City comparison
Fort Collins, CO vs Kiryas Joel, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Kiryas Joel, NY are 8.2% higher than in Fort Collins, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Fort Collins, CO would need about $108,200 in Kiryas Joel, NY to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,537 a month in Fort Collins, CO and $1,549 in Kiryas Joel, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,168 a year higher in Kiryas Joel, NY than in Fort Collins, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.7% moving from Fort Collins, CO to Kiryas Joel, NY ($118,675 → $125,431), while prices change by +8.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.3% in real buying power.
- Fort Collins, CO: price level 101.1 (about average)
- Kiryas Joel, NY: price level 109.4 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fort Collins, CO | Kiryas Joel, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.1 | 109.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,201 in Kiryas Joel | $92,420 in Fort Collins |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,549/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,310 | $50,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY MSA. Metro areas: Fort Collins-Loveland, CO and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fort Collins | Kiryas Joel |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.6 | 115.8 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 136.8 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 106.5 |
| Overall | 101.1 | 109.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fort Collins, CO → Kiryas Joel, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$1,168/yr.
45 Fair offer
Kiryas Joel, NY → Fort Collins, CO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.2%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,168/yr.
94 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fort Collins, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; Kiryas Joel, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Fort Collins, CO to Kiryas Joel, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fort Collins, CO | Kiryas Joel, NY | Real change, Fort Collins → Kiryas Joel |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $72,737 | −2.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $88,005 | −2.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $105,481 | −2.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $125,431 | −2.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $148,222 | −2.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fort Collins, CO | Kiryas Joel, NY | Kiryas Joel pay in Fort Collins dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,930 | $81,770 | $75,572 (+20.1%) |
| Software Developers | $133,990 | $145,830 | $134,776 (+0.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $89,340 | $88,900 | $82,162 (−8.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,600 | $102,890 | $95,091 (−2.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.