City comparison
Columbus, 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 5.9% higher than in Columbus, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, OH would need about $105,900 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 $1,194 in Columbus, OH. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Fort Collins, CO and 19% in Columbus, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,724 a year higher in Fort Collins, CO than in Columbus, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.9% moving from Columbus, OH to Fort Collins, CO ($111,065 → $118,675), while prices change by +5.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.9% in real buying power.
- Columbus, OH: price level 95.5 (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, OH | Fort Collins, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 101.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,928 in Fort Collins | $94,404 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,194/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 | 19% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,340 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | Denver-Aurora, CO |
Rent areas: Columbus, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA. Metro areas: Columbus, OH and Fort Collins-Loveland, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.9 | 120.6 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 101.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, OH → Fort Collins, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,724/yr.
51 Fair offer
Fort Collins, CO → Columbus, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.9%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,724/yr.
87 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, OH is in the Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH pay area; Fort Collins, CO is in Denver-Aurora, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, OH to Fort Collins, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, OH | Fort Collins, CO | Real change, Columbus → Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,406 | $68,819 | +0.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,926 | $83,265 | +0.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,400 | $99,800 | +0.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,065 | $118,675 | +0.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,245 | $140,239 | +0.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, OH | Fort Collins, CO | Fort Collins pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,150 | $62,930 | $59,409 (−24.0%) |
| Software Developers | $122,340 | $133,990 | $126,492 (+3.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,700 | $89,340 | $84,341 (+3.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,900 | $97,600 | $92,138 (+9.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.