City comparison
Greeley, CO vs Louisville, KY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Greeley, CO are 7.6% higher than in Louisville, KY. Someone earning $100,000 in Louisville, KY would need about $107,600 in Greeley, CO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,238 a month in Greeley, CO versus $1,047 in Louisville, KY. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Greeley, CO and 17% in Louisville, KY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $309 a year higher in Greeley, CO than in Louisville, KY.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.3% moving from Greeley, CO to Louisville, KY ($118,675 → $106,437), while prices change by −7.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.5% in real buying power.
- Greeley, CO: price level 100.2 (about average)
- Louisville, KY: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Greeley, CO | Louisville, KY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 93.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,910 in Louisville | $107,630 in Greeley |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,238/mo | $1,047/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $75,798 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $3,382 (KY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,070 | $48,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Greeley, CO MSA and Louisville, KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Greeley, CO and Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Greeley | Louisville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.6 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 75.0 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 96.8 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 93.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Greeley, CO → Louisville, KY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.6%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$309/yr.
93 Strong offer
Louisville, KY → Greeley, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$309/yr.
47 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Greeley, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; Louisville, KY is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Greeley, CO to Louisville, KY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Greeley, CO | Louisville, KY | Real change, Greeley → Louisville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $61,722 | −3.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $74,678 | −3.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $89,508 | −3.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $106,437 | −3.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $125,776 | −3.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Greeley, CO | Louisville, KY | Louisville pay in Greeley dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,160 | $61,610 | $66,311 (+10.2%) |
| Software Developers | $129,480 | $110,270 | $118,684 (−8.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $87,240 | $76,320 | $82,144 (−5.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,300 | $84,850 | $91,324 (−5.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.