Collins | $92,875 in Cleveland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,058/mo | $1,537/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,140 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Denver-Aurora, CO |
Rent areas: Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA. Metro areas: Cleveland, OH and Fort Collins-Loveland, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cleveland | Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.4 | 120.6 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 96.0 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 101.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cleveland, OH → Fort Collins, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,724/yr.
46 Fair offer
Fort Collins, CO → Cleveland, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.7%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,724/yr.
93 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cleveland, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Fort Collins, CO is in Denver-Aurora, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Cleveland, OH to Fort Collins, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cleveland, OH | Fort Collins, CO | Real change, Cleveland → Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $68,819 | −0.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $83,265 | −0.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $99,800 | −0.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $118,675 | −0.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $140,239 | −0.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cleveland, OH | Fort Collins, CO | Fort Collins pay in Cleveland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,470 | $62,930 | $58,446 (−23.6%) |
| Software Developers | $111,310 | $133,990 | $124,444 (+11.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,000 | $89,340 | $82,975 (+3.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,940 | $97,600 | $90,646 (+8.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.