City comparison
El Paso, TX vs Greeley, CO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Greeley, CO are 11.4% higher than in El Paso, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in El Paso, TX would need about $111,400 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 $1,013 in El Paso, TX. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Greeley, CO and 15% in El Paso, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,692 a year higher in Greeley, CO than in El Paso, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.5% moving from El Paso, TX to Greeley, CO ($106,437 → $118,675), while prices change by +11.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.1% in real buying power.
- El Paso, TX: price level 89.9 (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
| El Paso, TX | Greeley, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.9 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,416 in Greeley | $89,754 in El Paso |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,013/mo | $1,238/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 | 15% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $39,510 | $55,070 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Denver-Aurora, CO |
Rent areas: El Paso, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Greeley, CO MSA. Metro areas: El Paso, TX and Greeley, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | El Paso | Greeley |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.2 | 112.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 82.6 | 82.0 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 89.9 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
El Paso, TX → Greeley, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.2%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,692/yr.
38 Weak offer
Greeley, CO → El Paso, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.4%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$3,692/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
El Paso, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Greeley, CO is in Denver-Aurora, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from El Paso, TX to Greeley, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | El Paso, TX | Greeley, CO | Real change, El Paso → Greeley |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,819 | +0.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $83,265 | +0.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $99,800 | +0.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $118,675 | +0.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $140,239 | +0.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | El Paso, TX | Greeley, CO | Greeley pay in El Paso dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,800 | $60,160 | $53,996 (−15.4%) |
| Software Developers | $127,310 | $129,480 | $116,214 (−8.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,990 | $87,240 | $78,301 (+18.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $86,100 | $96,300 | $86,433 (+0.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.