City comparison
Fort Collins, CO vs Santa Rosa, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Santa Rosa, CA are 6.6% higher than in Fort Collins, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Fort Collins, CO would need about $106,600 in Santa Rosa, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,155 a month in Santa Rosa, CA versus $1,537 in Fort Collins, CO. On $100,000, that's 35% of take-home pay in Santa Rosa, CA and 24% in Fort Collins, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,379 a year higher in Santa Rosa, 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 Santa Rosa, CA ($118,675 → $133,060), while prices change by +6.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.2% in real buying power.
- Fort Collins, CO: price level 101.1 (about average)
- Santa Rosa, CA: price level 107.8 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fort Collins, CO | Santa Rosa, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.1 | 107.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,582 in Santa Rosa | $93,825 in Fort Collins |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $2,155/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% | 35% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,310 | $56,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA MSA. Metro areas: Fort Collins-Loveland, CO and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fort Collins | Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.6 | 139.6 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 154.8 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 101.1 | 107.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fort Collins, CO → Santa Rosa, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.2%; rent takes 35% of take-home; state tax +$1,379/yr.
35 Weak offer
Santa Rosa, CA → Fort Collins, CO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,379/yr.
89 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fort Collins, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; Santa Rosa, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Fort Collins, CO to Santa Rosa, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fort Collins, CO | Santa Rosa, CA | Real change, Fort Collins → Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $77,161 | +5.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $93,358 | +5.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $111,896 | +5.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $133,060 | +5.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $157,236 | +5.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fort Collins, CO | Santa Rosa, CA | Santa Rosa pay in Fort Collins dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,930 | $99,060 | $92,943 (+47.7%) |
| Software Developers | $133,990 | $148,630 | $139,452 (+4.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $89,340 | $94,690 | $88,843 (−0.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,600 | $174,550 | $163,771 (+67.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.