City comparison
Fort Collins, CO vs Killeen, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Fort Collins, CO are 11.0% higher than in Killeen, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Killeen, TX would need about $111,000 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 $990 in Killeen, TX. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Fort Collins, CO and 15% in Killeen, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,692 a year higher in Fort Collins, CO than in Killeen, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.3% moving from Fort Collins, CO to Killeen, TX ($118,675 → $106,437), while prices change by −9.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.5% in real buying power.
- Fort Collins, CO: price level 101.1 (about average)
- Killeen, TX: price level 91.1 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fort Collins, CO | Killeen, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.1 | 91.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,115 in Killeen | $110,969 in Fort Collins |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $990/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,310 | $46,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA and Killeen-Temple, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Fort Collins-Loveland, CO and Killeen-Temple, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fort Collins | Killeen |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.6 | 77.9 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 81.2 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 101.1 | 91.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fort Collins, CO → Killeen, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$3,692/yr.
100 Strong offer
Killeen, TX → Fort Collins, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.9%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,692/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fort Collins, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; Killeen, TX is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Fort Collins, CO to Killeen, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fort Collins, CO | Killeen, TX | Real change, Fort Collins → Killeen |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $61,722 | −0.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $74,678 | −0.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $89,508 | −0.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $106,437 | −0.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $125,776 | −0.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fort Collins, CO | Killeen, TX | Killeen pay in Fort Collins dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,930 | $63,120 | $70,043 (+11.3%) |
| Software Developers | $133,990 | $123,320 | $136,847 (+2.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $89,340 | $73,270 | $81,307 (−9.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,600 | $93,440 | $103,689 (+6.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.