City comparison
Columbus, GA vs Greeley, CO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Greeley, CO are 12.2% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $112,200 in Greeley, CO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,238 a month in Greeley, CO versus $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Greeley, CO and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $876 a year higher in Columbus, GA than in Greeley, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.4% moving from Columbus, GA to Greeley, CO ($112,556 → $118,675), while prices change by +12.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.0% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (much cheaper)
- Greeley, CO: price level 100.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Columbus, GA | Greeley, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,184 in Greeley | $89,139 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $1,238/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% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $55,070 |
| 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 Greeley, CO MSA. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and Greeley, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Greeley |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 112.6 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 82.0 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → Greeley, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.9%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$876/yr.
38 Weak offer
Greeley, CO → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.2%; 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; Greeley, CO is in Denver-Aurora, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to Greeley, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | Greeley, CO | Real change, Columbus → Greeley |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $68,819 | −6.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $83,265 | −6.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $99,800 | −6.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $118,675 | −6.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $140,239 | −6.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | Greeley, CO | Greeley pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $60,160 | $53,626 (−12.6%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $129,480 | $115,417 (−0.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $87,240 | $77,765 (+5.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $96,300 | $85,841 (+4.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.