City comparison
Fort Collins, CO vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 5.5% higher than in Fort Collins, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Fort Collins, CO would need about $105,500 in Sacramento, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,832 a month in Sacramento, CA versus $1,537 in Fort Collins, CO. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 24% in Fort Collins, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,379 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Fort Collins, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.6% moving from Fort Collins, CO to Sacramento, CA ($118,675 → $117,984), while prices change by +5.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.7% in real buying power.
- Fort Collins, CO: price level 101.1 (about average)
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fort Collins, CO | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.1 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,480 in Sacramento | $94,805 in Fort Collins |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,832/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,310 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Fort Collins-Loveland, CO and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fort Collins | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.6 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 101.1 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fort Collins, CO → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.2%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$1,379/yr.
46 Fair offer
Sacramento, CA → Fort Collins, CO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,379/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fort Collins, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Fort Collins, CO to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fort Collins, CO | Sacramento, CA | Real change, Fort Collins → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $68,419 | −5.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $82,780 | −5.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $99,218 | −5.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $117,984 | −5.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $139,422 | −5.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fort Collins, CO | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in Fort Collins dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,930 | $103,390 | $98,018 (+55.8%) |
| Software Developers | $133,990 | $139,640 | $132,385 (−1.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $89,340 | $92,110 | $87,324 (−2.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,600 | $171,460 | $162,552 (+66.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.