City comparison
Fort Collins, CO vs North Port, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in North Port, FL are 1.3% higher than in Fort Collins, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Fort Collins, CO would need about $101,300 in North Port, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,686 a month in North Port, FL versus $1,537 in Fort Collins, CO. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in North Port, FL and 24% in Fort Collins, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,692 a year higher in Fort Collins, CO than in North Port, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.3% moving from Fort Collins, CO to North Port, FL ($118,675 → $106,437), while prices change by +1.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.4% in real buying power.
- Fort Collins, CO: price level 101.1 (about average)
- North Port, FL: price level 102.4 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fort Collins, CO | North Port, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.1 | 102.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,275 in North Port | $98,741 in Fort Collins |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,686/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,310 | $47,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA and North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL MSA. Metro areas: Fort Collins-Loveland, CO and North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fort Collins | North Port |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.6 | 128.0 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 88.2 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 101.1 | 102.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fort Collins, CO → North Port, FL
Roughly even
Buying power −1.3%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$3,692/yr.
64 Fair offer
North Port, FL → Fort Collins, CO
Roughly even
Buying power +1.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,692/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fort Collins, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; North Port, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Fort Collins, CO to North Port, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fort Collins, CO | North Port, FL | Real change, Fort Collins → North Port |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $61,722 | −11.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $74,678 | −11.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $89,508 | −11.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $106,437 | −11.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $125,776 | −11.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fort Collins, CO | North Port, FL | North Port pay in Fort Collins dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,930 | $62,370 | $61,585 (−2.1%) |
| Software Developers | $133,990 | $131,890 | $130,230 (−2.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $89,340 | $81,090 | $80,069 (−10.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,600 | $86,130 | $85,046 (−12.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.