City comparison
Fort Collins, CO vs Salinas, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salinas, CA are 7.8% higher than in Fort Collins, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Fort Collins, CO would need about $107,800 in Salinas, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,232 a month in Salinas, CA versus $1,537 in Fort Collins, CO. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Salinas, CA and 24% in Fort Collins, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,379 a year higher in Salinas, CA than in Fort Collins, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.1% moving from Fort Collins, CO to Salinas, CA ($118,675 → $133,060), while prices change by +7.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.0% in real buying power.
- Fort Collins, CO: price level 101.1 (about average)
- Salinas, CA: price level 109.0 (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 | Salinas, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.1 | 109.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,826 in Salinas | $92,742 in Fort Collins |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $2,232/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% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,310 | $47,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA and Salinas, CA MSA. Metro areas: Fort Collins-Loveland, CO and Salinas, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fort Collins | Salinas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.6 | 145.7 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 154.2 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 101.1 | 109.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fort Collins, CO → Salinas, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.3%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$1,379/yr.
29 Weak offer
Salinas, CA → Fort Collins, CO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,379/yr.
93 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fort Collins, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; Salinas, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Fort Collins, CO to Salinas, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fort Collins, CO | Salinas, CA | Real change, Fort Collins → Salinas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $77,161 | +4.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $93,358 | +4.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $111,896 | +4.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $133,060 | +4.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $157,236 | +4.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fort Collins, CO | Salinas, CA | Salinas pay in Fort Collins dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,930 | $100,220 | $92,946 (+47.7%) |
| Software Developers | $133,990 | $135,160 | $125,350 (−6.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $89,340 | $83,810 | $77,727 (−13.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,600 | $134,910 | $125,119 (+28.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.