City comparison
Greeley, CO vs Philadelphia, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Philadelphia, PA are 2.4% higher than in Greeley, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Greeley, CO would need about $102,400 in Philadelphia, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,520 a month in Philadelphia, PA versus $1,238 in Greeley, CO. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Philadelphia, PA and 20% in Greeley, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $622 a year higher in Greeley, CO than in Philadelphia, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.2% moving from Greeley, CO to Philadelphia, PA ($118,675 → $117,284), while prices change by +2.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.5% in real buying power.
- Greeley, CO: price level 100.2 (about average)
- Philadelphia, PA: price level 102.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Greeley, CO | Philadelphia, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 102.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,374 in Philadelphia | $97,681 in Greeley |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,238/mo | $1,520/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,070 | $54,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Greeley, CO MSA and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MSA. Metro areas: Greeley, CO and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Greeley | Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.6 | 113.1 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 114.4 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 103.1 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 102.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Greeley, CO → Philadelphia, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$622/yr.
62 Fair offer
Philadelphia, PA → Greeley, CO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$622/yr.
76 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Greeley, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; Philadelphia, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Greeley, CO to Philadelphia, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Greeley, CO | Philadelphia, PA | Real change, Greeley → Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $68,013 | −3.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $82,289 | −3.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $98,630 | −3.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $117,284 | −3.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $138,595 | −3.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Greeley, CO | Philadelphia, PA | Philadelphia pay in Greeley dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $120,780 | $132,560 | $129,486 (+7.2%) |
| Software Developers | $129,480 | $133,040 | $129,955 (+0.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $87,240 | $85,990 | $83,996 (−3.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,300 | $101,180 | $98,834 (+2.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.