City comparison
Columbia, SC vs Fort Collins, CO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Fort Collins, CO are 8.0% higher than in Columbia, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbia, SC would need about $108,000 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 $1,164 in Columbia, SC. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Fort Collins, CO and 19% in Columbia, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,151 a year higher in Columbia, SC than in Fort Collins, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.5% moving from Columbia, SC to Fort Collins, CO ($106,437 → $118,675), while prices change by +8.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.3% in real buying power.
- Columbia, SC: price level 93.7 (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
| Columbia, SC | Fort Collins, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.7 | 101.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,971 in Fort Collins | $92,617 in Columbia |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,164/mo | $1,537/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,337 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,843 (SC) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,430 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Denver-Aurora, CO |
Rent areas: Columbia, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA. Metro areas: Columbia, SC and Fort Collins-Loveland, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbia | Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.5 | 120.6 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 88.3 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 93.7 | 101.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbia, SC → Fort Collins, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,151/yr.
46 Fair offer
Fort Collins, CO → Columbia, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.0%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$1,151/yr.
94 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Columbia, SC is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Fort Collins, CO is in Denver-Aurora, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbia, SC to Fort Collins, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbia, SC | Fort Collins, CO | Real change, Columbia → Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,819 | +3.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $83,265 | +3.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $99,800 | +3.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $118,675 | +3.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $140,239 | +3.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbia, SC | Fort Collins, CO | Fort Collins pay in Columbia dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $101,330 | $133,850 | $123,968 (+22.3%) |
| Software Developers | $123,380 | $133,990 | $124,098 (+0.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $69,210 | $89,340 | $82,744 (+19.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,920 | $97,600 | $90,394 (+10.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.