City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Fort Collins, CO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 1.9% higher than in Fort Collins, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Fort Collins, CO would need about $101,900 in Dallas, TX to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,648 a month in Dallas, TX versus $1,537 in Fort Collins, CO. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 24% in Fort Collins, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,692 a year higher in Fort Collins, CO than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.6% moving from Dallas, TX to Fort Collins, CO ($115,711 → $118,675), while prices change by −1.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.6% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- 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
| Dallas, TX | Fort Collins, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 101.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,097 in Fort Collins | $101,940 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $1,537/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Denver-Aurora, CO |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Fort Collins-Loveland, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 120.6 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 101.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Fort Collins, CO
Roughly even
Buying power +1.9%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,692/yr.
75 Strong offer
Fort Collins, CO → Dallas, TX
Roughly even
Buying power −1.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,692/yr.
63 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Fort Collins, CO is in Denver-Aurora, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Fort Collins, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Fort Collins, CO | Real change, Dallas → Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $68,819 | +4.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $83,265 | +4.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $99,800 | +4.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $118,675 | +4.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $140,239 | +4.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Fort Collins, CO | Fort Collins pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $62,930 | $64,151 (−1.4%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $133,990 | $136,590 (+2.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $89,340 | $91,073 (+10.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $97,600 | $99,494 (−1.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.