City comparison
Fayetteville, AR 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 10.7% higher than in Fayetteville, AR. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, AR would need about $110,700 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 $1,115 in Fayetteville, AR. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Fort Collins, CO and 18% in Fayetteville, AR.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,687 a year in AR and $3,692 in CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.5% moving from Fayetteville, AR to Fort Collins, CO ($106,437 → $118,675), while prices change by +10.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.7% in real buying power.
- Fayetteville, AR: price level 91.4 (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
| Fayetteville, AR | Fort Collins, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.4 | 101.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,700 in Fort Collins | $90,334 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,115/mo | $1,537/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,493 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,687 (AR) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,610 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Denver-Aurora, CO |
Rent areas: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR MSA and Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA. Metro areas: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR and Fort Collins-Loveland, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.9 | 120.6 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 75.1 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 95.3 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 91.4 | 101.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, AR → Fort Collins, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.7%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$4/yr.
39 Weak offer
Fort Collins, CO → Fayetteville, AR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fayetteville, AR is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Fort Collins, CO is in Denver-Aurora, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Fayetteville, AR to Fort Collins, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, AR | Fort Collins, CO | Real change, Fayetteville → Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,819 | +0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $83,265 | +0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $99,800 | +0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $118,675 | +0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $140,239 | +0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, AR | Fort Collins, CO | Fort Collins pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,010 | $62,930 | $56,847 (−6.8%) |
| Software Developers | $105,130 | $133,990 | $121,039 (+15.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,190 | $89,340 | $80,704 (+4.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,910 | $97,600 | $88,166 (+13.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.