City comparison
Detroit, MI vs Fort Collins, CO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Detroit, MI (100.3) and Fort Collins, CO (101.1, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Detroit, MI goes as far as $100,800 in Fort Collins, CO.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,537 a month in Fort Collins, CO versus $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Fort Collins, CO and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $308 a year higher in Detroit, MI than in Fort Collins, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.1% moving from Detroit, MI to Fort Collins, CO ($117,402 → $118,675), while prices change by +0.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.3% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
- 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
| Detroit, MI | Fort Collins, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 101.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,828 in Fort Collins | $99,179 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $1,537/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Denver-Aurora, CO |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and Fort Collins-Loveland, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 120.6 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 101.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → Fort Collins, CO
Roughly even
Buying power −0.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$308/yr.
66 Fair offer
Fort Collins, CO → Detroit, MI
Roughly even
Buying power +0.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$308/yr.
71 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Fort Collins, CO is in Denver-Aurora, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to Fort Collins, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | Fort Collins, CO | Real change, Detroit → Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $68,819 | +0.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $83,265 | +0.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $99,800 | +0.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $118,675 | +0.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $140,239 | +0.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | Fort Collins, CO | Fort Collins pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $62,930 | $62,414 (−4.3%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $133,990 | $132,890 (+1.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $89,340 | $88,607 (+9.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $97,600 | $96,799 (−0.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.