City comparison
Greeley, CO vs Port St. Lucie, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Greeley, CO (100.2) and Port St. Lucie, FL (100.2, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Greeley, CO goes as far as $100,100 in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,467 a month in Port St. Lucie, FL versus $1,238 in Greeley, CO. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Port St. Lucie, FL and 20% in Greeley, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,692 a year higher in Greeley, CO than in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.5% moving from Greeley, CO to Port St. Lucie, FL ($118,675 → $113,356), while prices change by +0.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.5% in real buying power.
- Greeley, CO: price level 100.2 (about average)
- Port St. Lucie, FL: price level 100.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Greeley, CO | Port St. Lucie, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,052 in Port St. Lucie | $99,948 in Greeley |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,238/mo | $1,467/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,070 | $46,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Greeley, CO MSA and Port St. Lucie, FL MSA. Metro areas: Greeley, CO and Port St. Lucie, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Greeley | Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.6 | 113.6 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 87.0 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Greeley, CO → Port St. Lucie, FL
Roughly even
Buying power −0.1%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,692/yr.
69 Fair offer
Port St. Lucie, FL → Greeley, CO
Roughly even
Buying power +0.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,692/yr.
69 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Greeley, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; Port St. Lucie, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Greeley, CO to Port St. Lucie, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Greeley, CO | Port St. Lucie, FL | Real change, Greeley → Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $65,735 | −4.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $79,533 | −4.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $95,326 | −4.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $113,356 | −4.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $133,953 | −4.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Greeley, CO | Port St. Lucie, FL | Port St. Lucie pay in Greeley dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,160 | $53,610 | $53,582 (−10.9%) |
| Software Developers | $129,480 | $128,510 | $128,443 (−0.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $87,240 | $79,430 | $79,389 (−9.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,300 | $82,090 | $82,047 (−14.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.