City comparison
Des Moines, IA 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 10.3% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $110,300 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 $1,109 in Des Moines, IA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Fort Collins, CO and 18% in Des Moines, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $543 a year higher in Fort Collins, CO than in Des Moines, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.6% moving from Des Moines, IA to Fort Collins, CO ($107,301 → $118,675), while prices change by +10.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.3% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (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
| Des Moines, IA | Fort Collins, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 101.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,280 in Fort Collins | $90,678 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/mo | $1,537/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | Denver-Aurora, CO |
Rent areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and Fort Collins-Loveland, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 120.6 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 101.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → Fort Collins, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$543/yr.
40 Weak offer
Fort Collins, CO → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$543/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Des Moines, IA is in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA pay area; Fort Collins, CO is in Denver-Aurora, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to Fort Collins, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | Fort Collins, CO | Real change, Des Moines → Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $68,819 | +0.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $83,265 | +0.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $99,800 | +0.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $118,675 | +0.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $140,239 | +0.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | Fort Collins, CO | Fort Collins pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $62,930 | $57,064 (−7.4%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $133,990 | $121,500 (−3.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $89,340 | $81,012 (+2.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | $97,600 | $88,502 (+12.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.