City comparison
Columbus, 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 13.3% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $113,300 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 $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Fort Collins, CO and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $876 a year higher in Columbus, GA than in Fort Collins, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.4% moving from Columbus, GA to Fort Collins, CO ($112,556 → $118,675), while prices change by +13.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.9% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (much 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
| Columbus, GA | Fort Collins, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 101.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,250 in Fort Collins | $88,300 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/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 | 15% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Denver-Aurora, CO |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and Fort Collins-Loveland, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 120.6 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 101.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → Fort Collins, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.7%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$876/yr.
38 Weak offer
Fort Collins, CO → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$876/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, 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 Columbus, GA to Fort Collins, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | Fort Collins, CO | Real change, Columbus → Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $68,819 | −6.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $83,265 | −6.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $99,800 | −6.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $118,675 | −6.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $140,239 | −6.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | Fort Collins, CO | Fort Collins pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $62,930 | $55,567 (−9.4%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $133,990 | $118,313 (+1.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $89,340 | $78,887 (+7.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $97,600 | $86,181 (+4.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.